KUOW 94.9 FM
May 7, 2009
by KUOW
Up next: spilling of secrets, range war, guinea pigs and stacked pennies. Who knew zoning could be so interesting? You've heard of land use planning to shape growth on land. Now it seems the great, wide ocean isn't big enough for all the different interests that want a piece of it. The surge of wave power projects may be the final straw to bring zoning to the high seas. Correspondent Tom Banse reports from Charleston, on the south Oregon coast.
One at a time, fishermen step into the back room of the Basin Cafe to spill their secrets to strangers.
Bonkoski: "We'd like you to show us the areas most important to you."
A detailed marine chart covers half of the corner table. A fisherman takes the hot seat and proceeds to give away his hot spots. He's J.D. Evanow, a commercial salmon and tuna boat owner with 32 seasons on the water.
Evanow: This is a really good spot for big hogs, 30 pounders. That's a really good spot. A lot of the Newport fleet fishes this spot.
Two surveyors from the Portland non–profit Ecotrust take careful notes. They're on contract to gather data for the state and a local fishermen's association. Evanow places pennies on the map to rank the best fishing grounds. In earlier times, he says you'd get this intelligence over his dead body.
Ecotrust
Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center
721 NW 9th Ave, Suite 200
Portland, Oregon 97209
tel: 503.227.6225
fax: 503.222.1517
Contact us