PSU Magazine Spring 1995

Ir's a story that's still in progre s. A management plan for the Scenic Area was approved only three years ago. The legislation, which the authors de cribe as "an experiment in American federalism," divides the Scenic Area into three zones, doling out management and regulation responsibilitie among everal federal and local group . Main players in Gorge management include the bi-state Columbia River Gorge Commission, the U.S. Forest Service, six counties in Oregon and Washington, and local cities and towns. The Scenic Area legislation borrows from Oregon's innovative land-use planning ystem, and includes bits of other regional planning efforts uch as national recreation areas, multi-state compacts, and river ba in commissions. The Scenic Area's goal is equally complex: to manage economic transition within the diverse region while protect– ing scenic and recreational resources. "It's such a complicated structure," says Adler, who specializes in planning theory. "The way it evolved, envi ron– mental organizations wanted manage– ment to be a federal re ponsibility. They didn 't trust local gove rnments, but it wasn't politically feas ible to give the federal government the lead ro le. Congres ended up with a very complex compromise." In fo rming the Scenic Area leg islation, ongress had to balance a bevy of political agendas. Now that it' formed, a set of disparate interests from within and beyond the Gorge's boundaries must also be balanced. "Each county within the area has a different oc ial and econom ic back– ground ," says Ca rl Abbott. "Thi is not just about urban versus rural, it's about the wide variety of view within the Gorge countie -ranging from trong pro-environmental entiment to fierce dislikes of the whole package." 'The odd thing about the Gorge is that little actually starts or ends within it," adds Margery Abbott. "Mas ive transportation system that connect areas outside the region shaped the Gorge." M ooh of th< loco] di•likdonh< ---• Scenic Area stems from how it wa created in the first place. "The legislation was largely Portland-shaped," notes Carl Abbott, who says many Portland-based groups and individuals viewed the Gorge as a kind of recreational zone for hiking, sailboarding, and other leisure pursuits. They wanted this recreational area pre erved in ome fo rm. Friends of the Columbia Ri ver Gorge, based in Portland, was one of the lead group pushing for protective legislation. The Portland tie to the Gorge region goes beyond recreational needs, however. As Portland pushes aga inst its urban growth boundaries, many Portl and-area jobholder are looki ng to move to bucolic settings. The Gorge's proximity and scenic amenities make it a prime choice. Portland has played a le promi– nent role in the Gorge's management since the legislation was enacted, Adler and the Abbotts have fo und . The 13-member Gorge ommis– sion, fo r example, started a a decidedly pro-environmental group, arl Abbott say . But a new members have replaced origi nal member , it' become more representat ive of Gorge re idents. That shift ha led to a balanced and more con ensu -building approach. "I'm ure that's healthy in the long run," Carl Abbott says. "People in the Gorge will talk about the Scenic Area legislation as som thing that was foisted on them by out iders but, nearly 10 years later, they're haping the process." Federa l officials and loca l acti vists that fo rmed Gorge legislation had few good examples to draw on for their bi-state, intergovernmental manage– ment plan. The Gorge, after all, wasn't a pristine area that could be turned into a preserve or national park . It already had been vastly altered by human presence, even though it retains much of its natural beau ty. The goa l was to manage economic growth that would not mar the Gorge's cenic attributes. For comparison, Adler and the Abbotts studied four other examples of innovative regional planning programs in the United States: the New ]er ey Pinelands Commission (estab lished in 1979), Cape Cod National Seashore (1961) , Adirondack (New York) Park Agency (1971), and Tahoe Reg ional Timber, seen here as chips ready for transport (left plwto) and in a tugboat. pulled raft, plays an important role in the Columbia Gorge economy. Planning Agency ( 1969) . Only the T ahoe effort wa a bi-state agreement (between Ca lifornia and Nevada). Like the Co lumbia Ri ve r Gorge National Scenic Area, the fo ur other planning programs all sought to preserve scenic values while fac ing moderate to strong local oppos ition. PR! G 1995 7