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Columbia River Gorge Commission sets Dec. 16 vote on disaster-recovery plan amendment; staff to continue tribal outreach
Summary
The Columbia River Gorge Commission executive committee reviewed a draft agenda and confirmed a Dec. 16 meeting to consider a disaster-recovery plan amendment that would, among other items, address temporary RV occupancy. Staff said tribal comments are being solicited, revisions are due Dec. 5, and the meeting packet will be distributed Dec. 9.
The Columbia River Gorge Commission’s executive committee met to finalize a draft agenda for a Dec. 16 meeting that will focus on a plan amendment intended to speed disaster-recovery actions, including provisions to allow temporary RV occupancy while landowners rebuild.
A staff member summarized the schedule and outreach: revisions to the amendment based on tribal comments are due Dec. 5, and staff will distribute the full meeting materials to commissioners on Dec. 9 ahead of the Dec. 16 meeting. A staff presenter said the December meeting was designed as a single-issue session so commissioners could concentrate on the plan amendment rather than the usual agency reports.
Commissioners discussed time allocations for the hearing portion. One commissioner said the committee should “show at least the 10 minutes per treaty tribe,” noting that allotting 10 minutes per tribe amounts to a 40-minute block if all four treaty tribes speak. A staff member confirmed follow-up outreach after a Nov. 12 hearing: some tribes responded by email indicating no immediate concerns, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation had submitted written comments prior to Nov. 12, Yakama Nation has sent the proposed amendment to legal and cultural-resources staff and may need up to two weeks to respond, and Warm Springs had asked for more time.
Participants also discussed on-the-ground effects for landowners in parts of the Gorge. A commissioner said constituents in the Rowena area of Wasco County were anxious about delays to rebuilding and whether they would be able to place RVs on their property through winter. Staff and other commissioners cautioned that while the plan amendment could address land-use permission for temporary camping, state law and county health codes govern wastewater, water, and electricity and will affect actual feasibility.
Staff noted the commission has already issued two decisions allowing rebuilding and encouraged affected landowners to apply for permits; staff also said they will continue to offer meetings with tribes in whichever format the tribes prefer (joint or separate) and will adjust the meeting schedule if additional comment or testimony requires more time.
There were no public commenters on the draft agenda during the committee meeting, and the committee ended after a brief time check. The committee’s next procedural steps are: collect any revisions submitted by Dec. 5, finalize the packet for circulation on Dec. 9, and convene the full commission on Dec. 16 for the hearing, public comment, deliberation and vote.
