Help Protect Waldo Lake!

Early morning on Waldo Lake in central Oregon.

In 2010, the Oregon State Marine Board prohibited the use of internal combustion motors on Waldo Lake in response to a broad public call to preserve the unique water purity of the lake.  Today, the Oregon State Marine Board is considering reversing that decision due to pressure from a small group of motorboat users and seaplane owners.

Waldo Lake is bordered on three sides by Wilderness and the other side by old growth forest. It is now one of the few large lakes that offers a quiet semi-primitive nature experience to hikers and campers. It is one of the purest lakes in the world with visibility that exceeds Crater Lake. This makes it a world treasure. Gas motors create a real risk of pollution from usage and fuel spills that can destroy this unique treasure, a risk that is unacceptable. There are numerous options for motorized recreation nearby on Odell Lake, Crescent Lake, Davis Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir, and Cultus Lake.

Click here to learn more.

TAKE ACTION!
 Click here to send an e-mail to the Marine Board and Governor Kitzhaber!

If you have more time, consider sending personalized letters or submitting a letter to the editor to the newspapers listed below.  These actions take a bit more time, but can be more effective in making your voice heard than just clicking on the e-mail link above.

Write or call:

• The Marine Board
  • Email: marine.board@state.or.us. In subject line put: Scott Brewen, Director. cc: Randy Henry, Operations Policy Analyst
  • USPS: Oregon State Marine Board, PO Box 14145, Salem, OR 97309-5065
  • Phone: 503-378-8587 (Hours: 8am – 5pm), Fax: 503-378-4597
• Governor Kitzhaber
  • Email contact form: http://www.oregon.gov/Gov/contact.shtml
  • USPS: Governor Kitzhaber, 160 State Capitol, 900 Court Street, Salem, OR 97301-4047
  • Governor’s Citizens’ Representative, Message Line: 503-378-4582, Fax: 503-378-6827
• Bend Bulletin
  • “My Nickel’s Worth”: limit 250 words, include address and day phone for verification.
  • Email: bulletin@bendbulletin.com
  • Fax: 541 385-5804
• The Source Weekly
  • Letters to Editor: go to their web page to submit - www.tsweekly.com/contact-us/Letter-to-Editor.html?catid=12
    
• The Oregonian
  • Letters to Editor: limit 150 words, include address and day phone for verification.
  • Email: letters@oregonian.com
  • Fax: 503 294-4193

Talking Points

Here are some recommended talking points for your letter, email, or phone call (open these bullets in a pdf file for printing here - Motor Ban Talking Points):

• Waldo is one of the purest lakes in the world with visibility that exceeds Crater Lake. This makes it a stunning world treasure. The presence of gas motors creates real risk of pollution from usage and fuel spills that are likely inevitable. This risk is unacceptable.
• Waldo is bordered on three sides by designated wilderness and the other side is old growth forest managed by the Forest Service as primitive area with no motorized access. The character of current Waldo Lake experiences would be irreparably altered by the presence of motorized craft.
• Over 10 years of work went into the creation of the motor ban on Waldo with all the major stakeholders participating, and the public supports the ban by a wide margin.
• Waldo is the only large body of water in the state with a motor ban that allows a quiet experience uninterrupted by the noise from gas motors. This is a unique and valued experience that is highly prized by the public.
• Visitors have many options for motorized recreation in the central Cascades including Odell Lake, Crescent Lake, Davis Lake, Crane Prairie Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir, Cultus Lake, and several others. With such diverse access to motorized recreation already available, adding Waldo Lake would have little positive economic impact on local businesses.
• The idea that Waldo is needed for float plane operations is nonsensical considering all the available nearby landing options listed in the previous point. Float planes landing and taking off from Waldo would completely destroy the quiet experience currently available there.
• Waldo has been managed as a semi-primitive camping area from the outset, and is widely used by sailors, kayakers, hikers, mountain bikers, and campers who cherish the opportunity to have an area that is free of noise from gas motors.