2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 05 - State Government, Government Procedures, Land Use › Chapter 196 - State Waters and Ocean Resources; Wetlands; Removal and Fill › Section 196.115 - Appeal from decision of Columbia River Gorge Commission or county.

(1) For purposes of judicial review, decisions of the Columbia River Gorge Commission shall be subject to review solely as provided in this section, except as otherwise provided by the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663.
(2)(a) A final action or order by the commission in a review or appeal of any action of the commission pursuant to section 10(c) or 15(b)(4) of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, or a final action or order by the commission in a review or appeal of any action of a county pursuant to section 15(a)(2) or 15(b)(4) of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, shall be reviewed by the Court of Appeals on a petition for judicial review filed and served as provided in subsections (3) and (4) of this section and ORS 183.482.
(b) On a petition for judicial review under paragraph (a) of this subsection the Court of Appeals also shall review the action of the county that is the subject of the commission’s order, if requested in the petition.
(c) The Court of Appeals shall issue a final order on review under this subsection within the time limits provided by ORS 197.855.
(d) In lieu of judicial review under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, a county action may be appealed to the Land Use Board of Appeals under ORS 197.805 to 197.855. A notice of intent to appeal the county’s action shall be filed not later than 21 days after the commission’s order on the county action becomes final.
(e) Notwithstanding ORS 197.835, the scope of review in an appeal pursuant to paragraph (d) of this subsection shall not include any issue relating to interpretation or implementation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, and any issue related to such interpretation or implementation shall be waived by the filing of an appeal under paragraph (d) of this subsection.
(f) After county land use ordinances are approved pursuant to sections 7(b) and 8(h) to (k) of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, the Land Use Board of Appeals shall not review land use decisions within the general management area or special management area for compliance with the statewide planning goals. The limitation of this paragraph shall not apply if the Land Conservation and Development Commission decertifies the management plan pursuant to ORS 196.107.
(3)(a) If a petition for judicial review of a commission order is filed pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section, the procedures to be followed by the parties, the commission and the court, and the court’s review, shall be in accordance with ORS 183.480, 183.482 (1) to (7), 183.485, 183.486, 183.490 and 183.497, except as this section or the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, otherwise provides.
(b) Notwithstanding any provision of ORS 183.482:
(A) The commission shall transmit the original record or the certified copy of the entire record within 21 days after service of a petition for judicial review is served on the commission; and
(B) The parties shall file briefs with the court within the times allowed by rules of the court.
(c) The court may affirm, reverse or remand the order. If the court finds that the agency has erroneously interpreted a provision of law and that a correct interpretation compels a particular action, the court shall:
(A) Set aside or modify the order; or
(B) Remand the case to the agency for further action under a correct interpretation of the provision of law.
(d) The court shall remand the order to the agency if the court finds the agency’s exercise of discretion to be:
(A) Outside the range of discretion delegated to the agency by law;
(B) Inconsistent with an agency rule, an officially stated agency position or a prior agency practice, unless the inconsistency is explained by the agency; or
(C) Otherwise in violation of a constitutional or statutory provision.
(e) The court shall set aside or remand the order if the court finds that the order is not supported by substantial evidence in the whole record.
(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, in any case where review of a county action as well as a commission order is sought pursuant to subsection (2)(a) and (b) of this section, the court shall accept any findings of fact by the commission which the court finds to be supported by substantial evidence in the whole record, and such findings by the commission shall prevail over any findings by the county concerning the same or substantially the same facts.
(4)(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section or the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, if review of a county action is sought pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section, the procedures to be followed by the parties, the county and the court, and the court’s review, shall be in accordance with those provisions governing review of county land use decisions by the Land Use Board of Appeals set forth in ORS 197.830 (2) to (8), (10), (15) and (16) and 197.835 (2) to (10), (12) and (13). As used in this section, "board" as used in the enumerated provisions shall mean "court" and the term "notice of intent to appeal" in ORS 197.830 (10) shall refer to the petition described in subsection (2) of this section.
(b) In addition to the other requirements of service under this section, the petitioner shall serve the petition upon the persons and bodies described in ORS 197.830 (9), as a prerequisite to judicial review of the county action.
(c) In accordance with subsection (3)(b)(B) of this section, a party to a review of both a commission order and a county action shall file only one brief with the court, which shall address both the commission order and the county action.
(d) Review of a decision under ORS 197.830 to 197.845 shall be confined to the record. Subject to subsection (3)(f) of this section, the court shall be bound by any finding of fact of the county for which there is substantial evidence in the whole record. The court may appoint a master and follow the procedures of ORS 183.482 (7) in connection with matters that the board may take evidence for under ORS 197.835 (2).
(5) Approval of county land use ordinances by the commission pursuant to section 7 of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, P.L. 99-663, may be reviewed by the Court of Appeals as provided in ORS 183.482.
(6) Notwithstanding ORS 183.484, any proceeding filed in circuit court by or against the commission shall be filed with the circuit court for the county in which the commission has a principal business office or in which the land involved in the proceeding is located. [1987 c.856 §3; 1989 c.761 §17; 1993 c.317 §5; 1995 c.595 §16; 1999 c.621 §4]