Anna Shank-Root

Meet Anna Shank-Root (she/her/hers):

Anna graduated from the University of Oregon with a B.A. in Planning, Public Policy and Management and a minor in Spanish. Anna’s long-time interest in Service Learning has resulted in a passion for equitable and inclusive community engagement and economic development which she applied to her work at the intersection of economic development and land use planning as a RARE AmeriCorps Member with the Port of the Dalles. A native Oregonian, Anna enjoyed exploring a new part of Oregon with her dog, Kiwi, during her service year in the Columbia River Gorge.

Community and Organization:

The Port of The Dalles was founded in 1933 and focuses on traded sector businesses and job creation. They are a very small staff of 2FT in the office, plus a part-time maintenance man and a part-time harbormaster. The office is located in an old, stone farmhouse near the Columbia River. The Port is an Oregon Special District that is governed by a five member elected board of Commissioners. Day to day operation is overseen by the Executive Director.

The Dalles is a historic river community located on the banks of the Columbia River. Cherry orchards and wheat ranches are still dominate industries in the area, but they have seen an influx of new and emerging industries like Google, wind generation, and value added agriculture. The population of The Dalles is about 16,000. The Dalles is also the County seat for Wasco County. Located on the eastern flank of Mt. Hood, The Dalles averages 14” of rain per year. The Dalles is now to home to many past RARE participants.

Project:

As a land use strategist and policy analyst, Anna worked closely with Port staff, Port Commissioners, legal counsel, Congressional staff and others to support the ongoing effort of the community of The Dalles to expand its Urban Growth boundary. Through research and analysis, Anna made policy recommendations to the Port Commission and community partners like the City of The Dalles and Wasco County, and worked on long-term strategies to address sustainable economic and land use growth. Throughout her service, Anna furthered her understanding of Oregon Land Use laws and practices, how buildable lands inventory studies tie into projected land needs, and the unique impacts of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area on land use planning and economic development. Anna used GIS to visually communicate growth restrictions and land use data by creating maps to demonstrate the need for land acquisition. Partnering with the City of the Dalles and Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, Anna assisted with an existing Brownfields Redevelopment project, investigating the potential of reuse and redevelopment to address land use constraints and the development needs of the Port. Anna also created an Economic Impact Report that both quantified the effects of Port businesses and economic development practices on the region and allowed the Port to evaluate these practices in order to continue to meet its mission of job creation and capital investment in the District.