Territorial Sea Plan Workgroup Members Wanted

The Land Conservation and Development Commission (LCDC) initiated a rulemaking process to amend Parts One and Two of the Territorial Sea Plan.  Oregon’s Territorial Sea Plan (TSP) is a special area management plan for the ocean that falls within Oregon’s jurisdiction. Oregon's jurisdiction extends three nautical miles west of the shoreline. The TSP serves as the administrative rule for coordination of ocean management decisions for the State. The Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) was legislatively established to steward the plan in concert with the commission.

OPAC and the commission have not comprehensively amended Parts One and Two of the Territorial Sea Plan since their adoption in 1994. Part One, The Ocean Management Framework, and Part Two, Making Resources Use Decisions, are fundamental for educating ocean users and networked agency partners on the state’s decision-making process for ocean resources management and policy development. Part One also includes the plan amendment procedures, describing the requirements for initiating an amendment and the process that the OPAC and LCDC implement to complete rulemaking.

OPAC is establishing a TSP Work Group to guide the amendments to Parts One and Two.  The TSP Work Group is expected to meet up to nine times between October 2026 and August 2027. Members of the Work Group will provide guidance and suggestions during the development of proposed amendment language and the fiscal impact associated with the proposed rules. Meetings will be held virtually, or in a hybrid format.

The following are the primary responsibilities of each Work Group member:

• Attend all Work Group meetings (up to 7 meetings, ~3 hours per meeting, on weekdays)

• Review all meeting materials ahead of Work Group meetings.

• Represent their interest(s) and participate fully in discussions to advise OPAC and DLCD on proposed rule language and fiscal impacts of the proposed rule.

  
  

The DLCD is striving to ensure this Work Group reflects the interests and communities that could potentially be impacted by the proposed rules. Because this rulemaking is specific to the management of the Oregon Territorial Sea, we are looking for members who live, work, or have specific interest or expertise in the ocean and coastal resources that are connected to the ocean.

Those who are interested in participating in this important effort apply to be a Work Group member or sign up for listserv emails to stay informed. The application deadline is September 8, 2026. The Territorial Sea Plan rulemaking webpage will host the information and materials in support of the LCDC rulemaking effort. Information will also be posted on the Oregon Ocean Information website as it pertains to OPAC meetings.