The Yaquina Bay Estuary Management Plan (YBEMP) is being updated for the first time in 40 years. This plan guides Lincoln County, City of Newport, and City of Toledo in protecting the estuary’s species diversity and habitats while meeting community needs for appropriate development. The YBEMP not only has local significance, but also serves as the prototype for updating other estuary management plans along the Oregon coast. The public can comment on the draft YBEMP up until July 14, 2023.

Take action today to submit a comment urging that climate change be addressed and integrated in the plan. The draft YBEMP and comments form are available here or you can email comments to ethan@willamettepartnership.org.

*Yaquina Bay Bridge photo by Ruth Shelly*

Do you have a favorite place in the Yaquina Bay Estuary where you would like to see natural resources preserved? Check out the map viewer to learn more about a specific place and how it will be managed.

Please consider including any or all of the following recommendations in your comments:

The County needs to address climate change impacts more fully in the update process.
The updated plan should include a clear process to allow future revisions.
The definition of “mitigation” should be expanded to include minimizing and avoiding adverse impacts to critical habitat.
List any particular places in the Yaquina Bay Estuary that you want preserved or restored.

For those looking for more detail on what to say in a public comment letter, please see the YBEMP Comment Guide. Watch our recorded webinar for more information on how you can get involved with the update of the YBEMP. You can also learn more and make comments at Town Hall meetings to be held in Newport (July 6), Toledo (July 10), and online (July 11).

Thank you for your commitment to preserving and restoring Yaquina Bay Estuary and increasing its resilience to climate change!