Oregon State Marine Board Grant: Enhancing Law Enforcement Patrols at AIS Boat Inspection Stations

Four of Oregon’s five aquatic invasive species inspection stations need additional enforcement hours; these would be at Brookings, Ashland, Ontario and Umatilla.  The Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Department would be the agency contracted with for this work.  This agreement will add 140 hours annually of additional enforcement time at each of the four stations.  These additional enforcement hours will be spread out the timing of enforcement hours between March – October at each station when the majority of boaters are traveling through our region. 

The Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) has been managing five boat inspection stations to intercept aquatic invasive species and clean boats since 2010.  In the state of Oregon, OSMB has the authority to manage these inspection stations, and OSMB has contracted with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife as well as local police and law enforcement agencies to provide manpower for these stations.  This award will allow OSMB to increase the amount of time these inspection stations are staffed which will increase their ability to stop aquatic invasive species from entering the state.