The Lincoln County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to oppose the designation of a National Marine Sanctuary in Oregon coastal waters.
The board action comes after other counties on the south coast have voiced their opposition to establishing a marine Sanctuary off Cape Blanco. Lincoln County Commissioner Terry Thompson says the board wanted to give support to south coast counties and he favors local control
Thompson: "With Oregon, we have about 97 percent of our fisheries are now in sustainable status and are thriving. So, we're wondering why the federal government should have to come in and interfere since we're leading the survival of the ocean instead of having to be somebody that has to be forced into it."
The rules around nominating areas to be designated as National Marine Sanctuaries have recently been changed, placing more significance on community and local government support. There are 14 Federal Marine Sanctuaries in the United States, including Washington's Olympic coast.