Oregon
Oregon outlaws jet boats with engines above 15 horsepower on Upper Rogue River
Tips for having a safe float trip
Float trips on Oregon’s waterways are a popular summer activity, here are some tips to stay safe on the water.
Statesman Journal
The Oregon State Marine Board outlawed fast-moving jet boats on the Upper Rogue River after a long and contentious battle between anglers, environmental groups and commercial jet boat drivers.
The decision, made at a meeting Jan. 23, limits motorboats to an engine of 15 horsepower or lower on the popular upper river above Dodge Bridge County Park and Rogue River tributaries, between Fishers Ferry County Park and William L. Jess Dam at Lost Creek Reservoir.
The move effectively bans charter jet boat trips upstream of Table Rock Road, which has been a source of controversy for years.
Rogue Jet Boat Adventures, which has operated tours in the area, told the Rogue Valley Times they are “concerned about the decisions limiting access to a section of the river that provides invaluable opportunities for school groups, veterans, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities — people who otherwise may not have the chance to experience this area of natural beauty and educational significance,” owner Taylor Grimes told the newspaper.
Grimes can still operate jet boat tours at lower segments of the river.
Environmental groups and anglers who said the jet boats degraded protection, water quality and safety celebrated the decision.
“Rogue Riverkeeper believes this rule-making highlights the importance of protecting water quality and aquatic habitat and building policy resilience in the face of climate change as our environment faces changes in use as well as the impacts that climate change itself will bring,” the group wrote.
Oregon State Marine Board approves grants for boating facilities
At the same meeting, the OSMB approved a series of grants to fund boating access at various locations including:
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Pioneer Park West on the Klamath River. This project involves installing an accessible single-stall vault toilet, engineering services and sidewalks as part of a renovation project for improved river access. $180,000 in boating facility grant funds and $60,000 in waterway access grant funds to match $901,843 of applicant cash and pre-agreement match, for a total project cost of $1,141,843.
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Moonshine Falls on the Klamath River. Access road improvements to this new river access site will serve as a put-in location for the Big Bend run. The board approved $40,000 in waterway access grant funds to match $2,101,807 of applicant cash and pre-agreement match, for a total project cost of $2,141,807.
- Salmon Harbor West Basin boarding dock replacement on the Umpqua River. This project will replace the timber boarding docks with aluminum, which have an anticipated useful life of 25 years depending on use, weather conditions and maintenance. The board approved $270,000 in boating facility grant funds to match $90,000 of applicant cash, labor, equipment, materials, administration and pre-agreement match, for a total project cost of $360,000.
- U.S. Forest Service, Siuslaw National Forest, Sutton Boat Ramp and boarding dock replacement. Due to permitting delays, the USFS requested a grant extension to June 30, 2027. The board conditionally approved, subject to legislative approval of the agency’s 2025-27 budget, $449,496.43 from the 2025-27 boating facility grant funding to match $149,832.14 of applicant cash and administrative match, for a total project cost of $599,328.57.
Zach Urness has been an outdoors reporter in Oregon for 18 years and is host of the Explore Oregon Podcast. He can be reached at zurness@StatesmanJournal.com or (503) 399-6801. Find him on X at @ZachsORoutdoors.
The Oregon Ducks are set for one of the biggest timelines of their recruiting cycle, as many top targets are nearing commitments. This time around, the Ducks have a ton of top targets still remaining on their board compared to past seasons, as the Ducks have eight total commitments at this time.
Oregon coach Dan Lanning and his staff still need to land a safety commitment, but three-star safety Elijah Butler out of Maryland recently included the Ducks in his final six schools.
Oregon Target Elijah Butler Makes Exciting Recruiting Announcement
Butler announced his top six schools ahead of a crucial part of his recruitment, according to a graphic by Leyton Roberts. The Ducks made the cut alongside the Maryland Terrapins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, and the Alabama Crimson Tide. The talented prospect would be a great addition for any of these teams, as they could all use a safety prospect at this point in the recruiting timeline.
Butler is from the state of Maryland, which makes the Terrapins one to watch.
