Western Gray Squirrels Uplisted to Endangered Status in Washington State
November 30, 2023
The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously to uplist the western gray squirrel from threatened to endangered under the state’s endangered species act.
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Washington Supreme Court Tells Mining Violators to Pound Sand
September 28, 2023
The Washington Supreme Court has denied mining violators Zimmerly and Nutter's petition for review and rejected their arguments that they have a right to mine the property with no land use permits.
Walking at Catherine Creek during Gorge Latino Conservation Week. © Paloma Ayala
Celebrating Latino Conservation Week: Connecting Communities and Nature
September 26, 2023
Latino Conservation Week (LCW) is an annual initiative that shines a spotlight on the invaluable contributions of Latino communities to conservation efforts in the United States.
Lyle Cherry Orchard © Cate Hotchkiss
2022-23 Annual Report Released
June 30, 2023
Our 2022-23 annual report is now available! Discover Friends' impact in every corner of the Gorge. Choose your experience with digital highlights, PDFs, and audio in both English and Spanish.
The National Scenic Area Act, passed by Congress in 1986, protects agricultural lands for agricultural uses. © Debbie Asakawa
Protecting Agricultural Land for Agricultural Uses
June 26, 2023
Friends gears up to defend a recent appellate decision that, if upheld on further appeal, will continue to protect farmland in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area now and into the future.
The unpermitted mining operations at the Zimmerly site transformed a narrow, otherwise quiet rural residential road into an industrial mining “haul road." © Friends Archives, Peter Cornelison
Friends Achieves Three Major Court Victories Against Serial Mining Violators
June 26, 2023
The public is urged to take action today by March 1 and ask the Clark County Land Use Hearing Examiner to require a full environmental review for this proposed harmful mining project.
Indigenous fishing platform near Bridge of the Gods © Dan Hawk
Squandering Gorge Assets
June 26, 2023
Friends conservation organizer and Gorge resident Sofia Urrutia-Lopez gives her perspective on the data center proposed for the Gorge community of Cascade Locks, Oregon.
The illegal gravel mine is the largest and longest-running violation in the history of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. © Friends Archives
BREAKING: Clark County Rejects Controversial Mining Proposal in Columbia River Gorge
June 8, 2023
The county's project denial follows a trifecta of court losses for serial mining violators.
Norway Green, LLC proposed to build a 7,124-square-foot non-farm dwelling on this Gorge farmland. (photo: Clark County Community Development Department)
Friends Succeeds in Protecting Gorge Farmland Through Litigation
May 2, 2023
The Gorge Commission issued an important appeal decision that will protect Gorge farmland for future generations, just as Congress intended when it passed the National Scenic Area Act in 1986.
Wind River Middle School students help improve habitat around Collins Pond by planting around 500 wildflowers that will increase pollinator diversity. (photographer: Rachel Prince)
Field Report: Students Learn Hands-On at Gorge Turtle Habitat
April 14, 2023
Carson, Washington, middle-schoolers receive a day of education and exploration on Gorge public lands.
A hummingbird clearwing moth pollinates a flower. (photo: Friends archive)
A Gorge camas patch in bloom. (photographer: Micheal Drewry)
Centering Conservation Through Tribal Perspectives
April 12, 2023
Friends participates in an initiative with a goal of restoring access and ownership of lands to the Indigenous people who have occupied and stewarded the lands for countless generations.