In Our View: Don’t Neglect Gorge

Has the Columbia River Gorge Commission participated in the “shared sacrifice” principle that guides (or should guide) governments through and beyond the Great Recession? That’s a fair question, especially as this bistate commission operated with total funding of about $1 million several years ago.

Remember: When commission funding is cut by one state — Washington or Oregon — the other must follow suit, to comply with terms that created the group in 1987 to oversee management of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Because of that double-whammy impact, annual funding dropped to about $750,000 a few years ago. Other incremental cuts were inflicted as the economy worsened. The commission has reduced its office hours to four days a week and cut its staff from the equivalent of 10.5 full-time positions to six. And those staffers have taken cuts in pay, hours and benefits.

Those reductions resemble what is seen in many areas of the private-sector business world. Indeed, the Columbia River Gorge Commission conforms to the “shared sacrifice” theory. That’s why residents of both states, and especially Washingtonians, should be mystified that our state’s Senate passed a budget this week that cuts $300,000 from the commission’s 2012-2013 budget. State Sen. Craig Pridemore, D-Vancouver, believes the funding can be restored. We hope he’s successful in that effort, and all legislators should help him in that regard. Especially vital are the voices of state senators in three legislative districts that embrace the 83-mile, 292,500-acre scenic area. Those six are Pridemore and five Republicans including Joe Zarelli of Ridgefield (18th District), Don Benton of Vancouver (17th) and Jim Honeyford of Sunnyside (15th).

The Legislature dedicates $410,000 to the commission for 2011-2012 but the Senate budget lists only $119,000 for 2012-2013. That reduction could be inadvertent. Confusion remains over whether the Columbia River Gorge Commission will be involved in the consolidation of the Ecology, Parks and Recreation and Natural Resources departments. But even if that happens, as Commission Executive Director Jill Arens said this week, “There’s no money in the Ecology budget for us. Ecology can’t absorb this.”

Pridemore confirmed in an email that Gorge Commission funding “was pulled into the discussion about consolidation of the state’s natural resource agencies. It should never have been part of those plans, and I think people understand that now.” It will be up to Pridemore and the five other southern Washington senators to spread that understanding.

Why is this important? Because the Columbia River Gorge is special. Tough economic times do not alter the Gorge’s status as our most scenic national treasure. There will always be the need to set policy for protecting nonfederal lands within the Scenic Area, which is chief among the commission’s many duties. As we’ve pointed out previously, the commission also designs, revises (every 10 years) and implements a management plan that makes sure economic development occurs in the Gorge without eroding long-standing values.

Gorge Commission officials neither expect nor deserve preferential treatment during the Great Recession and it’s lingering effects. But the commission already is sharing in the sacrifices. Depleting its work further would directly contradict the intent of the National Scenic Area Act.