§544c Columbia River Gorge Commission

Summary

Congress lets Oregon and Washington create the Columbia River Gorge Commission and requires the two States to form it by an interstate agreement within one year after November 17, 1986. The agreement must include the rules found in sections 544 to 544p. The Commission is not a U.S. federal agency. The States must give the Commission, State agencies, and counties the power they need to do their jobs. The Governor of either State can add 90 more days if appointments take longer. The Commission has 13 members: six county-appointed residents (one each from Hood River, Multnomah, and Wasco Counties in Oregon, and Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties in Washington), three Oregon residents appointed by Oregon’s Governor (at least one must live in the scenic area), three Washington residents appointed by Washington’s Governor (at least one must live in the scenic area), and one nonvoting Forest Service employee appointed by the Secretary. No member can be a federal, State, or local elected or appointed official. Members normally serve four-year terms, but some of the first appointees serve five or six years so terms are staggered. A majority is needed for a quorum, and members pick a chair by majority vote. The Commission hires its own staff and sets pay; pay and expenses come from State funds. It must make rules for how it runs, makes contracts, handles conflicts of interest and financial disclosure, holds open meetings, uses advisory committees, and shares information, using whichever State law is stricter. Its contracts do not bind or promise U.S. government money. Federal agencies, including the Secretary, can give help, staff, property, or services if asked; some help may be paid back to the agency and some technical help may be free. The Commission must set up voluntary technical and citizen advisory committees.