There have been a number of voices raised in recent days over the way the Columbia River Gorge Commission has been conducting its recent series of public "open house" meetings.
For example, in a front-page article in last week's Goldendale Sentinel, Klickitat County's Resource Development Director, Dana Peck, jumped in with the following quote: "They (the Gorge Commission) talk to you for a year, then they change the rules at the end to suit their own purposes. That's exactly what is happening here."
That is a serious charge from a county employee. Some may cheer the words, but such attacks are not likely to bring any positive changes in regards to National Scenic Act policy.
The National Scenic Area is not going to go away, so working constructively to alter the way the area is managed (i.e., more flexibility from the Gorge Commission; more understanding of what makes the county's economy tick) would probably be a lot more effective in the long run than a verbal blast. And the citizens of Klickitat County would be better served by a lowering of the volume of the rhetoric and a curtailment of the harsh tone.
The dissatisfaction with the CRGC's Management Plan review process apparently has been sparked by the fact that there has been little opportunity for citizens to go public with their views in an open-microphone type of session. Instead, seven separate tables were set up to take comments from people, one by one.
It seems convoluted to somehow interpret this as undemocratic, or a way to stifle the voice of the people. After all, hundreds of written comments have been taken in the five public meetings so far, including more than 200 comments gathered at the Lyle meeting on June 5. Those ideas, complaints, problems, and suggestions will be organized and then passed on as part of the process.
Frankly, having seven stations where people can directly register their opinions -- in opposition or support of the Gorge Commission and the National Scenic Area itself -- seems a lot more efficient than having one person at a microphone offering his or her view to the crowd. It provides the ability to cover a lot more ground.
Now that a data base of concerns has been gathered, there are expected to be more meetings over the next few months. That next phase, expected to start in September, is supposed to include more of a "town hall" format, where people have the time to openly speak their minds in a public forum. It's important to provide that opportunity as well, and the CRGC should do so.
It's fair to complain about the Gorge Commission, to object to its tactics and its decisions. The Enterprise has done that in the past when it was warranted, and will probably have cause to do so again. But it's wrong to offer a blanket condemnation of the process that is now unfolding. Give it a chance.
Agreement can be found with the analysis provided by an ostensibly neutral observer: Bingen Mayor Brian Prigel.
"It's not supposed to be a public flogging," Prigel opined. "They are looking for constructive criticism of the Management Plan."
If public input is truly what everyone wants, these forums appear to be an efficient and equitable way to gather plenty of feedback.
Commented
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.