The Zimmerly mine (in the foreground) in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. Photo by Brady Holden.
Judge Denies Gravel Mine’s Motion to Stay Enforcement of Scenic Area Rules
January 15, 2020
The latest episode in the ongoing saga over an illegal gravel mining operation in the western Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area came on January 14, as Judge John P. […]
(from left to right) Hood River Valley High School Climate Action Club members Lottie Bromham, Lillie Tomlinson and Lyric Emmons give an interview about their activism, Dec. 2019. (photographer: Peter Cornelison)
Young Gorge Leaders Call for Climate Action
December 23, 2019
December 23, 2019 Friends supports community leaders advocating for climate policy reforms By Peter Cornelison, field representative and Stan Hall, digital content specialist Ever since the founding of Friends of […]
Washougal, WA, sixth-graders on the Hamilton Mountain trail as part the Explore the Gorge outdoor education program. (photographer: Richard Kolbell)
Inspiring the Next Generation
December 19, 2019
By Stan HallDigital Communications Manager December 19, 2019 For St. Andrew Nativity School history teacher Alex Park, the importance of connecting kids to nature became apparent while teaching at a Jesuit […]
View looking west from a new loop of the Lyle Cherry Orchard trail. (photographer: Gabe Smith)
New Loops Come to Life at Lyle Cherry Orchard
November 26, 2019
By Renée TkachGorge Towns to Trails Manager November 26, 2019 Note: This post was updated in September 2020. Trails don’t just build themselves. It takes hours, days, weeks…years to plan, prepare and […]
Aerial view of the Zimmerly mining site inside the western National Scenic Area boundary near Washougal, WA. (photo: Friends' archive)
Gorge Panel Rules Mine Operation Illegal
November 25, 2019
By Michael LangConservation Director November 25, 2019 On Aug. 13, the appointed members of the Columbia River Gorge Commission overturned a Clark County hearing examiner’s decision and found that the Zimmerly […]
Gorge Panel Rules Mine Operation Illegal
November 25, 2019
On Aug. 13, the appointed members of the Columbia River Gorge Commission overturned a Clark County hearing examiner’s decision and found that the Zimmerly quarry near Washougal, Washington, is operating […]
Western pond turtles basking in the sun in Skamania County. (Photographer: Brandon Davis)
2018-19 Annual Report: Partnering for Pond Turtles
November 18, 2019
November 18, 2019 The decades-long partnership working to return western pond turtles to the Gorge’s quiet, shallow ponds is an inspiring success story. More than 30 years ago, the pond […]
PPFG: Watchdogs Contest Proposed Oregon Fracked Gas Power Plant
November 1, 2019
November 1, 2019 Press Release, Power Past Fracked Gas Salem, OR—Today, a coalition of groups requested a hearing to challenge Perennial Wind Chaser’s (Perennial) proposed 415-megawatt fracked gas-fired power plant, near […]
The Oregonian: Inside the Preserve That’s Bringing Baby Turtles Back to the Gorge
October 29, 2019
October 29, 2019 By Samantha Swindler, The Oregonian(View original story) Down a gravel road, just on the Washington side of the Columbia River Gorge in Skamania County, is a 64-acre […]
The Columbian: Unpermitted Activity Alleged at Washougal Pit
October 8, 2019
October 8, 2019 By Jake Thomas, the Columbian(View original article) More than a month after the Columbia River Gorge Commission determined that a gravel mine outside of Washougal lacked necessary permits […]
NRDC: The Bomb Train Derailment That Sparked a Resistance in the Gorge
September 30, 2019
September 30, 2019 By Lora Shinn, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)(view original article) A cluster of pick-your-own cherry orchards beckons visitors to the town of Mosier, Oregon, each summer. The […]
A young western pond turtle, ready to be released into a pond at Friends' Turtle Haven land trust preserve. (photographer: Vince Ready, Lasting Light Photography)
Endangered Turtles Brought to Their Gorge Haven
September 26, 2019
By Stan HallDigital Communications Manager September 26, 2019 The story of a collaborative effort to help an endangered turtle species in the Gorge, told by people who help make it happen. […]