All About EMPs

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Over the past century, estuaries in Oregon have been dramatically altered by human development and activity. Tidal marshes were diked to create farmland, native oyster reefs were over-harvested, tidelands and eelgrass meadows were dredged to create navigation channels and filled to accommodate waterfront sites for commercial development, and water quality was compromised by logging and erosion in upstream watersheds. As a result of these activities, over 20% of estuary habitat has been permanently lost in Oregon and up to 65% of habitat has been lost in specific estuaries (Nestucca Bay). In the 1970s, widespread concern about the loss of ecosystem functioning and critical natural resources prompted the state to develop laws to protect our estuaries from irresponsible development. 

Similar concerns about rampant development across the state gave rise to Senate Bill 100 in 1973, which established the Department of Land Conservation and Development and the statewide land use planning program to plan for the future of Oregon’s land, water, and resources. Embedded in Oregon’s statewide land use planning program is a set of planning goals, or standards, that help local cities and counties across the state manage our natural resources and balance economic, environmental, and social needs with future development. This includes Statewide Planning Goal 16: Estuarine Resources, which provides guidelines for local jurisdictions bordering estuaries to jointly plan and manage their estuaries. 

Photo of Yakona Preserve at Yaquina Bay by Rena Olson
Yakona Preserve at Yaquina Bay. /Photo by Rena Olson.

Goal 16 requires coastal cities and counties to develop Estuary Management Plans (EMPs) to designate appropriate uses for each region of the estuary based on important cultural, biological, and physical features. Plans were prepared collaboratively with natural resource agencies, citizens, local governments, and were based on the best science available in the 1970s and early ‘80s. EMPs zone each region of the estuary as “Development,” “Conservation,” or “Natural” management units, which determine the types of uses allowed in each unit. EMPs effectively guide state and local governmental review procedures for proposed alterations and development within the estuary. The plans are also adopted in county and city codes, as well as local comprehensive plans. In short, EMPs legally determine who can do what, where, in each of our state’s estuaries.

A key role of EMPs is to coordinate management of estuaries among multiple local governments. In many cases, a county and one or more cities will share jurisdiction over an estuary; the EMP is adopted by all governments with a role in managing a given estuary, so the provisions in their comprehensive plans will be the same.

There are 17 adopted EMPs across the coast. Many of these have not been updated since the 1980s, and are overdue for review. The state’s Coastal Management Program has launched an effort to prompt revision and updating of all of these EMPs over the coming decade. In the past 40 years, significant changes have occurred to the ecological and social fabric of our estuaries. Habitats have shifted, been restored, or lost entirely. Invasive species have been introduced. Some industries that were previously important drivers of the local economies have changed. Climate change poses a new challenge for coastal communities and ecosystems to adapt quickly to dramatic changes in environmental conditions taking place on a short timescale. 

Coastal communities also possess an important opportunity to use the Estuary Management Plan updates to strengthen habitat and species protections, increase resilience to climate change, and create and sustain jobs in fisheries, tourism, research and other fields that rely on healthy estuaries. It is crucial that each EMP update is comprehensive, proactive, and robust enough to assist in coping with these upcoming challenges and opportunities. Additionally, it is critical that citizens play an active role in stewarding and shaping the future of their estuaries by engaging in the EMP updates. Citizen involvement is also a required goal in land use planning (Goal 1). Additionally, thorough public participation ensures that the needs of the community are represented in the EMP policies.

See the links below for information on the first two EMPs undergoing updating and revision, Coos Bay and Yaquina Bay:

Campaign for Oregon's Estuaries links:

Aerial photo of Coos Bay by Alex Derr.
Coos Bay, northern end.\Photo by Alex Derr with assistance from Lighthawk.