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- Promote Flying safety
- Promote Flying to the non-flying public
- Monitor regulatory and legislative activities
- Provide a social forum for pilots and their families
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OPA Legislative activities
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One of the primary objectives of the Oregon Pilots Association is to montior legislative actions that could have an impact on Aviation.
OPA's methods of acheiving this objective for the benefit of all members is through the Vice President of Legislative Affairs and maintaining a postive working relationship with the Oregon Department of Aviation.
Any one who has a doubt that OPA involvement has an impact, should look no further than OPA's active support of legislation that has had direct impact on:
- Self fueling of aircraft by pilots
- Aviation fuel tax which provides for pavement maintenance at public use facilities
- Seperating ODA from the Department of Transportation
Not every session of the Oregon legislature will have the plethora of aviation legislation that existed in the 2001 legislative session. Our continued involvement with the Department of Aviation and monitoring of every legislative session is yeilding benefits for the future of aviation.
Legislative Activity Details
Oregon 2003 Legislative Session
Oregon 2001 Legislative Session
Federal issues in Oregon
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OPA Legislative Procedures
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How does OPA decide what to support
legislatively?
Our OPA "Legislative
Committee" are the Chapter Presidents (or their designee), as they
offer a good cross-section of aviation, provide geographic
coverage, and (most importantly) are able to talk directly with OPA
members about legislative matters. The Committee meets, at the call
of the VP Legislative Affairs, by telephone conference call when a
"controversial" or "priority" legislative matter is pending. Other
times the decision is made by mail /E-mail (to keep the cost down).
Alternatively, the OPA Board of Directors (composed of the State
officers and chapter officers) will take a position when the
schedule permits.
OPA is always looking for people to:
- Alert us to local legislative matters affecting airports, e.g.
planning commission, city council.
- Alert us to state or federal legislative matters.
- "Staff" the issue for consideration by the Legislative
Committee.
- Represent the OPA at legislative hearings and meetings.
- Prepare articles about Oregon aviation issues
If you can help, please contact VP Legislative Affairs.
Oregon Legislation
Oregon House of
Representatives Member Listing
Oregon Senate
Member Listing
Bills and Laws - Get text of current bills;
hearing status
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Federal Activity
The revised Draft Environmental Impact Study and its impact on the Comprehensive Management Plan for the Hells Canyon Nationa Recreational Area was most recently reinitiated in 1998. The processes are complex and requested public input at many stages.
In the July 2003 Executive summary published by the National Forest Service, the portion of the summmary pertianing to aviation in the area appears specifically on page 6.
"All currently open backcounrty airstrips (7 total) will remain open. Five airstrips along the Snake River will remain open year-round for private, commercial, and administrative use as previously deided in the Wild and Scenic Snake River Recreation Management Plan (Big Bar, Dug Bar, Pitttsburg Landing, Salmon Bar, Cache Creek-private use only). Two airstrips in the uplands will remain open to private, commercial, and administrative use (Lord Flat and Memaloose). A self-registration system will be employed to monitor use."
This decision was no doubt impacted by the contributions of former OPA President, Jim Bellet of Klamath Falls. The leadership provided by Jim and the OPA supported BackCountry Airsrtip Foundation mustered pilots to participate in the process. Standing to support a stated alternative in the revision process is the only way to ensure our concerns are heard and effectively addressed.
For further information, check out
http://wwww.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/ for the Record of Decision and other related documents.
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Suggested Writing Procedures
If you "sound the alarm" and are the local
coordinator: In any letter writing requests, not only
should there be the snail mail address but any FAX number and email
addresses should also be included. As Jon Croghan noted
during his efforts to save the Baker Airport crosswind runway: "I
would not have been able to obtain the information and support I
and others here in Baker needed during our recent campaign to save
the crosswind runway if it had not been for the OPA web page, the
net, email and faxes."
If you send a letter/fax/email in response to the
"alarm": It is a help if the originator (VP Legislative;
webmaster; local airport coordinator) of request for help can be
sent a copy of your letter, fax and email.
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