Gorge Land Use Equity
GLUE
|
Mission: To restore property rights to Columbia River Gorge residents taken by governmental action contrary to law OR secure compensation for their loss.
|
|
UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION: ". . . private property (shall not) be taken for public use, without just compensation." Fifth Amendment "No state shall . . . deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Fourteenth Amendment
|
SCENIC AREA ACT: "(1) . . . to protect and provide for the enhancement of the scenic, cultural, recreational, and natural resources of the Columbia River Gorge; and (2) to protect and support the economy of the Columbia River Gorge area by encouraging growth to occur in existing urban areas and by allowing future economic development in a manner that is consistent with paragraph (1)." Public Law 99-663
|
OUR GOAL is to realize the original intent of the Scenic Area Act for balance between its two purposes – protection of scenic resources AND economic development in the Columbia River Gorge – through assuring implementation of the Act under the regulatory power of the Gorge Commission and the six Oregon & Washington counties of the Gorge (Clark, Multnomah, Skamania, Hood River, Klickitat and Wasco) in a manner that is consistent with such original intent and underlying principles of due process and fundamental fairness. We believe the management plan that was adopted by the Gorge Commission in 1991, and revised in 2005, contains provisions and policies that are contrary to the Act and to such principles--as do local implementing county ordinances which are required to be consistent with the Act. Regulatory power has exceeded its authority and has established land use prohibitions and restrictions that have deprived affected Gorge landholders of the reasonable use of their property without compensation and adversely affected all Gorge residents by inhibiting reasonable economic development necessary to their future. |
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Uniting Gorge landholders and communities for land use fairness, GLUE was organized as an Oregon non-profit public benefit corporation on July 24, 2006. GLUE’s principal activity will be to work toward the realization of the original intent of the Scenic Area Act for balance between protection of scenic resources and economic development in the Columbia River Gorge. More broadly, GLUE plans to be active in promoting land use fairness in the six counties of the Gorge (Multnomah, Hood River and Wasco Counties in the state of Oregon, and Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties in the state of Washington).
GLUE has a 9-member Board, each board member required to be a resident of one of the Gorge counties. The Board’s Chairman, Rita Swyers of Hood River County, explains: “GLUE evolved from Gorge Landholders United (GLU*), and intends to continue the pursuit of land use fairness in the Columbia Gorge region, with emphasis on the importance of private property rights as a necessary foundation for an effective and fair public system of land use regulation.”
Interested persons may learn more about GLUE by writing to GLUE, 2000 Eastside Road, Hood River, OR 97031, or e-mailing to glue@gorge.net . To get on our confidential e-mail list, send (e-mail) a note to: glue@gorge.net
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
*Gorge Landholders United (GLU), which preceded GLUE, came into existence after the Oregon Senate Interim Committee on Natural Resources held an oversight hearing of the Columbia River Gorge Commission on August 18, 2004. At this hearing there was an overwhelming majority of witnesses that testified about the continued abuses that have resulted from governmental land use regulations, and the lack of response from the Gorge Commission and other local and state governments to address past inequities. A core group consisting of Rita Swyers of Hood River, Bobbie Miller of the Dalles, Geoff Thompson, Angelo Simione & Bill Darcy of Corbett, and Steven B. Andersen of Mosier, met and decided to work in concert to establish an organization of Gorge landowners and other concerned citizens who could collaborate on achieving justice that has heretofore been denied or ignored.
Because our primary activity is involved with Gorge Commission land use issues, the GLUE Board often meets immediately after the close of the Commission's monthly meeting. This is convenient for those of us who may have comments to be delivered to the Commission, or who may be following a particular issue of concern. The Commission allows for public comment as one of the first items on the agenda. Anyone can sign up for comment and we encourage everyone who has concerns that the Commission should be aware of to do so. After listening/participating about items of interest, the Board retires to another meeting place. GLUE believes that as more of its members communicate and participate, government will become more responsive in addressing our concerns. That is why it is vital that all Gorge landowners who have already been, or have concern that they may in the future be, negatively and unjustly impacted by governmental actions, join with us and actively support our common goal.
To learn of the next GLUE meeting time and place, you can view a calendar posted at a bulletin board by using the following link:
To learn more about the Gorge Commission, go to its website at:
http://www.gorgecommission.org/
JOIN GLUE NOW--clip out the following membership form
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Yes, I want to join GLUE, stay informed and get involved!
Name: ______________________________________________ Spouse: ______________________________
Company: __________________________________________________________________________________
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________
City:______________________________________ Zip:_______________ County:_______________________
Phone: ___________________ FAX _________________ E-Mail:____________________________________
Annual Membership (check one): □ Corporate--$1000 □ Business--$100 □ Individual--$10
I'm also contributing to the cause: □$10,000 □$5,000 □$2,500 □$1,000 □$500 □$100 □$50 □$_______________
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[If sending a pledge to join and/or contribute, a copy of our latest newsletter will sent to you with our invoice.]
Thank you!
Comments on this site may be sent to glue@gorge.net. GLUE has posted a page on the AOCS bulletin board at the following link where your comments are welcome and encouraged.