SENATOR MARK O. HATFIELD AND

THE BRIDGES FOUNDATION

ANNOUNCE TRIBUTE TO WILBUR E. TERNYIK

Descendent of Clatsop Chief to be recognized

for lifetime of achievement

improving quality of life on the Oregon Coast

Contact: Kathy Bridges, 503-743-2245

PORTLAND, OR, September 27, 2004 -- Senator Mark O. Hatfield and The Bridges Foundation announced plans today to create a life-size bust sculpture to honor Wilbur E. Ternyik, whose pioneering efforts set new standards for Oregon Coast conservation and development and helped make Oregon a nationwide leader in coastal zone management.

In addition to Senator Hatfield, the Ternyik sculpture project includes internationally-known artist Lorenzo E. Ghiglieri of Wilsonville, who has already begun work on the bronze creation. Hatfield said plans call for the sculpture to be unveiled and dedicated on the northern Oregon Coast in 2006 during the 200^th Anniversary of the winter spent by Lewis and Clark near the Columbia River entrance.

The Bridges Foundation has agreed to underwrite part of the cost of the sculpture, but donations are being solicited to help cover the expense. Individuals and organizations wishing to honor Ternyik can have their name on the sculpture for a minimum donation of $250. For more information, see www.thebridgesfoundation.info.

The 78-year-old Ternyik — who can trace his lineage to Coboway, the Clatsop Indian chief who helped Lewis and Clark at the Columbia— was born and spent his early years on the northern Oregon Coast. The former Florence mayor and Port of Siuslaw commissioner has devoted much of his life to making his community and the Oregon Coast a better place to live.

"Wilbur Ternyik never expected recognition. His work was the tangible creation of his heart's vision," said Hatfield, who has known and worked with Ternyik over a span of four decades. Kathy Bridges, director of The Bridges Foundation, became acquainted with Ternyik more than a quarter-century ago when they were involved in a fledging organization of coastal public officials which eventually became the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association (OCZMA).

 "What Wilbur did for all of us is almost incomprehensible in terms of time and effort he has spent," she said. "We owe him a tribute — a lasting memory — that his efforts will not be forgotten."

Perhaps Ternyik's greatest legacy to Oregon was the leadership role he played in the work of the 30-member Oregon Coastal Conservation and Development Commission (OCCDC), which worked more than four years in the early 1970s to develop land-use management standards for Oregon's coastal zone aimed at striking a good balance between land development and resource conservation.

"Balancing a passion for coastal resource protection with the needs of developing coastal communities such as Florence is not an assignment for the timid, which is why Wilbur was and is such an important player on the coastal stage," said Eldon Hout, former manager of Oregon's Ocean and Coastal Management Program and now an executive with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Washington, D.C.

Onno Husing, director of the OCZMA which recently completed a study of OCCDC's early work in coastal planning,  is convinced that if the commission's work under Ternyik had not been so successful that Senate Bill 100 would not have passed in 1973. The OCCDC provided a shining example of how a statewide land-use planning effort might operate, and in Husing's view was a crucial factor in providing a scant margin of victory for former Governor Tom McCall and others who supported the landmark legislation.

Ternyik, a complex individual whose interests range from collecting antiques and Indian artifacts to raising koi, is also an internationally-recognized expert in sand dunes stabilization and the delineation and restoration of wetlands. His business, Wave Beach Grass Nursery, has been involved in dunes and wetlands projects throughout the Northwest.

Besides serving the Florence community for decades as an elected official and doing volunteer work rehabilitating injured wildlife, Ternyik also spent countless hours in Salem and Washington, D.C. testifying before committees and pushing for legislation to benefit Oregon Coast communities and ports. He was a key figure in securing continuing federal appropriations for coastal dredging and other port improvements.

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