OREGON MARINE RAPID RESPONSE (OMRR)

 

Declaration of Intent
Public Notice

November 2025

Over the past several days, Oregonians have watched both heartbreak and confusion unfold on our coastline. What we have all seen makes one truth impossible to ignore:

 

Oregon needs a trained, authorized, modern marine-mammal rapid response system and it needs it now.

 

This notice formally declares my intent to establish Oregon Marine Rapid Response (OMRR): a legally structured, professionally guided, federal-compliant marine-mammal emergency response organization.

1. Active Coordination With State & Federal Authorities

OMRR is already in communication with state and federal agencies responsible for marine mammal response, policy, and incident oversight.

Our core commitments are:

• Collaboration, not conflict
• Clarity, not chaos
• Compliance, not confusion

OMRR will operate under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, NOAA authorization systems, ODFW guidance, and all federal/state statutes.

A legal team is currently assisting with foundation work, structure, and compliance requirements.

We are not creating an unregulated “community group.”

We are building an authorized, legitimate emergency response organization from day one.

 

2. Mission & Purpose

OMRR is being developed to provide:

•Rapid on-scene response by trained personnel

• Large-animal handling experience grounded in veterinary guidance

• Modern rescue equipment and methods used in proven global responses

• Local availability so Oregon is never again left waiting hours for help

• Clear public communication and coordinated operations

• A pathway for modernized regulations that reflect today’s realities, not outdated decades-old statutes

 

Oregon needs a system that is fast, humane, trained, and prepared, not improvised.

 

3. Leadership Qualifications

This organization is not being led by hobbyists or untrained enthusiasts.

I bring:

• Nearly a decade of professional legal experience

As a former paralegal, I understand federal and state statutes, liability structures, permits, compliance, and regulatory

• A formal background in Animal Science (livestock production & emergency response)

My training includes:

• emergency response for large animals

• coordinated restraint techniques

• crisis management

•veterinary-guided handling practices

 

• A lifetime of real large-animal experience

I have spent my life raising and managing livestock, including 1,000–2,000 lb animals in pain, distress, and shock.

This includes:

• restraining injured cattle

• coordinating multi-person emergency movements

• assisting with births, pulls, and critical interventions

• managing panic-prone or compromised animals safely

 

If you can safely and correctly handle a 2,000-lb injured animal on land, you understand the training and coordination necessary for a large marine mammal.

 

This combination  (legal + scientific + field experience) gives OMRR an unmatched foundation.

 

4. What Happens Next

Over the coming days, OMRR will begin:

 

• Drafting bylaws and nonprofit (501c3) structure

• Outlining training, certification pathways, and responder roles

• Building a veterinary and specialist advisory board

• Creating equipment lists and response kits

• Establishing approved positions within the official response chain

• Recruiting experienced handlers and professionals (public volunteer details later)

Updates will continue as coordination progresses.

 

5. Safeguards & Boundaries

Community input matters but so does structure, accuracy, and professional integrity.

 

OMRR will not publish internal strategies, protocols, or operational methods publicly.

This protects:

• legal compliance

• responder safety

• animal welfare

• agency coordination

• and prevents misuse or misrepresentation

 

This organization will be transparent where appropriate and strategic where necessary.

 

6. Closing Statement

This is Step One: a formal Notice of Intent to build Oregon Marine Rapid Response (OMRR) into a capable, compliant, professionally led organization that Oregon has desperately needed.

 

To the thousands of people pushing for change:

Your voices started this.

OMRR will carry it forward the right way.

 

 Amy Rink

Founder, Oregon Marine Rapid Response (OMRR)