Oregon tribal members are asking regulators to prohibit motorized boats in part of the Siletz River to protect fish and recreation.
I hope they get what they're asking for. Motorized boats are loud, polluting, and can injure or kill aquatic wildlife. They're mostly used for recreation, and exemptions should only be made for things like conservation law enforcement or scientific studies.
More importantly, the Siletz deserve to have their tribal sovereignty respected. This goes through the only portion of their historic land that they still legally control. And non-indigenous people not only use the boats but also radar that shows exactly where the fish are to pull more fish out of the water, which harms the Siletz' access to this important source of food.
There are countless areas throughout the Pacific Northwest where motorized boats are allowed without restrictions. They can give up one stretch of one river.