It is also worth noting that he has been labeled as one of the best players in the state of Maryland, as he currently ranks as the state’s No. 9 prospect, according to Rivals. This is important as the Terrapins have always made solid attempts to land their in-state stars, including last season when they landed one of the better players in the state’s history, Zion Elee.
As of now, the prospect hasn’t been predicted to land with any of these schools, which means it is likely still a tight race entering the official visit schedule. He has yet to schedule an official visit with all of the schools he has listed in his top six, as he is still missing three key official visits. Butler has scheduled official visits with Alabama, Auburn, and Florida, according to 247Sports. This means he still needs to set one with Oregon, Virginia Tech, and Maryland if he wants to take one to each school.
If the Ducks are able to get Butler on a visit, then they would likely be in a more favorable position to land his commitment, as it currently. seems they are one of the trailing teams from this list. It seems highly unlikely that the Ducks will gain his commitment unless they get him on an official visit, which is still possible at this point, as plenty of top prospects across the nation are still scheduling their official visits.
As of now, the Ducks have 27 prospects set to take an official visit, according to 247Sports. Among all of the prospects who have scheduled a visit thus far, only one of the players is listed as a safety. That player is a three-star target, Junior Tu’upo. This leads one to believe that the Ducks could try to get Butler on a visit, or at a minimum, pitch their program to the prospect from St Frances Academy.
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BLUE RIVER, Ore. (KATU) — The founder of a former disaster relief nonprofit is being sued for allegedly diverting nearly $837,000 in donations and grants for personal gain.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed the lawsuit Thursday against the founder and executive director of Cascade Relief Team (CRT), Marcus Brooks. In the complaint, Rayfield calls CRT “a sham.”
Brooks is accused of stealing donations and government grants meant for disaster relief following wildfires and flooding in 2020, and using it for personal expenses including casino visits, travel, vehicles, and more.
CRT was founded in 2020 and was hired for cleanup and relief services following the Labor Day Wildfires that burned over 1 million acres across Oregon.
In Blue River, an unincorporated community in the McKenzie River Valley, the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire destroyed nearly 800 homes and burned more than 173,000 acres.
I am angry that my community was taken advantage of
Just months after the fire, long-time Blue River resident Melanie Stanley said CRT stepped in and promised help to the community.
“For us, it was…like a savior at that point,” Stanley said.
Stanley was the manager for the Blue River Resource Center and worked for Brooks to help facilitate recovery efforts. She said CRT operations slowly became questionable.
“None of us knew the level at which all of this stuff that finally came out was at,” Stanley said. “We knew that there was some stuff that had started to look hinky or feel hinky, or there was just some lack of communication that was happening. There were some other things that were happening, and so we just all were kind of guarded.”
In fall of 2023 the nonprofit was reported to have run out of money, and Brooks allegedly fired staff without disclosing the organization’s financial conditions and did not notify donors or beneficiaries. Stanley was one of those people fired.
The state now claims the funds that were meant to go towards communities like Blue River, never made it out of Brooks’ hands, including donations given by Blue River neighbors.
“I am angry that my community was taken advantage of, and I am angry that they now have to worry about trusting when something else happens, because we know something else is going to happen,” Stanley said. “We hope to God it’s never anything as big or as bad as what has happened, but you know, we also have learned that groups like Locals Helping Locals…they are our foundation, and they are because they’re us.”
The state is seeking to recover the money, permanently bar Brooks from serving in a leadership role at a charitable organization and dissolve the nonprofit.
Stanley said Brooks’ actions have tainted reputations.
“We as a community and as the people from the community who helped kind of put all of these things together, we did what was asked of us,” Stanley said. “We did help clean things, and we did help get things to provide, you know, more progress and get things moving forward, and we did good work, and so I just really hope that this is not overshadowed.”
According to Stanley, Blue River’s recovery now stands at 50%.
“We will be very picky from here on out about who and what groups gets let in to help with anything,” Stanley said. “And sadly, it may be to our detriment, but he did more damage now, as far as reputations go, and for that I’m angry. I’m very angry.”
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