** CFF Activities
-- CFF Appears on Local Radio Forum
** Florence Area
-- More Annexations in Florence
-- Florence Water and Sewer Rates to Increase
-- Gambling's Dark Side
** Other Info
-- Mercury in Stormwater Runoff
** Links
-- Find Out Who Your Legislators Are
** Upcoming Events

- - - -
** CFF ACTIVITIES **

-- CFF APPEARS ON LOCAL RADIO FORUM -- On Thursday, May 23, 2002, 4:05 pm - CFF directors Kathleen Sullivan and Jan Cole appeared on the local Community Forum on KCST Radio. They discussed CFF's "Vision for Florence" as well as responded to telephone callers on the program.  The overall community response was most encouraging - another indication that CFF's message of  "smart development" is winning support in Florence.
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/CFF/cffcvr-vision.html

** FLORENCE AREA **

-- MORE ANNEXATION REQUESTS IN FLORENCE - Without any public notice or public hearing, the Florence City Council will be considering two annexation requests.

1.  Florence City Council meeting, June 3, 7:00 pm, City Hall.  Last year, after the planning commission recommended approval of the annexation of property north of Florence (on Hwy 101), CFF appealed. By mutual agreement, the City and CFF dismissed the appeal, based upon assurances by the City that the Planning Commission recommendation was not a "decision," and promises that there would be future opportunity for public hearing on both the re-zoning and annexation. Info on the annexation on the agenda  June 3, which CFF opposed: http://www.citizensforflorence.com/City/city-com-comdev5a.html

2.  The Planning Commission will consider the annexation of 6 lots in Coastal Highlands on June 23.  It is unknown if a public hearing will be held.  For photos of a nearby area which has experienced flooding problems in the past:
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/Issues/storm-photo.html

--  FLORENCE WATER AND SEWER RATES TO INCREASE -- Monday, June 3, at 7 p.m. the Florence City Council will consider the increase in water and sewer fees. The proposal by the Budget Committee was to increase each by 15%.  No increase in Systems Development Charges (charges for new development) are expected.

-- GAMBLING'S DARK SIDE - Article from The American Legion magazine echoes many of the comments heard in Florence about a proposed casino in the area. http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0201-casino02a.html

** OTHER INFO **

--- MERCURY IN STORMWATER RUNOFF -- We all know it rains a lot in Oregon. And with every storm, large amounts of toxic chemicals are washed off of paved surfaces into our creeks and rivers as "stormwater." One of the most toxic chemicals found in stormwater is mercury, which has contaminated fish in rivers from the Willamette to the Snake.  Oregon Environmental Council recently urged DEQ to address mercury-contaminated stormwater from certain industrial sources in its amended stormwater rules, which currently do not include limits or monitoring requirements for mercury. This is of particular concern because several facilities have either been shown to release mercury or are likely to do so. DEQ's stormwater rules: http://www.deq.state.or.us/wq/wqrules/wqrules.htm

**LINKS**

-- Find out who your legislators are at: http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/findset.htm

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar

 ** CFF Activities
-- Annexation Approved Without Promised Public Hearing
-- Code Change to Allow RV Parking in Residential
** Florence Area
-- Fee Demonstration Protest - June 15
** Other Info
-- Comment Period Still Open on Marine Reserves
-- Shoreline Management Plan
-- Report - Land Use Laws Benefit Forest Lands
-- Study on Seawater as Drinking Water Source
** Links
-- Pacific Northwest Research Station Newsletter
** Upcoming Events
- - - -

** CFF ACTIVITIES **

-- ANNEXATION APPROVED WITHOUT PROMISED PUBLIC HEARING - In spite of objections from CFF, the public, and other local government agency, the City of Florence approved an annexation of land north of Florence on Highway 101.  The City Council had previously promised CFF that a public hearing would be held on this annexation, but did not do so.  There was no public notice of the City's action, other than an agenda item listed in the City Council packet which was not  available to the public until the afternoon of June 1. The Council made their decision at their regular council meeting two days later, June 3.  See CFF's objections to this annexation:
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/City/city-com-comdev5a.html

-- PROPOSED CODE CHANGE TO ALLOW RV PARKING IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS - Notice was sent to surrounding property owners that four individuals were requesting annexation of their properties into the city and city code changes which would allow "temporary parking of RVs for all permitted and conditional uses".  The requested code changes would also affect existing Restricted Residential and Single Family Residential districts. The hearing will be held before the  Planning Commission at 7:00 pm, June 25, City Hall, 250 Hwy 101, Florence.  For more information, contact Florence City Hall, 997-8237.

