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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 2017
Tribes in Columbia River Gorge
hit by White House decision
Homes were
submerged by
dams on river
By ANDREW SELKSY
Associated Press
SALEM — The Trump
administration is neglecting
the U.S. government’s obli-
gation to build new homes for
Indians whose original abodes
were submerged by dams
along the Columbia River,
members of congressional
delegations from Oregon and
Washington state said.
The hundreds of tribal
members are living in dilap-
idated trailers and other sub-
standard housing along the
Columbia River. The prom-
ised new homes haven’t been
built yet even though decades
have passed since the dams
were built. Now a funding
decision by the White House’s
Office of Management and
Budget has put even the
preparation work on hold.
In a letter, the politicians
told Mick Mulvaney, direc-
tor Office of Management and
Budget, that “the federal gov-
ernment has a legal and moral
responsibility” to maintain the
funding. They urged him to
reconsider his decision.
The letter, dated Friday and
released to the media on Mon-
day, was signed by U.S. Sens.
Patty Murray and Maria Cant-
well of Washington, Sens. Jeff
Merkley and Ron Wyden of
Oregon, and Rep. Earl Blu-
menauer of Oregon. All of the
lawmakers are Democrats.
When the dams were built,
starting with the Bonneville
Dam in 1938 and then hydro-
electric dams in the 1970s, the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
agreed to relocate, replace or
otherwise mitigate for losses
of home and villages that
became buried by water, said
Charles Hudson, who works
with an agency of the four
Columbia River Treaty tribes.
The Indians and their
ancestors had pulled salmon
and other fish from the river
AP Photo/Gosia Wozniacka
Members of congressional delegations from Oregon
and Washington state say the Trump administration has
walked away from the federal government’s obligation to
build new homes and villages for Indians whose original
abodes were submerged by the building of dams along
the Columbia River decades ago.
for thousands of years, Hud-
son said. Not only did the
dams submerge their homes
and villages, they eliminated
the waterfalls and rapids that
were trusted fishing spots
where the salmon congregated
before leaping upstream.
Even after the dams
appeared, backing up the
river and creating large pools,
many families stayed along
the banks because fishing was
their traditional custom and
livelihood. They moved into
trailers and other makeshift
housing on plots of federal
land, where they were told
to wait for the promised new
housing, Hudson said.
“No shovels have turned
yet,” Hudson said. “Here we
are 50, almost 60 years later,
and they are still waiting.”
The U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, which operates
and maintains 700 dams in
America, had recommended
roughly $3 million be spent
on planning for the new vil-
lages, like conducting archae-
ological assessments and site
evaluations, and had received
about half the funds in the
2017 budget cycle, Hudson
said.
But an Oct. 24 letter from
the Corps cited by the five pol-
iticians said most of an esti-
mated $1.5 million has been
spent, and that future work
“will cease until the remain-
ing funds are received.”
The members of Congress
said they understood that Mul-
vaney had denied a request by
the Corps to shift funding to
provide that remaining $1.5
million.
“We have seen first-hand
the cramped, outdated, make-
shift housing with limited
access to reliable utilities and
restrooms that tribal mem-
bers are living in today. This
is a matter of public health
and safety, upholding treaty
rights, and requires immedi-
ate attention,” the members of
Congress said in their letter to
Mulvaney.
The Office of Manage-
ment and Budget and the
White House did not imme-
diately respond to requests for
comment.
Hudson said non-Indian
communities that were sub-
merged were rebuilt by the
government and have libraries
and post offices.
“In comparison, the tribal
communities were glaringly
neglected,” said Hudson, who
is with the Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
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Does the current ordinance prohibit families
or guests from staying at properties for free?
No. The short-term nightly rental ordinance applies only
to the act of “renting.” The very definition of a “rental”
is money has to change hands. Regular residential uses
are allowed under current laws.
Would unlimited nightly rentals
help our economy?
No. Our current laws provide a balance of vacation rentals
and our full-time residents who spend money all year-round.
This creates a sustainable economy.
Does Measure 4-188 have any enforceable
regulations protecting residents?
No. All current regulations regarding the number of permits,
septic, safety or even parking are eliminated. Period. There
will be NO mechanism for ANY regulation enforcement if
the measure passes.
Will the number of short-term nightly vacation
rentals ever go to zero?
No. There will always be short-term, nightly rentals available
in Gearhart. There are around 200 units potentially available
now and always in an R-3 zone. Currently, the city can
review or change the number of rental permits
through its normal legislative process.
E GEAR
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Short-term rental permits can also be
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passed down through inheritance.
Do our current laws go too
far in their protection of our
citizens’ rights?
No. Our laws regulating nightly
rentals have a reasonable cap
protecting residents from any
negative impacts. Our occupancy
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limits, septic, safety and parking
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regulations are similar to other cities
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Do Gearhart’s current laws make it harder
to sell your home?
No. Our city Ordinance 901 protects property values through
zoning laws. Home sales are soaring right now, due to new
full-time residents moving in because of our nightly vacation
rental ordinance.
Do current laws prevent homeowners
from renting their property?
No. Any property owner can rent their entire home, just a
room, or only a level for 30 days or more, without a permit.
Does Measure 4-188 have any fire or life
safety provisions that protect families?
No. ALL fire, safety and building code inspections are required
to be done by our city building inspector. Measure 4-188
removes this requirement and allows any “licensed home
inspector” to inspect homes. These home inspectors CANNOT
LEGALLY INSPECT for fire and life safety per state law.
They are not allowed or required to report that a home might
not have fire escapes, bedrooms with no windows, or any
safety hazards.
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Does Measure 4-188 have ANY cap on the number
of short-term nightly vacation rentals?
No. Measure 4-188 would allow UNLIMITED NIGHTLY
VACATION RENTALS in ALL our neighborhoods. The ability
of the city to review or revise the number of rental permits or
regulations is removed, completely.