Oregon Summary

OREGON
No current NAC Action Alerts, Advisories or Updates

Public Land

Collins Beach on Sauvie Island is one of two home beaches for the Oregon Clothing Optional Beach Alliance (ORCOBA). Headed by NAC Areas Representative Don Zirbel and his wife, Peggy, ORCOBA has introduced a number of innovations, including a "yellow flag" program that quietly identifies havens on the beach for safety or information. Members of ORCOBA speak up for values and proper beach etiquette.

Collins Beach is situated on Sauvie Island, which is stradled by the Columbia River, the Willamette River and the Multnomah Channel, downstream from Portland. The beach and much of the surrounding area is operated by the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, which has been supportive of naturist users. The Naturist Action Committee has a history of defending Collins Beach vigorously, but some present beachgoers are unfamiliar with NAC's critical role in preserving the clothing-optional character of the beach. For a good look at the effort it sometimes takes to save a nude beach, click here for a NAC White Paper about Collins Beach.

Rooster Rock State Park is the other home beach for ORCOBA. Located on the Columbia, upstream from Portland, Rooster Rock has enjoyed a rebirth in recent years as a clothing-optional destination. The state made a commitment by agressively grooming the paths and trails to reduce underbrush and open up the area.

ORCOBA particpates in beach cleanups and sponsors local beach events. The Naturist Action Committee works closely with the group, and NAC salutes ORCOBA members for their effectiveness.

Legislature

House Bill 3317
Oregon House Bill 3317 was poorly written 2007 legislation intended to redefine and punish the crime of so-called "private indecency." HB 3317 was a bill the Naturist Action Committee would surely have opposed vigorously if it had shown any signs of viability, but it was clear from the beginning that this bill was going nowhere. NAC kept a close eye on it and tracked it carefully.

Naturists didn't see anything about it earlier on the NAC Web site or in the form of a NAC Action Alert or Advisory, because NAC tries to reserve those communication tools for meaningful issues. HB 3317 was a non-starter. However, there was a flurry of questions directed to NAC concerning the status of HB 3317, so on May 27, 2007, NAC issued an Advisory concerning the bill.

The Advisory detailed how HB 3317 had officially died altogether on May 1, when it failed to advance from the committee that sponsored it.

House Bill 3317 was introduced on March 12, 2007, by the House Judiciary Committee. The measure was proposed in response to a local situation in Rainier, Oregon. An individual in that town had become known as Rainier's socalled "Naked Neighbor," because for years, he has been nude in his own back yard.

The Naked Neighbor's nudity did not contravene Oregon's current law, since he and those who have viewed him are all on private property. There were those who wanted to see the law expanded to prohibit nudity in one's own back yard. The effort died aborning.

Bills die on their own like this all the time. Many are allowed to evaporate without comment. Perhaps the most interesting phenomenon associated with this particular bill came three days after NAC issued the Advisory announcing its spontaneous demise. That was when another organization spoke up suddenly and took credit for having killed HB 3317.

Support for that claim was not offered.

For more information on HB 3317, including a link to the text of the bill, read the NAC Advisory from May 27, 2007.

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The Oregon legislature does not meet in scheduled regular session in 2008.

The NAC board member responsible for Oregon is Mark Storey.

View the state laws for Oregon.

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