The Oregon Coast Aquarium (OCAq) Puffin License Plate has reached the production stage, meaning Oregonians are that much closer to having a new puffin license plate in-hand.
3,000 plate vouchers had to be sold to move forward into the production stage. With that goal now met, the Oregon Division of Motor and Vehicle Services (DMV) estimates a 6-7 month wait until the plates are physically available. About a month beforehand, OCAq will send the original vouchers to their purchasers, along with details on when and how to exchange them for their physical plates.
The license plate features a tufted puffin floating atop the sea, peering at fish swimming below. Tufted puffins are native to Oregon, nesting on rocky islands and headlands along its coast, and OCAq’s Seabird Aviary sustains a flock of its own—the new license plate will benefit both the Aquarium’s animals and their wild counterparts. The Oregon Coast Aquarium is the only facility in the state of Oregon authorized to provide critical care to endangered marine animals like sea turtles, Guadalupe fur seals and snowy plovers.
“The puffin plate project has been a labor of love,” said OCAq President/CEO Carrie Lewis, “made possible by everyone who pledged their support by preordering vouchers. We are grateful to have a community so dedicated to both our animals and Oregon’s wildlife.”
Those who preordered vouchers will be among the first to own a puffin plate, but once production is complete the plates will also be available for purchase at DMV offices throughout Oregon. Find more information at aquarium.org/puffin-plate.
Source: Oregon Coast Aquarium