 ** FLORENCE AREA **

-- FEE DEMONSTRATION PROTEST - A national Day of Protest against the federal Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, the one responsible for the ticket booths that now obstruct Yaquina Head and the entire Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, will be held this Saturday, June 15. Fees for simple access to nature are opposed by Oregon Shores, among hundreds of groups nationwide.  The coastal protest will be at the South Jetty entrance to the Dunes NRA (just south of Florence), 10 a.m. For information, or to help organize and publicize the event, contact Robert Maris at robertmaris@hotmail.com, (541) 485-4917.

** OTHER INFO **

-- COMMENT PERIOD STILL OPEN ON MARINE RESERVES - Public comment period is still open as Oregon’s Ocean Policy Advisory Council (OPAC) considers a recommendation to the Governor that the state adopt a policy of creating marine reserves to protect key offshore habitat areas.  According to Oregon Shores Conservation Coalition, comments from citizens advocating for protection of offshore ecosystems are very much needed if these views are to be fully represented.  This is particularly true for people from the southern coast.  Hearings in Coos and Curry counties were dominated by organized groups from the fishing industry vehemently opposed to potential limits.  OPAC, legislators and the governor will be watching to see whether there are counter-balancing opinions favoring marine reserves from this area.

The draft recommendation proposes that Oregon adopt a policy of creating a "limited" set of reserves for the purpose of studying their effects, without stipulating where or how large they should be and without setting any fishing regulations for them.  OSCC advocates  that, at the least, the word "limited" be removed, and that no artificial caps be placed on size or duration of the reserves, but rather that scientific considerations be allowed to guide the process.  Send
comments to Bob.Bailey@state.or.us, or by surface mail to Ocean Policy Advisory Council, 800 N.E. Oregon St., Box 18, Portland, OR 97232.

-- SHORELINE MANAGEMENT PLAN - The Oregon Parks and  Recreation Department (OPRD) will accept comments at any time on its shoreline management policies.  OPRD is in the early stages of drafting a new, comprehensive plan for all of the state’s beach areas, while simultaneously preparing a Habitat Conservation Plan  for the threatened Western snowy plover, which nests on some of those beaches. The department’s latest newsletter on this planning process, along with results from the first round of hearings, can be found on OPRD’s planning website:
http://www.prd.state.or.us/osmp_hcp.php

No plan has been drafted as yet.  OPRD is still considering the public concerns that have been brought forward and preparing background materials for the steering committee, which will begin considering a plan late this summer.  This means that for the time being there is an opportunity to have your concerns included in OPRD’s drafting process, rather than simply react after a plan has already been drafted. If you have concerns about vehicles on the beach, removal of driftwood, rocks and other natural materials from the shoreline, management of invasive species, protection of natural habitats, regulation of riprap or other issues, let OPRD know.  To comment, contact Kathy Schutt, (503)378-4168, ext. 265,  1115 Commercial St., N.E., Salem, OR  97301; kathy.schutt@state.or.us

-- NEW REPORT - LAND-USE LAWS BENEFITING OREGON'S FORESTS, FARMLAND - Oregon's population grew rapidly between 1973 and 2000, and the signs of development are evident in cities and towns and along major highways. But a report on land-use change released this week has some good news: Lands where farming and forestry were designated in the state's comprehensive plan as the dominant uses have remained intact.

Forests, Farms & People, 1973-2000, a multi-agency  report that distills data from thousands of aerial photographs, states that "A large majority (65 percent) of western Oregon's private land zoned for forest uses is still free of the effects that population or development might have on forest management." The study notes that the rate of building on forestland slowed after Oregon adopted statewide land-use laws in 1973 and remained at relatively low rates from 1994 to 2000. "In that period both population growth and personal  income growth rates increased dramatically, and yet we still saw land-use change slowing," Forest Economist Gary Lettman said. "So this means that even though  there was a strong economy, the land-use planning program appears to be working."

