My name is Kate McCarthy and I am a resident of Food River County. now It is time to stop talking about protecting the Gorge and do it not with a bill that gives lip service but with a bill that will give the lasting protection to this National resource that so many have wanted for so long S. 627. The other bill does not ensure protection but rather politization. Putting the management of the Gorge in the hands of a locally controlled commission subject to locel pressures will leave the future of the Gorge up to chance - to the nolitical climate and to how the political winds blow. This does not ensure either a good olan or lasting protection. I have served both on the Oregon Columbia Gorge Commission and on the Board of the Mid-Columbia Economic Development District and have viewed first hand the imbalance between the puny powers for protection and the jugernaught of development and special interest in the Gorge. A formidable array of Chambers of Commerce, Port Districts, development oriented County Commissions, Economic Development Districts, timber, real estate, land development, and business interests, powered by money, onerate at the local level. I do not mean to imnly that these interests do not have a vital and needed place. What I am saving is that a balance for the recessary protection in the Gorge, if we are indeed serious about saving some of what is left of the essence of this special place, is not likely to be realized by placing it in the hands of the local business political leadership. Historically, it can be documented that in protecting large landscapes, the local powers are more part of the problem then dart of the solution. The bi-state commission, formed by California and Nevada to protect and manage the Lake Tahoe area, is a clear example. With six of its ten members representing local interests, the Commission approved 96% of the new housing units and every hotel and casino that came before it. Bringing it closer to home, one Gorge Commissioner has remarked about problems on the Washington side "They are giving away the country without any regard to what will come in the future 1980 are coming true as we predicted." Our worst fears of I have also witnessed first hand, with the question of my own reappointment as well as that of others, pressures brought by the businessnolitical leadership against appointment to the Gorge Commissions of strong voices for protection of the Gorge. Another example of this pressure is reflected in the letter by Skamania County Commissioners, earlier this year, asking Governor Spellman to disband the Washington Gorge Commission. Certainly there must be a local voice, but not total local control if we are to protect this National resource. In any ol an for the Gorge there must be a strong Federal role both to provide funding (the states and counties won't and can't) and to oversee the local-state-Federal partnership to ensure that the purpose of the legislation is accomplished. As a Federal taxpayer I want to be assured that my tax dollars, used to provide permanent protection of the Gorge, accomplish that purpose and are not used to set up what would become just another development commission. We have spent billions of dollars of federal money and effort and involvement in the Gorge for exploitation of resources. I do not feel it is un-American to spend a few bucks of Federal money and effort and involvement for protection of some of what is left. We owe it to the Gore and to ourselves and future generations. Introductory documentation Two Approaches to State Subdivision (onrol: Richard M. Ros B. The Failure of Local Controls major responsibility p.3 Planning Implementation: Since the 1920's local government's have had the for planning anch zoning US507H but conventional planning practices have been slow to filter into rural governments. Many rural governments have not had the Sophistication or expertise to take a hard look at lond development the rural land boom has cought mo many local governments totally un prepared " Deschutes County, Oregon, was a was a classic excomple of The failures of local regulation. No planning commission, zoning, or subdivision regulations existed here until 1970. In 1960 Deschutes County I sleepy ranching and timber area with 2 million acres and 23,000 people. Between 1960 and 1970 two thirds of the private land in the county subdivided into 20,000 lots 14,000 of these as recreational subdivisions, Many of those who bought the so called recreational lots came to stay. The county mushroomed to 41, 800 b, 1976, with 70% of this growth taking place in unincorporated arou To accomodate the newcomers, mobile homes and trailers have sprawled into rural areas , so that now about 1/2 of the county, p-14 " In May 1977, Deschutes Cocenty approved 1,120 new acres of recreational subdivisions in the La Pine area, which already has 11,000 lots, 16% of which are occupied " 557 جوجو ་། political is housed in them Local controls have failed also due to economic and pressure. In 1974, Klamath County, Oregon, was infamous for its "bootleg" subdivisions, which neither complied with sani tarian who The local zoning ordinance has proved woofully inadequate to combat a host of problems of statewide significance (regional) Bosschmand and the Amevicon Law Insitute (liledel land Development lode) arqued for the creation of new state and regional authorities that would have some jurisdiction over large scale developments, activities of statewide concern, and critical environmentalanas, Many states have now created The abuses of the rural programs along these lines. boom and The failur 16nd of local control have been catalysts to State action Then Joes an Oregon Shores "What is to discuss 9 A approaches to land use contrd's includry has failed in many instances to protect. From the June 1981 issue of This excerpt. p.!. proposed here is a subdivision on an active landslide urea south of a headland on The Newport beach known as Jump off Joe. This area subsided cataclysmically |