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.
A downriver view from Mt. Ulka with Mt. Adams to the north. Photo by Debbie Asakawa.
Step by Step, Gorge Towns to Trails Forges New Connections
April 7, 2023
Read an update of the biggest recreation initiative in Friends' history.
Mining trucks illegally haul gravel along Zimmerly's proposed mining haul route in June 2018. (Friends archive)
Take Action: Zimmerly Continues to Threaten the National Scenic Area
February 21, 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.
Camas is an indigenous first food in the Columbia Gorge. (photographer: Lianna Brown)
Collaboration Yields a Climate Action Plan for the Columbia Gorge
December 22, 2022
Bringing in members of often-overlooked communities, contributed to a Columbia Gorge climate plan that would address local concerns and be broadly supported.
A guided outing at Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge for members of APANO (Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon), held in collaboration with Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership. (photographer: Melissa Gonzalez)
Building Partnerships With Guided Outings
November 30, 2022
For Friends’ outdoor programs, which includes our beloved hike program, the pandemic pause gave us time to reflect and analyze our past offerings.
