Oregon Lawmakers: NOAA Must Keep Its Fleet in Newport

Washington, D.C. – Today, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley led Oregon Congressional Delegation members—including Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), and Janelle Bynum (OR-05)—to urge the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and General Services Administration (GSA) to renew the NOAA Marine Operations Center – Pacific (MOC-P)’s fleet lease in Newport, Oregon.

“Newport is the ideal location for MOC-P. Situated on Yaquina Bay, Newport provides direct and quick access to the Pacific Ocean. Newport’s location provides low operational costs for the MOC-P compared to more inland ports and ensures that the fleet sits in the middle of the West Coast – providing efficient access to Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California. It is also home to Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center, which has facilitated a collaborative partnership between the agency and university,” wrote the Oregon lawmakers to NOAA and GSA. “Further, Newport is committed to investment in the infrastructure needed to support MOC-P and its workers to ensure the community remains an affordable and accessible place for NOAA employees.”

Since NOAA selected Newport to house MOC-P in 2011, the operations center has provided critical administrative, maintenance, engineering, and logistical support for the agency, supporting training and ship operations too. The lawmakers also highlighted the Port of Newport’s potential to house additional ships and the Port’s role as a hub of maritime activity, both key factors for the continued success of the MOC-P and bolstering NOAA’s maritime capacity along the West Coast.

They emphasized, “Rather than continuing to survey additional waterfront sites along the West Coast that meet the extensive requirements for rebasing this fleet, we encourage you to further capitalize on the initial investment and keep MOC-P in Newport. Keeping the fleet in Newport will be the most efficient, lowest cost option for maintaining NOAA’s fleet directly on the Pacific Coast.”

Full text of the letter can be found by clicking here.