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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-line-height-alt:9.6pt"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">For Immediate Release Date: Tuesday, November 7, 2017<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Marine Board Seeks Written Public Comment on Visual Distress Signals for Columbia River</span></b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">The Oregon State Marine Board seeks public comment on amending a rule adopted in 2015 for visual distress signals in Oregon’s ocean waters. The rule established visual distress signal
requirements for boats operating west of the “line of demarcation” at the tips of the jetties for Oregon’s coastal bays with one exception; the Columbia River. The rule change proposes removing the Columbia River exemption to be consistent with US Coast Guard
designations. The visual distress signal requirement would be for the ocean, west of coastal bays and their associated jetties.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">Written comments are being accepted through December 29, 2017 by 5 pm and can be submitted via email to
<a href="mailto:osmb.rulemaking@oregon.gov">osmb.rulemaking@oregon.gov</a> or by U.S. mail to: June LeTarte, Administrative Rules Coordinator, 435 Commercial St. NE, Suite 400, Salem, OR 97301. Comments via telephone will not be accepted.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"">To view the proposed changes, visit
<a href="http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/info/Pages/Rulemaking-and-Public-Notices.aspx">
http://www.oregon.gov/OSMB/info/Pages/Rulemaking-and-Public-Notices.aspx</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","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"><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><img border="0" width="360" height="80" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.png@01D357A4.DD9F8B30" alt="BoatORTreatmentEmail"><o:p></o:p></p>
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