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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt"><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For Immediate Release Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2017</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Boating on Oregon’s Waterways –Plan, Pay Attention, Share</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt;text-indent:.5in"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="526" height="363" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D2D3C2.B7BC1AC0" align="right" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_2"><![endif]><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Salem,
OR –</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""> Motorboats, kayaks, canoes, rafts, pontoon, drift, stand up paddleboards, sailboats, personal watercraft; there’s a boat out there that can connect you to the water and a rental facility ready
to help you get your feet wet if you’re new to boating. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Oregon State Marine Board invites boaters to explore the
<a href="http://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=841da68081294bb2a6b50f93b1a12f05">
interactive Boating Oregon Map</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">,</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="text-decoration:none">
</span></span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color:windowtext;text-decoration:none">where you can find a boat ramp near you, or plan for a weekend escape to places less-frequented</span></span><b>.
<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“This season is going to be a fantastic year for water recreation with abundant water,” says Ashley Massey, Public Information Officer for
the Marine Board. “Just be sure to plan ahead by checking the weather, water levels,
<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/Pages/Reported-Obstructions-Alerts.aspx">reported obstructions</a>, and having all of the right gear. Boaters can check the Marine Board’s
<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/osmb/Pages/index.aspx">website</a> for everything a boater needs to know to start planning a trip,” Massey adds.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Massey emphasizes paying attention to your surroundings, continually scanning port to starboard and keeping a close eye on what’s dead-ahead. “2016 saw an increase
in accidents, largely from collisions,” says Massey. “Familiarize yourself with the
<a href="https://youtu.be/KSVD8ninsP0">rules-of-the-road</a>, and start out slow because of debris in the water from this past winter.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">“With the extraordinary high water levels, many wing dams (also known as pile dikes) on rivers and bays are just below the surface, so boaters need to keep their
distance from the shoreline up to several hundred feet out from shore.” Boaters are encouraged to learn where the wing dams are located based on the waterbody where they’re boating from
<a href="http://www.charts.noaa.gov">www.charts.noaa.gov</a>, for free, downloadable navigation charts.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:4.0pt;text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Think about taking a “dispersion excursion” to lesser-known waterbodies, especially for people new to paddlesports or seeking more solitude.
There are 96 waterways where motors are prohibited and 50 designated as electric motor only waterways. Visit the Marine Board’s
<a href="http://online.flipbuilder.com/ashley.massey/crqe/">Experience Oregon Boating Handbook</a> for more information about these areas.
<b> </b><span class="articledescription"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in;line-height:200%"><span class="articledescription"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Marine Board also recommends boaters
</span></span><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">play it safe by:</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Abstaining from marijuana, drugs or alcohol. Instead, take along a variety of non-alcoholic beverages and plenty of water. Impairment
can lead to a BUII arrest. Drugs and alcohol impair a boater’s judgement and coordination. Swift currents, changing weather and debris require boat operators to be focused and skilled to avoid an accident.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">If you are feeling fatigued, take a break on land and return to the water when you are re-energized and alert. Wind, glare, dehydration and wave motion contribute to fatigue. Continually monitor the weather
because it changes quickly. <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Operators and passengers should wear properly fitting life jackets.
<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/boater-info/Pages/Life-Jackets.aspx">Learn more</a> about life jacket types, styles and legal requirements. Anyone rafting on Class III Whitewater Rivers is required to wear a life jacket, and all children 12 and under when
a boat is underway. The water temperature for most waterways is below 50 degrees and wearing a life jacket is the most important piece of equipment for surviving the first few seconds of cold water immersion.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Never boat alone –<b>especially when paddling.
</b>Always let others know where you are going and when you’ll return. <o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Be courteous to other boaters and share the waterway. Congestion is a given in many popular locations, especially with nice weather. Paddlers need to stay in calmer water near the shore and allow motorized
boats to operate in deeper water. Motorized boaters should be given priority when launching, as many boat ramps are designed for heavier trailered boats to access the water.
<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;line-height:14.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">In Oregon, all boaters must take a boating safety course and carry a boater education card when operating a powerboat greater than 10 horsepower. The Marine Board also offers a free,
<a href="http://www.boaterexam.com/paddling/oregon/">online Paddling Course</a> for boaters new to the activity.
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:.25in;text-indent:.25in;line-height:22.0pt;mso-line-height-rule:exactly">
<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">For more information about safe boating in Oregon, visit
<a href="http://www.boatoregon.com">www.boatoregon.com</a><span class="MsoHyperlink">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">###<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Ashley A. Massey<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Legislative Coordinator<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Public Information Officer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Oregon State Marine Board<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">503-378-2623<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="144" height="144" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D2D3C2.B7BC1AC0" alt="EmailOSMB_logos_cmyk_300dpi"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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