Oregon Lawmakers OK Fee for Digging Clams

SALEM -
A $5 annual license would be required for Oregonians to do sport harvesting of clams, crabs and other shellfish under a bill on its way to Gov. Ted Kulongoski.
The House approved the Senate-passed Senate Bill 597 Tuesday.
No license is currently needed to take shellfish.
Nonresidents would pay $15 for a yearly license or $7.50 for a three-day permit.

Analysts estimate license revenue would generate about $1 million in each two-year budget for various programs including protection and enhancement of shellfish stocks as well as enforcement of existing harvest limits. Since the revenue is included in budgets already approved, Kulongoski is expected to sign it.

The money also would help pay for state Agriculture Department testing that determines when eating shellfish is unsafe because of toxic diseases.

What a joke. Those that I talk to digging clams on the bay road here for an activity do so because it is free and they are out their with grandkids ect. doing an affordable family thing.

So I wrote the following to the news station on their investigative reports e mail. Doubt if it helps but makes me feel like I tried.

I hit on a few subjects that have been pinned up. Forewarning.

NEW CLAM FEES
What a JOKE. Clam poachers!
I live on the Yaquina Bay/Rd. The illegal aliens live freely here working in the two Oyster Farms and fisheries/hotels and construction.
They are draining social services, have ODL's with just showing a birth cert. from Mexico and use phoney documents to do seasonal jobs.
Yet we are going to charge folks to go clam digging and study the effect.
Oregon is really going down the drain.
Get someone out to round up the illegals and no I am not reffering to legal migrants. GOd bless those who come legally.
How about some real investigative news. What part of Illegal aliens is not understood. Sheeesh.
And yes they are taking jobs that Americans want. Interview those who worked at Yaquina Bay Oyster company for decades and then without notice let go now guess now who the employees are?
I know all about civil rights and how that protects the illegals.
A lot of us Americans are sick of being taxed and regulated on everything while non legal people who came here illegal get preferred treatment.
I don't blame them if our govt is looking the other way and I had to do it to support my family I would too.
What a screwy state. You know I see folks out digging lams and they are usaully older folks with grand kids doing something affordable on limited incomes. Spending time with family.
Good citizens are sick of being hassled by regulations and from what I am hearing from my border living friends is jobs are now getting scarce for illegals. Add to that when the govt. freebies stop things may get nasty.
It is a shame that people who are quadropligics with no family are kicked off the social services due to cut backs while Illegals are having no problem.
I want my tax money to help those who are Americans and cannot get a spoon to their mouth or get out of bed without assistance. Not someone who sneaks into the country ILLEGALLY!

Are there a lot of illegals where you live oceanperch? Don't you live in Newport? I thought I saw that in a post you wrote recently. The people we bought our house from moved to Newport. I didn't think there would be many illegals in Oregon because of the high unemployment rate and because I have heard that Oregon does not have a generous welfare program. We live on the southern Oregon Coast and so far I have not noticed many people who I would think were illegals. I sure hope it stays that way. If it doesn't, I'm moving to Port Orford or something.

The last two years we have been flooded.

It started out 10 years ago just in the fisheries now it is in all service industry.

They are coming up from Cali.

Now the tourist season is here I have noticed the illegal/hispanics have left except in the fisheries/oyster farms.

They may have gone to the valley to do agri. work.

I have told all my contractors/venders that I will not accept any questionable documented workers on crews. And yes I will make enough small talk to find out.

Years ago a friendly nod would be exchanged now the younger ones are more arrogant.

Tell me why it takes 10 male hispanics to shop together in a group in a small hole in the wall Radio Shack? Is that some touristy thing that is new?

I do not know about the beach.

I see folks on the bay mud flats (1+ miles off of the beach) in my area.

The old highway from Newport to Toledo is now a scenic by pass (about year now) with pamplets that encourage bird watching, clamming ect.

So we get alot more traffic on a road that in the past was just used by us living on the road.
I live on a street off of the old highway so my property is on a private road and the other side along the bay road. (we have a private road sign too)
I have folks parking up on my property to have picnics and you can guess what the nite parkers do. I have put a chain across and other obstacles just to have them moved.

We have a nice quaint RV/camping spot half a mile from here for day/night camping but I have been told people are to cheap to pay the fee. So I get day campers up on my lot. Which is only an acre (surrounded by undeveloped acres).

Thanks oceanperch. Part of the reason we left California was to get away from all of that. We live in Brookings and local people do all the work here it would seem (except perhaps on the lily farms). I have really enjoyed seeing Americans doing all the yard work, working at the motel where we stayed when we first got here, etc., etc. (I'm retired or I'd be doing similar work.) It makes that "they are only doing the jobs that Americans won't do" into the obviously total lie that it is. I am so sick and tired of OUR country not doing anything to stop this invasion. Anyway, thanks for your response and the statistics.

I looked it up and it seems Razor clams are not in season do to demoinic(sp) acid. Closed since June.

I know they get sandshrimp for fishing.

We have not been in the fishing mode since my son was a teen ager and had access to the docks across the street.

Use to fish for ocean perch in March/April. He is a full grown man now and not safe to take him out on the floating docks in his chair.

The wheelchair access dock has been closed due to homeland security it sits at the base of the LNG Natural Gas plant.

So I am not sure other than I know sandshrimp for bait.

I looked up a search and no info on limits, types ,size ect. Sorry.

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