Columbia River Gorge Commission

06/08/2026

The Columbia River Gorge is one of America’s great natural treasures — 292,500 acres of dramatic cliffs, iconic waterfalls, and vibrant communities stretching across six counties in Oregon and Washington.

As summer draws visitors and residents outdoors, the Gorge Commission encourages everyone to explore responsibly. Whether you’re hiking at Eagle Creek or Dog Mountain, visiting a farm stand in Hood River, or casting a line near The Dalles, you’re in the heart of the largest and most diverse National Scenic Area in the United States.

Learn more about the places we protect and the communities we serve: gorgecommission.org

05/20/2026

“We at the Columbia River Gorge Commission were saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Wasco County Commissioner, Phil Brady”, said Gorge Commission Chair Carina Miller. “He cared deeply for his community and the place we all love and share - the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. His service reflects a quiet dedication to the people and landscapes he represented. We are thankful for all of his service and time spent shaping this place. Our hearts are with his family, colleagues, and all who are grieving this loss.”

Commissioner Brady most recently worked closely with the Gorge Commission to provide insight and thoughtful guidance on the recent Management Plan Amendment to assist landowners to more quickly rebuild in the National Scenic Area after the devastating Rowena fires. Rodger Nichols, Wasco County appointee to the Gorge Commission added, “His gentle and caring soul will be missed.”

05/20/2026

Our May monthly Commissioners meeting was held in-person - many thanks to the Elk Ridge Golf Course and our host Kevin Waters, WA State Representative, for the lovely welcome. With so many meetings regularly on Zoom, it was enlivening and productive to all be in the same room!

05/13/2026

Welcome to our newest commissioner, Abby Hall, recently appointed by Multnomah County!

Abby joins the Columbia River Gorge Commission with deep experience in the kind of work that matters most for the Gorge right now — wildfire resilience, flood and watershed management, environmental justice, and partnerships with tribal nations.

She comes to the Commission from CDR Associates in Portland, where she leads their Disaster Resilience practice. Before that, she spent over a decade at the U.S. EPA building climate resilience programs and led the agency's partnership with FEMA on disaster recovery. She's the lead author of the EPA/FEMA Regional Resilience Toolkit, a national guide used by communities across the country.

Abby is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and Council Chair of the Mount Hood Cherokees. She holds her bachelor's and master's degrees from Stanford and calls Portland home.

Welcome to the Gorge Commission, Abby — we're so glad you're here.

04/30/2026

Please join the Columbia Gorge Stewardship Alliance on May 6 in Cascade Locks for 'Stewardship in Action: Gorge Tourism Summit Workshop and Tour'. The CRGC is a proud member of the Alliance, hope to see many of you there.

04/29/2026

The Klickitat Wildfire Resource Hub is now available!

As wildfire season approaches, Klickitat County residents now have a new one-stop shop for local wildfire preparedness and risk reduction resources. The Klickitat Wildfire Resource Hub brings together locally relevant information in one place—assistance programs, contractors, checklists, contacts, tools, and more—all organized by topic to help you take action.

Explore the site: https://link.edgepilot.com/s/570ae6e4/ylIJfB2Bi0exlcXjeGqUbg?u=https://www.wildfirereadyklickitat.org/

This website is a collaborative project among organizations and agencies working on wildfire risk mitigation in Klickitat County, made possible by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through Grant GBMF12356.01 to Resources Legacy Fund, supporting the work of Mt. Adams Resource Stewards.

Questions or feedback? Please contact [email protected].

04/28/2026

Please join us at the 'Before Wildfire Strikes: Improving Wildfire Preparedness in Hood River County' community event tomorrow, April 29 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. at the Columbia Center for the Arts in Hood River. Hosted by the Hood River All-Lands Partnership, Oregon State Fire Marshal, Oregon State University Extension, and local partners, this event will provide practical tools, resources, and information to help residents protect their homes, families, and communities. In particular, this event will:

• Characterize wildfire risk in Hood River,

• Describe how landowners and agencies are collectively responding to risk, and

• Highlight recent community wildfire risk reduction projects in Indian Creek.

This event is free, family friendly, and open to the public. All community members are welcome to attend. For more information and event details, visit:

Are you ready for wildfire in Hood River? Join us Wednesday, April 29 from 6:00pm-8:30pm at the Columbia Center for the Arts to learn how to improve wildfire preparedness in Hood River County.

04/01/2026

No foolin'! The Columbia River Gorge Commission Launches Redesigned Website, Its First in Over a Decade - see press release below, and please explore our brand new website.

https://gorgecommission.org/2026/03/columbia-river-gorge-commission-launches-redesigned-website-its-first-in-over-a-decade/

03/19/2026

On March 4-6, two Gorge Commission staff members, Mackenzie Aamodt (Land Use Planner) and Lisa Naas Cook (Climate Programs Manager) participated in the 2026 'Adapting Together: Shaping the Future of Fire' in the Northwest' Workshop at Skamania Lodge in Stevenson, WA. Hosted by Oregon State University, the Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network, and the Northwest Fire Science Consortium, the workshop aimed to provide collaborative learning opportunities for organizations in the Northwest focused on creating more fire adapted communities. Workshops focused on implementation strategies to make rural communities more fire-ready and resilient. Mackenzie and Lisa both participate as members of the West Klickitat County Fire Adapted Communities Network for the Gorge Commission on a monthly basis.

03/13/2026

Mountain goats! A fun but not well-known Columbia River Gorge fact is that mountain goat sightings on Washington cliffs have been increasing over the last decade, with a small herd taking up seasonal residence. This photo (from March 2024) shows a group of 7 goats, including 4 nannies and 3 kids. Most folks aren’t aware the Gorge is original mountain goat habitat, but Lewis and Clark traded for skins at the Clahclellah Village in 1806. Lewis reported village inhabitants “informed us that these sheep were found in great abundance on the hights and among the cliffs of the adjacent mountains and that they had lately killed these two from a herd of 36, at no great distance from their village.” The two items Lewis and Clark collected were a skin of a young goat and a cap made of the skin of the head of a young goat, “cased [skinned] in such manner as to fit the head of a man by whom it was woarn and highly prized as an ornament. We obtained this cap in exchange for a knife, and were compelled to give two Elkskins in exchange for the skin.” These two items were brought all the way back to the Peale Museum in Philadelphia, where they were used to support the first scientific description of the species by Blainville in 1816.

Photo courtesy of Nathaniel D. Reynolds, © 2024