Overview
The Marine Board has a long-standing tradition of serving Oregon Boaters. The agency is a resource for local governments, non-profits, and private entities that provide services to recreational boaters. The agency was established in 1959 and has led recreational boating through significant changes to boating and natural resource policies over the last sixty-seven years. As the agency looks ahead at the next decade of continued service, it is imperative that it continues to adapt to the changes boaters face.
Development Process:
The strategic plan was developed with input from the Marine Board, agency staff, interested parties, non-profits, boating communities, local government entities, and other state agencies. This was accomplished through public listening sessions, direct requests for feedback, surveys, and internal staff workshops.
Development of the plan included alignment with the Governor’s Office priorities for the agency. The agency utilized information provided by the Governor’s Policy Advisor on priorities and values in developing the plan. Additionally, the Governor’s Policy Advisor was provided with an opportunity to provide direct feedback on the plan.
The agency's strategic plan is not a static document. It is regularly maintained and updated with input from the same entities that participated in the original development, along with adapting for new state priorities and interested parties.
Mission: Serving Oregon’s recreational boating public through education, enforcement, access, and environmental stewardship for a safe and enjoyable experience.
Vision: Boaters benefit as the Marine Board navigates change and growth of waterway use.
Values:
• Transparency: We ensure agency information is available to the public through honest and collaborative engagement.
• Trust and Credibility: We communicate with authenticity, are accountable for our mistakes, and seek to understand issues and find solutions with others.
• Innovation: We push ourselves to find solutions for tomorrow that are better than what we did yesterday.
• Boating: Our passion is the confluence of boating, innovation, tradition, safety and stewardship.
• Diversity and Inclusion: We are a culture where inclusivity is a reflex, not an initiative.
Major Agency Programs:
Business Services: Providing services to agency programs to support the agency's mission.
Director’s Office: Integrating Board, Legislative and agency operations.
Environmental and Policy: Creating a positive boater experience.
Boating Facilities: Removing barriers to waterway access.
Human Resources: Providing human relations services to support the agency.
Titling and Registration: Providing proactive customer service and issuing accurate titles and registrations.
Boating Safety: Facilitating safety, education, and stewardship for Oregon boaters and outfitter guides.
External Factors that impact Mission:
• Public sentiment about boating: Oregonians are drawn to the water for a variety of reasons and activities. Over time, sentiment shifts on what activities should garner regulatory favor and locations where boating should occur.
• Facility permitting: As state and federal agencies responsible for setting standards and administering permits needed to build or maintain boating facilities adapt to changes in the environment, costs, and complexity of facility projects increase.
• Economy: Boating activities change as different economic conditions occur. Higher fuel prices drive down usage and result in more localized boat trips; recessions curb new boat sales while economic growth leads to more boats on the water; and housing costs and types influence the types of boats people own.
• Other government agencies: Boating is often a means of doing another activity. A large portion of boating trips are tied to angling, so fishing seasons have an impact on boating activity. Boaters often utilize facilities owned by state agencies, so their rules, fees, and maintenance impact boating.
Partners and Interested Parties:
The Marine Board relies on and is a resource to a wide variety of entities across the state.
• State and Federal natural resource agencies
• Oregon’s nine federally recognized Tribal Governments
• Public boating facility providers
• Community organizations that serve underrepresented communities
• County Sheriffs and Oregon State Police
• Oregon Ports Association
• SOLV Adopt-A-River
• Non-profit organizations that are interested in boating and water safety
• Boat builders and dealers
Key 10-year Challenges and Goals
(1) Ensuring boaters have the resources and information they need so they can have a positive boating experience.
(a) Create and implement outreach plan centric to how boaters benefit from OSMB. This should strategically and clearly identify revenue sources and how that creates, maintains, and invests in boating access, education, enforcement and safety. This plan should be created by May 15, 2026 and implemented throughout the remainder of the calendar year.
(b) Modernize agency communications to amplify boater engagement through relevant content that resonates with boaters. This should encompass OSMB web page simplification and short video creation to support educational campaign initiatives and short video series.
By April 30, 2026, develop 2-4 actionable items and implement them by the end of the year.
(c) By December 31, 2026, expand partnerships and networking with boating clubs, organizations and advocacy groups to positively promote the agency. This includes agency representation at meetings, events, and participation to strengthen positive public perception of the agency.
(2) Ensuring boating is viable and public access is available in the future.
- Explore and develop resources for waterway access intersecting facility management.
(a) By December 31, 2026 plan and implement “Welcome to the Water" facility access sign pilot project.
(b) By July 31, 2026 study and collaborate with facility operators to learn about Outfitter Guide use, impacts, and develop solutions to mitigate challenges.
(c) In November 2025, initiate agency working group to plan, propose, and engage partnerships to prepare for the 2027 legislative session. Proposal to be completed by April 2026.
- Expand additional revenue streams to support OSMB programs directly related to public access (facilities, boating safety environment).
- Implement an educational approach that can be used to improve compliance for WAP. Approach should be in concert with LE efforts.
- Strategic partnerships with other agencies, decision makers, public events. “Meet your recreational boating agency."
2. Complete the triennial boating survey.
- By October 2027, complete a Request for Information (RFI) for a third-party company to conduct the survey.
- Conduct the survey in 2028.
- In 2029, incorporate the survey data into agency operations
Success Measure: Deadlines for each item have been met.
(3) Ensure agency staff feel supported, trained and provided with the tools needed to fulfill duties and the agency mission.
(1) Increase intra-agency communication and awareness of program areas and projects.
- Conduct staff learning opportunities
- By March 30, 20206 staff survey for topics.
- By April 20, 2026 select the topics based on survey results, develop the annual schedule and assign responsibility for conducting, or facilitating, each topic.
- By December 31, 2026, hold the learning sessions planned for the year.
- Hold quarterly all-staff meetings per calendar year that are noticed no less than two-weeks in advance.
- By November 1, 2031 hold one offsite all-staff meeting that encompasses training, strategic planning and team building.
- Share Board reports with all staff prior to each Board meeting.
- Director to send monthly updates to all staff that include highlights from across the agency.
(2) All quarterly reviews include discussions about opportunities for career development and exploration.
- Each program will offer at least one job shadow opportunity by December 31, 2026.
- By July 31, 2026 identify, and make staff aware of, training opportunities for staff that are focused on soft skills, job related skills and leadership.
(3) By December 31, 2028 create standard operating procedures for each position.
(4) By October 31, 2026 have at least one opportunity for staff to learn more about different boats and boating activities in the state of Oregon.
Success Measure: All time and quantitative measurements met.
(4) Regular performance monitoring and transparency reporting:
- Agency managers will meet quarterly to monitor progress and set intermediate actions needed to meet goals.
- The Director will report on progress at All Staff meetings four times a year.
- The last Board meeting of the calendar year will include an update on progress in the Director's Report. This report is publicly available on the agency website.
Success Measure: All time and quantitative measurements have been met.
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