OAR 350-050-0030: Criteria for Plan Amendment Approval

The Commission must find the following criteria are satisfied before it approves an amendment to the Management Plan: (1) Conditions in the Scenic Area have significantly changed. This means: (a) Physical changes that have widespread or major impacts to the landforms, resources, or land use patterns in the Scenic Area; (b) New information or inventory data regarding land uses or resources that could result in a change of a plan designation, classification, or other plan provision; (c) Changes in legal, social, or economic conditions, including those that affect public health, safety, or welfare, not anticipated in the Management Plan; or (d) A demonstrable mistake in the Management Plan that has resulted in significant impacts or that involves significant issues, such as, but not limited to, a land use guideline that is less protective of Gorge resources than the policies the guideline was intended to implement; a land use designation that does not conform to the corresponding designation policies; or two or more guidelines that cannot be reasonably reconciled. (2) The proposed amendment is consistent with the purposes and standards of the Scenic Area Act; and (3) No practicable alternative to the proposed amendment more consistent with the purposes and standards of the Scenic Area Act exists.