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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (June 20, 2018)
4B | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2018 | SIUSLAW NEWS Marine Board reminds boaters to protect waterways from invasive species Glenn Dolphin, the Marine Board’s Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Program Coordinator and 2018 Chair of the Oregon Invasive Species Council. “Recreational boat- ers, whether propelled by pad- dle, oar or motor, can help protect our waterways by draining all water within any interior compartments and letting everything thoroughly dry. “If every boater embraces this practice, it will go a long The Marine Board, Oregon Invasive Species Council and Department of Fish and Wildlife are reminding boaters to “Clean, Drain and Dry” their boats and equipment to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. This effort, in conjunction with border inspection sta- tions will help protect the fragile balance of Oregon’s aquatic ecosystems. “Clean, drain and dry your boat after every outing," said way in preventing the spread of invaders that are already in Oregon.” Aquatic invasive species (AIS) are non-native animals, plants, microorganisms and pathogens that out-compete or prey on Oregon’s native fish and other wildlife. They can harm the environment, hinder salmon recovery efforts, nega- tively impact human health and hurt local business econo- mies. They come to Oregon from other states and provinces on trailers, boat hulls, motors, wading boots, fishing equip- ment and via many other vec- tors. Once they become estab- lished in one lake or river, they can easily spread to more waterways in Oregon. All boats being transported are required to stop if an inspection station is open. This includes mounted kay- aks, canoes, inflatable boats, stand up paddle boards, catarafts, and trailered boats (including commercially transported boats). Inspection teams are made up of specially trained person- nel from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife who look inside and outside of boats for invasive species. Inspections take approxi- mately 10 minutes. If a boat is contaminated, the inspection team will decontaminate the boat on-site. Decontamination can take anywhere from 20 minutes to one hour. There is no cost to the boat- er for decontamination. The inspection stations, equipment and personnel are paid for through funds gener- ated from the sale of AIS per- mits, which are required on all motorboats and non-motor- ized boats over 10 feet when Art by Tawnya Peerson '#" ## ("46/4:*4239 &'%'#"#%! &6)%&/7 ' % :/##" %&'$'&'(% 3:5646''%'* #%"* #%!#%"#%!'#"+::8.8772 ,& ! + % " ' - ( % " ! + '%'%&&+ ')+ ''+ $+ "%&& '%'%&&+ ')+ #"(!%& #!+ ''+ $+ # % + + ! + "#%!' #" %''+ &' %#!$ ' "&## + "#%!'#" # !%")# "'' & % & !+ !+ !+ !+ #""(!%+ #""(!%+ #""(!%+ #""(!%+ &!&& "#%!'#" ! !+ #""(!%+ !+ #""(!%+ '% "#%!'#" !! " ! ! $ ! boating on Oregon’s water- ways. Oregon registered motor- boats pay the AIS fee as part of their boat registration, so no additional AIS permit is required. Out-of-state registered motorboats and sailboats must purchase a $20 annual permit. Non-motorized boats have the option of purchasing a $5 annual or $10 two-year per- mit. To do your part to help pro- tect Oregon’s waterways, fol- low these steps: Clean: When leaving the water, clean all equipment that touched the water by remov- ing all visible plants, algae, animals and mud. Equipment includes watercraft hulls, trail- ers, shoes, waders, life jackets, engines and other gear. Drain: Drain any accumu- lated water from boats or gear, including the bilge and live wells and transom wells, before leaving a water access point. Pull the boat’s bilge plug and allow water to drain. Dry: Once home, fully dry all gear before using it in a different waterbody. In 2017, ODFW technicians inspected 21,035 boats and intercepted 17 with quagga or zebra mussels and 283 with other types of aquatic invasive species such as Eurasian mil- foil and brown mussels. Researchers estimate that invasive zebra and quagga mussels alone could cost the power industry more than $3 billion, and industries, busi- nesses and communities more than $5 billion nationwide over 6 years. Tribes, the federal govern- ment, states and nonprofit organizations have come together to address aquatic invasive species contamina- tion through research, inspec- tion and decontamination efforts and rapid response exercises. Learn to recognize aquatic invaders and report any you find to the toll-free Oregon Invasive Species Hotline at 1-866-INVADER. More information can be found at www.oregoninvasive speciescouncil.org.