PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The Oregon State Marine Board voted 4-1 this week to ban gas-powered engines at Waldo Lake.
The issue has been a hot topic for years at the pristine lake in the high Cascades east of Oakridge, pitting those who value quiet against those don’t want their right to use a gas motor taken away.
Eugene timber heir Steve Stewart has been a vocal opponent of a ban, but he declined comment when approached by the Register-Guard newspaper after Thursday’s vote. Instead, he jotted the words “very disappointed” on the reporter’s notebook.
The ban takes effect at the time of the summer snow melt, when boaters regain access to the lake.
