February 19, 2024 3:05 a.m.

On Friday, State Representative Boomer Wright of Reedsport released a statement after the U.S. Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management finalized two wind energy areas off the coast of Coos Bay and Brookings.

Wright said, “I stand with the Tribal Council of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw, as well as our local fishing community in their outrage against the recent U.S. Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management decision”.

Wright said, “BOEM has now sent the message that their listening sessions were to check a bureaucratic box, not seek legitimate input from impacted communities. Stakeholders have been provided no assurance surrounding the impact these projects will have on our local fisheries, the environment or tourism”.

Wright’s release said in June, Governor Kotek asked the federal agency to pause identifying and leasing these areas so the state could fully evaluate potential impacts on the environment and the economy. Wright said now, despite remaining concerns, the Governor has stated that offshore wind is positively a part of Oregon’s future.

Wright’s release concluded by saying, “Our natural resource industries have been under attack for far too long. I am afraid this is just another attempt to hurt the next generation providing our food supply. I will continue to ask questions until my constituents get the answers they deserve”.

Wright serves House District 9, which spans from the south end of Coos Bay to the north end of Yachts and includes parts of Douglas County.