Medford mail tribune., April 17, 1961, Image 3

MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
MONDAY. APRIL 17. 1961
Majority
Sentiment Along Coast Favors Tidelands Oil Development
. By DOUGLAS GRIPP
UPI Corrpondnl .
While there is pro and con
feeling along .the Oregon
coast about opening up the
state's 840-square mile off
shore lands for private oil and
gas exploration majority sen
timent seems to favor it, a
survey by United Press Inter
national reveals.
The UPI check included
businessmen, local govern
ment officials and others up
and down the coast. The typ
ical reaction was: enabling
legislation is wanted, but with
guarantees that no scenic or
other aspect is Impaired.
The legislature is working
on such a law now.
Comments ranged from
strong enthusiasm to a minor
ity stand that legislation be
held up.
Oregon has 325 miles of
coast, and all but about 51
miles are owned by the state.
In 1913, Oregon passed a law
putting the coast under state
ownership. This property lies
from ordinary high tide to
low tide. The state also owns
the ocean bottom three miles
out to sea, 600,000 acres. The
51 private miles are owned
by business concerns, cities
and others.
Real Estate Mm. Approv
William Manion,., Gearhart
real estate man, is all for oil
exploration. "I'm not the least
bit afraid," he said, "and I
have a big stake in the coast,"
meaning property values.
Ed Eaton, who sells beach
property in the "20 miracle
miles" and is a member of
the Oceanlake city council,
agrees with this position and
says 'anything that expedites
the development , of Oregon
and the economy is desirable
He has visted California and
notes that Tidelands Oil has
not hurt property values
there.
The question he asked, how
ever, is: "When they say off
shore, how far offshore? Some
people have visions of oil rigs
on the sand."
Out To Sea
In industry lingo, offshore
is just that off the beaches
and out to sea, although early
California operations were
on some beaches before the
state got around to regulat
ing , it. Public hearing pro
cedure is included in Oregon's
bill, to permit the state land
board to grant easements'
across beaches. Such pipes,
to carry the resource inland.
would be buried under the
sand. i '
1 ' , ' ' ' ' - v " ' N A 1
"5-f- s " ' ' t - V
' ' ri mm
,OIL PLATFORM Shown above is an off
shore drilling platform at Summerland,
Calif. When oil is discovered all structures
are removed down to the first level. Similar
structures would be erected off the Oregon
coast if the proposed tidelands bills pass the
legislature and are signed by the governor.
Oil officials claim removal of the structure
down to the first level would eliminate un
sightly scenes from the coastline.
(UPI Telephoto)
Clair E. Terry, Coos Bay
motor hotel operator and res
tauranteur, said the policy
"should be liberal" to encour
age oil companies to come and
look. He has traveled exten
sively in California, viewed
Tldeland : operations there,
and says oil and recreation
are "one-hundred
compatible."
A Shell Oil Co. crew is now
making a profile of the ocean
floor off Oregon.
Coos County Judge James
W. Harrison notes that as
president of the Oregon Coast
association he would b e
per cent logical person to hear strong
fears about the proposal and
says, "I haven't heard any."
says an oil rig visiDie on
shore will drive tourists
away. Industry is not going
to hurt tourism and we need
Industry." Amsden said the
legislation with safeguards
Eor the state is a "must"
in the current legislation.
Fred Andrus, editor pf the
Astorian Budget, said as long
as the scenery is safe, it
sounds "all for the good."
Andrus agrees with the Coast
association stand whicn puts
faith in the legislature to
write in necessary safeguards.
Wouldn't Deter Uses
Roger Duncan, Mayor o f
North Bend, said he would
like to see the oil probe go
forward "for the simple rea
son that it would not take
away from other coastal-uses."
Fernley W. Long of Gold
Beach, Curry County Judge,
owns 480 acres of land in Pa
cific County, Wash., and leas
es it for oil exploration. "Na
turally I'd like to see o i 1
pumping in the Northwest,"
he said, "as long as we keep
the coast rugged and beauti
ful." State oil revenue would go
into the common school fund,
meaning taxes could be low
ered. Leslie Raw, Seaside ho
telman, said: "Anything to
lower taxes, I'm interested
in."
Al Thelin, manager of the
U. S. National bank in Co
quille, would like to see ex
ploration move "on the slow
side." David Moffitt of Wald
port, Lincoln County Com-
Grange News
Butte Falls Grange'
The local Mothersingers
presented a musical program
of three numbers at a recent
meeting of the Butte Falls
Grange.
Included in the group were
Mrs. William Hunter, Mrs.
Dean Boggan, Mrs. Leonard
Stratton, Mrs. Randal Per
kins, Mrs. William Harris,
Mrs. Don Jolliffee, Mrs.
Henry , Tygart, Mrs. Virgil
Conley, Mrs. Charles Capel
lo, and Mrs.- Dale Smith.
Dean Boggan, high school in
structor, directed the per
formance, and Mrs. L. L.
Meadows was the accompa
nist. Miss Sherry Tygart and
Steve Stratton ' entertained
with piano solos. . v ;
Several hats were exhibit
ed at the hat show. Three
gifts of recognition were pre
sented to Mrs. Stratton, Mrs.
Earl Deen, and Leonard Strat
ton.' A crab feed will be held
April 22. Proceeds will be
used for tile for the kitchen
floor and paint for the din
ing area.
After the business meeting,
a no-host social time was held
with sandwiches, cookies, and
coffee.
The next regular meeting
will be held May 1,- at 8 p.m.
in the Community hall.
missioner, agrees, adding that
the regulations should be stiff
and the "tougher the better."
Moffitt says the oil compan
ies are rich and big and will
"come In anyway."
The "go slow" faction seems
to center in Tillamook coun
ty. County Judge Otto Effen
berger favors turning the is
sue over to an interim com
mittee for study in 1962. "If
the oil is there, it's there," he
says, "and we can't lose it."
Thing of Past
Paul Hanneman, Pacific
City resort operator, said "I'm
a horse and buggy man. I
would hate to see the sun go
down behind an oil derrick."
Oil companies say that in mod
ern offshore operations, the
ugly derrick is a thing of the
past. Floating derricks are
used for drilling but are re
moved when a well comes in,
leaving only a flat platform
visible offshore, and that visi
ble only on the clearest days.
The most frequent comment
heard was summed up by
Don Houghton, co-operator of
the famed Sea Lion Caves in
Lane county: "I'm uninform
ed, and I shouldn't be. But
I'm very interested."
Williams Grange 1
Williams The Williams
Grange held its regular meet
ing April 7 with Master W.
W. Claypool officiating. Herb
Rudd, district Grange insur
ance agent, was guest speaker
and gave a general report on
Grange insurance. 1 ' -
Youth group chairman,
Miss Shirley Rlppee, reported
that the new group had held
its first meeting. Games were
played 'at,, the Grange hall
and the Williams school gym
nasium. -
Age limit for the group is
14 to 35 years. Regular meet
ings are held on the second
and fourth Saturdays of each
month.
Press Concurs
The coast's two daily news
papers favor the legislation.
Forest Amsden, editor of
the Coos Bay World, said "I
disagree with anyone who
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