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Columbia River Gorge Commission schedules Dec. 16 vote on plan amendment after staff outlines tribal outreach and deadlines
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Summary
At an executive committee meeting, staff said revisions to a disaster-replacement plan amendment are due Dec. 5, materials will go to commissioners Dec. 9, and the full commission will vote on Dec. 16; staff reported follow-up outreach to treaty tribes and commissioners raised concerns about short RV allowances for landowners returning after fires.
At an executive committee meeting of the Columbia River Gorge Commission, staff outlined outreach to treaty tribes and set a timeline leading to a Dec. 16 vote on a disaster replacement plan amendment. Staff told commissioners revisions based on tribal comments are due Dec. 5 and that packet materials will be distributed Dec. 9 ahead of the full commission meeting on Dec. 16.
The schedule is intended to allow treaty tribes time to comment; a staff member said the commission previously set aside 10 minutes for each treaty tribe and that staff can adjust public-comment and deliberation blocks if needed. "I was the one who said we should, out of respect, show at least the 10 minutes per treaty tribe," a staff member said, describing the basis for the current time allotment.
Commissioners and staff discussed outreach status. A staff member reporting on follow-up work said outreach occurred the day after the Nov. 12 hearing and that at least one tribal office replied by email saying it had reviewed the proposal and had no immediate concerns. The staff member also said the Yakama Nation had forwarded materials to legal counsel and cultural-resources staff and that Warm Springs had asked for more time; staff said they will continue to offer joint or individual meetings depending on tribal preference.
Commissioners raised implementation concerns for landowners returning after recent fires. One commissioner said that allowing RVs on private property for only 60 days "going into winter is a real short period" and warned that uncertainty about timelines and infrastructure (water, sewer, health-code requirements) could pressure homeowners to sell rather than rebuild. Staff agreed the plan amendment can address land-use permission to camp in RVs but noted that county and state health and infrastructure rules will also affect how quickly people can return.
Staff reiterated that two rebuilding decisions have already been issued and urged eligible landowners to apply for rebuilding permits; they said the commission will hustle to incorporate any tribal comments received by Dec. 5 and distribute final materials Dec. 9. The executive committee opened the meeting to public comment but received none and adjourned.
The next formal step is the full Columbia River Gorge Commission meeting on Dec. 16, when commissioners will consider and vote on the proposed plan amendment.
