We have some great opportunities to get involved this summer. We hope to see you at the following upcoming local events sponsored by North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection:
Community Meetings
All are welcome at our monthly meetings in Rockaway Beach and Astoria. Come learn, hear stories, join discussions, give input, plan and meet others working to ensure clean air and drinking water.
We meet in Rockaway Beach on the last Tuesday of each month at St. Mary by the Sea Parish Hall, 275 S. Pacific Street, Rockaway Beach, at 6:00 p.m. The next meeting is Tuesday, June 30.
The Astoria Chapter of NCCWP holds its monthly meetings at 4:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of the month at Kala, 1017 Marine Drive in Astoria. The next meeting is July 15.
Special Presentation: Aerial Views of North Coast Clearcuts
At our upcoming monthly community meetings, Richard Felley will present his aerial photos of clearcuts on private and state forests, with a discussion and information on what you can do about it. Join us on July 15 in Astoria and August 25 in Rockaway Beach.
Volunteers Needed
Tabling at Farmers Markets! Seeking volunteers to help with setup and outreach in Astoria (June 21), Manzanita (June 26), Tillamook (June 27), Manzanita (July 3), and Seaside (July 8). This is a fun way to spread the word about pesticide spraying and clean water and meet other people who are interested in fighting for a pesticide-free future. Contact Nancy at rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com or Rhonda at rhonda.nccwp@gmail.com if you can help out.
Updates
Free to Grow Screening and Mapping Event
The screening of the film “Free to Grow” at the Bay City Arts Center was a big success. Over fifty people gathered to watch Jesse Andrew Clark’s film about the human impact of pesticide spraying in Oregon forests, and to learn about a new mapping tool created by Beyond Toxics which tracks the recent history of pesticide applications in Oregon forests. Learn who sprayed and what has been sprayed in the last ten years, near where you live, work and visit:
https://www.beyondtoxics.org/work/pesticides-and-communities/pesticide-map/
And for future info go to FERNS: https://ferns.odf.oregon.gov/E-Notification
Thank you to Jennifer Eisele for the presentation, the volunteers who helped set up the event, and everyone who attended and participated in a valuable discussion.
Revised Forest Management Plan
Comments are due by June 30 on the revised Western Oregon State Forests Draft Forest Management Plan. NCCWP will be submitting comments regarding the inadequate protections for drinking water in this plan.
You can read the draft here:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/bof/20260603-bof-item-6.pdf
And comment here:
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/rulemaking.aspx#fmp
(scroll down to “Public comment”)
Air Quality Monitors
Thanks to Oregon DEQ for donating two air quality monitors, and thank you to two Rockaway Beach citizen volunteers for installing the monitors on their property! These devices are connected to the global Purple Air https://www2.purpleair.com/ and click on Explore the Map, to see air quality info in real time. We are currently monitoring particulate matter from slash burning and other sources.
Nedonna Marsh and Wetlands Update
We again thank Crag Law Center and Oregon Shores working with NCCWP for the two successful LUBA ruling. The work continues towards permanently protecting the Nedonna Wetlands. Remember this neighborhood includes the wetlands that are located over the Rockaway Beach backup aquifer. 75 percent of the homes above this drinking water aquifer are on septic tanks. These drinking water wells are usually used in late summer and early fall. We are planning a Nedonna Wetland Walk later this summer. Stay tuned…
Botts Marsh in Wheeler News from Our Neighbors
Here is an update from Oregon Coast Alliance (ORCA) regarding the proposed hotel development in Wheeler:
Botts Marsh LLC, a local company, is proposing yet again a development on a small parcel of land they own at the north end of the tiny (pop. about 450) town of Wheeler. Lying between Highway 101 and Nehalem Bay, which it fronts, the parcel is a piece of old fill land carved from Botts Marsh itself, and is the site of a shake and shingle mill that ceased operations in the sixties. The applicants are proposing a 26-unit hotel and a restaurant; a later iteration of the project will include a cottage cluster as well.
