The Economic Contribution from Ocean Research, Planning, and Management Activities at Port Orford, Oregon

Identification Information

Citation

Originator: The Research Group, LLC.

Publish Date: 2013

Online Link: None

BPA Project #:

Contact Information

Agency: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

Name: Lindsay Aylesworth

Job Position: Marine Reserves Program Leader

Telephone: 541-867-4741

E-Mail Address: lindsay.x.aylesworth@odfw.oregon.gov

Description

Abstract: The Redfish Rocks Marine Reserve (RRMR) was established in 2009 at Port Orford, Oregon by state statutory recognition. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is the lead state agency for developing the regulations for prohibiting extractive uses at the site and monitoring how the marine environment and human uses change because of the regulations. Restrictions on extractive uses at the site took effect at the marine reserve on January 1, 2012. The Port Orford Ocean Resources Team (POORT), a local non-governmental organization who advocated for the marine reserve site, and the Redfish Rocks Community Team requested the ODFW include an economic analysis of non-traditional ocean use activities (i.e. activities not related to commercial and recreational fishing or tourism) as part of the site's monitoring. The ODFW ensued the analysis by developing a census of all ocean resource research, management, and planning activities that occurred at Port Orford over the years 2008 through 2012. A personal interview survey was completed for the list's 29 project contacts, which was a 100 percent response rate. The survey also solicited information about project purposes and any experienced hindrances that local agencies and organizations should address in order to encourage the expansion of similar project activities at Port Orford. The survey results provided the data inputs for regional economic contribution modeling. Modeling results showed that the period's annual average local spending from the surveyed project types contributed $0.5 million in total personal income (includes the "multiplier effect") in the region, which has an equivalent job count of 15 using countywide average job earnings. The surveyed project's economic contributions are about 12 percent of the onshore landings commercial fishing industry annual average (over the same period) economic contributions. The commercial fishing industry economic contributions represent a large proportion of what all Port Orford City residents earn at 32 percent, based on 2010 decennial census data. Ocean access in the area is somewhat restricted to using the Port of Port Orford's land and facilities. It was important to know if the access was inconvenient or there were other local circumstances that caused project operational difficulties. The survey results for asking about hindrances were diverse across a number of factors: poor weather (17 percent), inability to launch vessels due to sand inundation (17 percent), political and social problems (uncooperative fishermen, conflicting management scales, and political polarization) (14 percent), expensive lift fees for research vessels (10 percent), and lack of infrastructure and other problems associated with being a small town (seven percent). The survey results for project purpose and needs will assist local agencies in determining what might be done for changing facility operations, providing facility improvements, and undertaking promotion programs. The economic analysis results were useful for showing that the project type's economic contributions are not trivial, and results give suggestions to local leaders for what might be done to promote growth in the project type activities. The results also remind local leaders of the scale of the activities in relation to traditional ocean uses that are occurring at Port Orford. This reminder will be useful information if it is necessary to make tradeoff decisions for economic development investment choices. The POORT is an advocate for community based fisheries management and other management systems that operate in a way that is consistent with the principles of Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM). An important facet of EBM is that it accounts for the cumulative impacts both between and within different stakeholder groups on the marine ecosystem's ability to provide services to humans. The social and economic impacts of marine reserves on these stakeholder groups need to be determined if tradeoffs are to be compared with other local stakeholder groups. Marine reserves inspire research opportunities and therefore, scientists, researchers, community planners, and enforcement personnel become important new ocean resource stakeholder groups. These stakeholder groups help bring new money into the economy for carrying out projects. There can also be positive social effects through attraction of new residents with diverse backgrounds and interests into the community. There may be conflicts and compromises to work out with existing ocean users, and there might be investments required to accelerate growth in the new ocean resource use activities. The biological, ecological, and human dimension monitoring results from the newly established marine reserve site will produce information for local decision makers when determining ocean resource uses management and economic development support priorities.

Purpose:

Time Period of Content: 2008-2012

Geographic Extent: Port Orford

Status: Final

Use Constraints:

Format: PDF

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Is a physical copy maintained for reference at Headquarters? Unknown