Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 28, 2018)
PROPERTY LINES: A HOME IN A PARK INSIDE WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2018 146TH YEAR, NO. 65 ONE DOLLAR Razor clam digs delayed on Clatsop beaches Clams too small to harvest By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Oregon fishery managers have delayed the start of the fall razor clam harvest along Clatsop County beaches after a recent stock assessment found the clams are too small. In a situation that state shellfish biologist Matt Hunter called far from normal, razor clams are “moderately abundant” but the majority had shell lengths between 2 to 3 inches — too small to be harvested by commercial clammers or desired by recreational clammers. Clatsop beaches are already closed seasonally to diggers from mid-July through September to give young clams a chance to grow. They will remain closed to diggers while fishery managers collect public feedback in October on how digs should be managed in the future. “We hear it all the time on the beach, informally, anecdotally,” Hunter said. The meeting in October will be a chance to for- mally gather feedback from stakeholders that will inform a staff presentation to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission in December. “We don’t have a management plan per se for the razor clam fishery and that might be the first thing we’re tasked with, creating a management plan,” Hunter said. A date has not been set for the meeting in Octo- ber, but it will be held in Clatsop County, in either Astoria or Seaside. Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commissioners and fishery managers said this summer it may be time to review how razor clam seasons operate. They suggested the possibility of shifting seasons to fit when razor clams are bigger. Currently, Oregon’s beaches are open year-round to clammers with Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian Tourists from a cruise ship wait to board a bus at the Port of Astoria. Tourism studio seeks ways to manage future growth Summit part of multiyear process By BRENNA VISSER The Daily Astorian See CLAMS, Page 3A Army Corps in second phase of cormorant control plan No longer shooting birds By KATIE FRANKOWICZ The Daily Astorian Instead of shooting birds to control a large cor- morant colony on East Sand Island, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will move into the second phase of its management plan and begin changing the landscape of the island itself. The Army Corps’ efforts to check a growing double-crested cormorant colony and reduce pre- dation on young threatened and endangered salmon included shooting adult birds and active hazing to push birds toward the western end of the island. Phase two is more passive. G ARIBALDI — Around a large table, tourism leaders from Clatsop and Tillamook counties were asked what words came to mind when they thought about what would happen to the North Coast if visitation continues to grow without any changes. “Crowded,” one person said. “Water quality,” another person said. “But we’d have more resources,” another added. The answers were at the crux of a larger question people were attempt- ing to tackle at the North Coast Tour- ism Summit in Garibaldi: At what point does tourism drive more costs than benefits, and how should that be managed? The summit, attended by about 100 business owners, tourism and non- profit leaders on Tuesday, was a part of a rural tourism studio — a multi- year project where Travel Oregon leads workshops and offers guidance on how to make tourism sustainable environ- mentally and economically. At the end, Travel Oregon offers a grant that must be used to finance a tan- gible change or product, like connect- ing a trail system or launching a new stewardship program. Last October, a steering commit- tee set goals, including finding ways to reduce congestion during peak seasons, spreading the economic ben- efits of tourism, and doing more to ONE OF THE GOALS IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES, BECAUSE MAN, IF WE NEGLECT THEM, WE’RE SUNK. IT’S WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE. WE DON’T WANT TO BECOME A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE JUST STOP TO GET GAS. Nan Devlin | Visit Tillamook Coast encourage better stewardship practices in natural areas and parks. “We’re here to talk about stew- ardship,” Marcus Hinz, the execu- tive director of the Oregon Coast Vis- itors Association, said. “This industry has matured. The marketing has been so successful we’ve now encountered new challenges.” Quality over quantity As the number of visitors continues to grow, so does the impact to Oregon’s economy. Revenue generated from the tourism industry has grown from $6.5 billion in 2003 to $11.8 billion in 2017. And projections don’t show any signs of slowing. With more than 100 million peo- ple anticipated to move to urban areas around the world by 2050, David Beurle, of Future iQ, a research and consulting firm, anticipates more tour- ists will seek the rugged Oregon Coast experience. “People are moving to Portland. They are moving to Seattle. They’re going to want their recreation space, and you’re on their list,” Beurle said. But growing the industry does not always have to mean increasing the number of visitors. Travel Ore- gon CEO Todd Davidson said that the North Coast should focus on getting visitors to stay longer. “If you stop and think about it, if we can turn a day trip into a weekend trip or midweek trip, we can increase spending without increasing our vol- ume,” Davidson said. “We have so much to offer. Let’s convince people to spend a whole week here.” See TOURISM, Page 3A See CORMORANTS, Page 7A ELECTION 2018 Brown calls herself a consensus builder Buehler rejects ‘partisan labels’ Governor highlights transportation deal Republican stresses his independence By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau By PARIS ACHEN Capital Bureau Gov. Kate Brown — the nation’s first openly bisexual governor and the face of progressive policies such as no co-pay- ments for reproductive health care — is seeking a final term as Oregon governor. Despite running for governor on the Republican ticket, state Rep. Knute Bue- hler has increasingly used the word “inde- pendent” to describe himself. Buehler says he rejects the “narrow See BROWN, Page 7A Photos by Jaime Valdez/Portland Tribune LEFT: Gov. Kate Brown is running for re-election. RIGHT: State Rep. Knute Buehler is the Republican candidate for governor. See BUEHLER, Page 7A