The Wheeler planning commission approved the proposal in May, despite strong arguments that the development would be at cross purposes with Wheeler’s Vision Plan, which seeks to maintain the village’s small town character. ORCA appealed the approval to Wheeler City Council. The hearing will be Tuesday, June 16, from 6-8 p.m.
https://www.cityofwheeleror.gov/meetings
ORCA opposes this development because of the health and safety issues involved (there are contamination questions on the property as well), the unstable land unsuitable for such a large development, and how the proposal threatens Wheeler’s small town identity.
Save the Date – September 29th
Please join NCCWP on September 29, at Fort George Brewing for an evening of art and fund-raising. Fort George has generously pledged 10 percent of sales for the day to NCCWP (including any takeout and merchandise sales). We will also be holding a silent auction of locally-made, nature-inspired art and a basket of products from local businesses.
Community Discussion: Constitutional Right to Healthy Environment
This listening tour event is coordinated and facilitated by the Oregon Coalition for an Environmental Rights Amendment (OCERA). Attendance is free and open to the public.
Oregonians are encouraged to come and provide their stories of environmental threats. The three parts to each listening session include 1) storytelling Oregonians’ experiences, 2) discussing available remedies to stop / prevent environmental harm, and 3) discussing whether and how a constitutional amendment would help.
For more information: https://www.oceraunited.org/listening
This event is happening on Tuesday, June 23 from 1:00-2:00 pm in the Flag Room at the Astoria Library.
Links
The Jewell School lawsuit saga continues. Here is an overview from The Oregon Capital Chronicle: “Tiny School District Suing State Over Reduced Timber Revenue Will Have Its Day in Court.”
On June 10, Governor Tina Kotek declared drought emergencies for
Douglas, Gilliam, Harney, Lake and Malheur counties to the state’s drought emergency list, which now includes 17 of Oregon’s 36 counties.
“Nearly half of Oregon counties now in emergency drought status” (Capital Press):
https://capitalpress.com/2026/06/10/nearly-half-of-oregon-counties-now-in-emergency-drought-status/
http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/CurrentMap/StateDroughtMonitor.aspx?OR
Oregon Coast Faces Rising Drought Risk: “Last summer, along with several counties in the very northeast corner of the state, the U.S. Drought Monitor showed northern Lincoln County and all of Tillamook County under ‘severe drought,’ the worst in Oregon” Daniel O’Neil
https://1859oregonmagazine.com/featured/oregon-coast-faces-rising-drought-risk/
New Study Finds Something Horrible Contaminating Half of California’s Water,
Source: Futurism
https://share.google/rKOZ3yKyvmqPBWDq5)
A March 2021 Portland State University study linked pesticide spraying in forests to pesticides found in ocean aquatic species. Toxic traces were found in mussels, clams, and oysters in Oregon’s coastal zone. This study explored the link between industrial forestry management techniques and pesticides found in aquatic species (see attachment.) To view the KGW television story on the study, use the link below.
New study shows wetlands loss has increased residential flood insurance claim payments by $10 billion
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1130501
The Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is preparing to undergo a rulemaking to update the rules for water distribution, enforcement, and exempt uses. The department is currently accepting public input. Click here for more info:
https://www.oregon.gov/owrd/programs/policylawandrules/OARS/Pages/default.aspx
Ways to Get Involved
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Volunteers are needed for summer tabling events (locations in Tillamook, Rockaway Beach, Manzanita, Seaside, Astoria and Clatskanie)
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Help with monitoring ongoing logging and pesticide applications in the North Coast drinking watersheds
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Hanging posters for upcoming events
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Join our community meetings to help plan and strategize.
Contact Nancy at rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com if you can help out.
About us
NCCWP wants no more logging and pesticide use in community water sources regardless of who owns the land, and wants an end to pesticide applications near where people live, work, and recreate. Safe drinking water and clean air are part of the public trust that we all are entitled to have. Please help North Coast Communities for Watershed Protection safeguard and restore our drinking watersheds.
www.healthywatershed.org | www.facebook.com/nccwatershedprotection
For more information or to unsubscribe, contact rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to NCCWP. You can donate by check or online via debit or credit card by visiting: https://healthywatershed.org/donate/.