An earlier study had produced similar results, but the data were drawn from a period that included the timber depression of the early 1980s and the general economic recession of the early 1990s. For this reason, economists could not be certain that the slowdown in conversion of forest and farmlands in that period stemmed from the implementation of land-use laws.

The stated purpose of the report is "to provide the public and policymakers with a summary of land-use changes on western Oregon's non-federal forests and farms since 1973." In that year, the Oregon Legislature passed the Land Conservation and Development Act, landmark legislation designed to limit the further loss of the most productive western Oregon forest and agricultural lands.  A printed copy  of the study is available free from the Oregon Department of Forestry  headquarters office, 2600 State St., Salem, Oregon 97310, (503) 945-7200.

-- STUDY ON SEAWATER AS DRINKING WATER SOURCE - Study Begins to Evaluate Seawater as a Potential Water Source ORLANDO, Fla., Jun 6, 2002 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- A new study to investigate and evaluate the potential of using seawater to help meet future water supply needs in northeast and east-central Florida has begun.  HTTP://wateronline.com/read/nl20020610/519514

 **LINKS**

 -- PACIFIC NORTHWEST RESEARCH STATION NEWSLETTER - "Toprovide scientific information to people who make and influence decisions about managing land" http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar

** CFF Activities
-- CFF Files Notice of Intent to Appeal
-- CFF Meeting June 29, 2002
** South Coast
-- Governor Dismisses Coos County Official
** Other Info
-- Nutrition Action Network
** Links
 -- Assessment of Statewide Growth Subsidies
** Upcoming Events
- - - -

** CFF ACTIVITIES **

-- CFF FILES NOTICE OF INTENT TO APPEAL - Citizens For Florence, filed a Notice of Intent to Appeal with the Oregon State Land Use Board of Appeals on June 20, 2002.  The group is objecting to a recent action by the City of Florence.  The City Council approved the annexation (north of town on Highway 101) during a regular council meeting, without any public notice or public hearing as required for land use decisions. According to CFF, the state regulations normally do not require a public hearing for this type of annexation (all property owners concerned approved), but CFF believes the city's action involves numerous land use  matters which should have been considered in a public hearing, with proper notice to the residents of Florence. CFFs previous comments about this annexation:
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/City/city-com-comdev1.html

-- CFF MEETING JUNE 29 - 9:30 am, Siuslaw Public Library, Bromley Room, Florence.
Agenda:
                      1.  Appeal of City land use decision re: annexed area north of Florence
                      2.  Report on meeting with developer
                      3.  Fund raising for dune sign, etc.
                      4.  Organization

** SOUTH COAST **

-- GOVERNOR DISMISSES COOS COUNTY OFFICIAL - Gov. John Kitzhaber has dismissed Coos County Commissioner John Griffith from a state advisory panel on ocean issues because Griffith sent a coarsely worded e-mail suggesting that Kitzhaber intends to create a series of offshore marine reserves despite public opposition. Griffith, who represents south coast recreational  fishermen on the Ocean Policy Advisory Council, has consistently opposed the reserve idea. (Source:  The Register-Guard, by Larry Bacon)  http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0206.html
Griffith is also involved in the Coos County lawsuit re: snowy plover:
http://www.citizensforflorence.com/News/arch-0204.html

** OTHER INFO **

-- NUTRITION ACTION NETWORK - Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) "To counteract industry's hidden influence, CSPI has created the Integrity in Science project, which will expose conflicts of interest and encourage journalists to disclose industry funding of research and organizations.  Our goal is to pry industry's thumb off the scale by letting consumers, reporters, and policy-makers know about potential biases." http://www.actionnetwork.org/CSPI

**LINKS**

-- Assessment of Statewide Growth Subsidies in Oregon Executive Summary - The report found that Oregonians pay over $1 billion per year to subsidize growth in the State. http://www.agoregon.org/publications/exec_summary.asp

** UPCOMING EVENTS **

-- CFF's UPDATE Calendar