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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 16, 1973)
By coastal commission Permit program approved By LEE SIEGEL Of the Emerald The executive committee of the Oregon Coastal Conservation and Development Commission (OCCDC) has voted in favor of a motion asking the Oregon Legislature to grant the agency interim permit authority over coastal development. The motion, which passed unanimously at a Friday meeting in Newport, would enable the OCCDC to control coastal development until the com prehensive coastal development plan, scheduled for completion in 1975, is finished. The need for an interim permit authority was one of the key points made in the recent study of the OCCDC by the Oregon Student Public Interest Research Group (OSPIRG). At the Newport meeting, Henry Richmond, OSPIRG attorney and author of the study which heavily criticized the OCCDC, presented a proposal in favor of the interim permit authority. While his proposal did not win approval, Richmond was satisfied with the one which did. According to Jim Ross, executive director of the OCCDC, the difference between the two motions was that the one which passed not only favored the formation of an interim permit system, but also gave the OCCDC the ability to develop and ad minister such a program. Rich mond’s proposal did not give the OCCDC such powers. Both motions call for cities and counties to administer most of the permit system. In response to a question about how influential the OSPIRG study was on the executive committee’s action, Ross stated that it had little impact because the OCCDC was already working toward a vote in favor of interim permit authority. Ross added, however, that Richmond’s proposal contained many helpful practical suggestions. According to Ross, last sum mer’s flip-flop on the permit authority issue was caused by a political blunder. He said that after voting in favor of the permit authority, the OCCDC realized that local hostility to such a system could cause a loss of credibility in the public eye, and reversed the vote. Also, the OCCDC was afraid of gaining permit authority without state funding. This is still a major worry, Ross said. Ross said that if the legislature gives permit authoritity to the OCCDC without additional funding, “a great disservice will have been done.” If this happens, he continued, it is unlikely that the OCCDC could complete the comprehensive plan by the 1975 deadline. The fact that the state is in a fiscal crisis and a lack of en thusiasm on the part of legislators for permit systems in general were cited by Ross as grounds for pessimism. OCCDC President William Temyik has expressed the belief that the legislature will not grant the necessary funds. Under the provisions of HB 2642, $333,000 would be granted to the OCCDC to take full responsibility for the interim permit system. When asked for a response to the OSPIRG report, Ross first emphasized that he thinks OSPIRG is a very necessary organization and welcomes their study. He felt, however, that there was an attitude of extreme skepticism on the part of OSPIRG researchers from the beginning, and that this gave them a negative bias. He added that since the report was published, OSPIRG has modified this at titude. On the report itself, Ross outlined what he felt to be both its positive and negative qualities. “The OSPIRG report contains some good criticisms,” he said, pointing to its criticism of the fragmentation of local govern mental responsibility, the section on planning, and its attribution of many of the OCCDC’s problems to a lack of funds. On the negative side, Ross mentioned four points. First, he disputed the assertion that all port commissioners are very environmentally oriented; one even ran for office on an ecology platform. Secondly, Ross pointed to the fact that the OCCDC is no longer a year behind schedule as the OSPIRG report indicates. Ross also disputes the finding that the OCCDC “wasted” six months and $10,000 in a “fiasco” with a California consulting team. The five man team had never worked together before, and as it turned out, they could not. They split into two groups and produced two reports. While Ross admitted that neither team produced the study design requested by the OCCDC, he said the reports are very useful and by no means a waste. Ross said that the OSPIRG report itself contains two pages of quotes from the reports by the California con sultants. Finally, Ross said that “a very, very serious look should be given to the recommendation to change the membership composition of the OCCDC “because it is just beginning to function as a regional planning body, and alteration of i ts membership would be a setback. One important, often overlooked reason for not changing the membership composition, according to Ross, is that the comprehensive plan due in 1975 depends upon local governments for its im plementation, and that by cutting local representation on the OCCDC the legislature would risk a loss of effectiveness in im plementation. “Local govern ments must have a commitment to the plan through their own involvement,” delcared Ross. SPRING INFORMAL I/ISI171TION IS GOING ON NOW! GR€€K LINING AT OREGON FRdT€RNITY SORORITY LIFE COULD BE FOR YOU“ Find out for yourself what its it's really like. CONTACT US TODAY! PANHELLENIC EXT.3888 RM. 203 EMERALD HALL INTERFRATERNITY COUNCIL EXT. 3701 RM204 EMERALD HALL Vehicles . . . (Continued from Page 1) hold public hearings prior to designating an area open to vehicle use. The areas designated open for use would be marked by trail signs. Use of lands outside designated areas would be punishable as a misdemeanor with a miximum fine of $500 and or one year in prison. Paulus said, “Off road vehicles are breeding like coathangers and we’re not realizing that they’re a real threat.” Paulus said the bill would have the most effect on the motorbike, as bikes can be used year round. An objection to the billwas voiced by another member who siad the bill would penalize snowmobilers who do not damage the environment. Although many represen tatives decried the nuisance noise of off-road vehicles, Rep. Stephen Kafoury (D-Portland) said the bill was an environmental measure, not a measure to stop nuisances. “By their very nature off road vehicles are destructive to the environment,” Kafoury said. He stated that the bill was not intended to punish off-road recreationalists, but rather to protect the environment from vehicles that “by their very nature are destructive to the environment.” Amphibians to present water ballet Amphibians, the University’s synchronized swim club, will present a demonstration of water ballet before the recreational swim period at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Leighton Pool. 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