Legal Resources

Links to legal and conservation information relevant to the Columbia River Gorge

Legal Resources
Classic springtime Gorge view with balsamroot and lupine in bloom (photographer: Tom Nelson)

Statutes, Ordinances, Rules, and Regulations

Cascade Locks Ordinances
Clark County Boundary Line Adjustment and Land Division Ordinance (CCC Chapter 40.540)
Clark County Code
Clark County Enforcement (CCC Title 32)
Clark County National Scenic Area Ordinance (CCC Chapter 40.240)
Clark County SEPA Ordinance (CCC Chapter 40.570)
Clark County Unified Development Code (CCC Title 40)
Code of Federal Regulations
Columbia Gorge Viticultural Area (27 C.F.R. § 9.178)
Columbia River Gorge Commission Bylaws
Columbia River Gorge Commission Rules (OAR Chapter 350)
Columbia River Gorge Compact—Oregon (ORS § 196.150)
Columbia River Gorge Compact—Washington (RCW 43.97.015)
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act (Pub. L. No 99-663, 100 Stat. 4374 (1986) (codified as amended at 16 U.S.C. §§ 544–544p))
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, Amendments
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act, Amended Version
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. §§ 1531–1544)
Gifford Pinchot National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
Hood River, City Municipal Code
Hood River County National Scenic Area Ordinance (HRCZO Article 75)
Hood River County Zoning Ordinance
Klickitat County Energy Overlay Zone Requirements
Klickitat County Zoning Ordinance
Klickitat County Subdivision and Plat Ordinance
Lower White Salmon National Wild and Scenic River Management Plan
Management Plan for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Mosier Zoning Ordinance
Mt. Hood National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan
Multnomah County Administration and Procedures (MCC Chapter 37)
Multnomah County Code
Multnomah County Historical Zoning and Subdivision Ordinances
Multnomah County National Scenic Area Ordinance (MCC Chapter 38)
National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. §§ 4321–4347)
Oregon Administrative Procedures Act (ORS Chapter 183)
Oregon Administrative Rules
Oregon Appellate Courts Style Manual
Oregon Constitution
Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Rules (OAR Chapter 661, Division 10)
Oregon Forest Practices Act (ORS Chapter 527)
Oregon Forestry Regulations (OAR Chapter 629)
Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Act (ORS Chapter 65)
Oregon Public Meetings Law (ORS §§ 192.610–192.710)
Oregon Public Records Law (ORS §§ 192.410–192.505)
Oregon Removal-Fill Law (ORS §§ 196.800–196.990) and Regulations (OAR Chapter 141, Division 85)
Oregon Statewide Planning Goals & Guidelines
Oregon Revised Statutes
Oregon Rules of Appellate Procedure
Oregon Rules of Civil Procedure
Oregon Wetlands Statutes
Revised Code of Washington
Revised Code of Washington—Archive
Skamania County Building Code (SCC Title 15)
Skamania County Code
Skamania County Comprehensive Plan
Skamania County Critical Areas Provisions (Chapter 19.01)
Skamania County Forest Practices Moratorium Ordinance (SCC Title 23)
Skamania County Health and Safety Ordinance (SCC Title 8)
Skamania County Mobile Home and Recreational Vehicle Park Ordinance (SCC Title 18)
Skamania County National Scenic Area Ordinance (SCC Title 22)
Skamania County SEPA Rules (SCC Title 16) 
Skamania County Shoreline Management Ordinance (SCC Title 20)
Skamania County Short Plat Ordinance (SCC Chapters 17.64–17.68)
Skamania County Subdivisions Ordinance (SCC Title 17)
Skamania County Zoning Ordinance (SCC Title 21)
The Dalles Land Use and Development Ordinance
United States Code
U.S. Forest Service Directives
Wasco County Comprehensive Plan
Wasco County National Scenic Area Ordinance (NSA-LUDO)
Wasco County Zoning Ordinances
Washington Administrative Code
Washington Administrative Procedure Act (RCW Chapter 34.05)
Washington Appearance of Fairness Doctrine—Limitations (RCW Chapter 42.36)
Washington Constitution
Washington Court Rules
Washington Courts Style Sheet
Washington Endangered, Threatened, and Sensitive Wildlife Species Classification (WAC 232-12-297)
Washington Ethics in Public Service (RCW Chapter 42.52)
Washington Forest Practices Act of 1974 (RCW Chapter 76.09)
Washington Forest Practices Board Manual
Washington Forest Practices Rules (WAC 222)
Washington Growth Management Act (Chapter 36.70A)
Washington Land Use Petition Act (RCW Chapter 36.70C)
Washington Open Public Meetings Act (RCW Chapter 42.30)
Washington Planning Enabling Act (RCW Chapter 36.70)
Washington Public Records Act (RCW Chapter 42.56)
Washington Rules of Appellate Procedure
Washington Shoreline Management Act of 1971 (RCW Chapter 90.58)
Washington Shoreline Management Act Rules (WAC §§ 173-18–173-27)
Washington State Environmental Policy Act—Statute and Rules (RCW Chapter 43.21C)
Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (16 U.S.C. §§ 1271–1287)

 

Case Law

Columbia River Gorge Commission Appellate Decisions
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Case Law
Fastcase – Oregon State Bar 
Fastcase – Washington State Bar
Findlaw
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Opinions
Oregon Attorney General Opinions
Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Orders
Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals Opinions
Oregon Supreme Court & Court of Appeals Opinions & Briefs
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Appeals Board Published Decisions
United States Supreme Court Opinions
United States Supreme Court Opinions (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute)
United States Supreme Court Topic List (Cornell Law School Legal Information Institute)
Washington Attorney General Opinions
Washington Environmental Hearings Office Board Decisions
Washington State Court Decisions Affecting Cities, Towns, and Counties
Washington Supreme Court & Court of Appeals—Briefs
Washington Supreme Court & Court of Appeals—Opinions
Willamette Law Online—Case Summaries and Law Updates

 

Courts

Clark County Courts Directory
Clark County Superior Court
Klickitat County Courts Directory
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
Oregon Courts
Skamania County Courts Directory
Thurston County Courts Directory
Thurston County Superior Court
United States District Court, District of Oregon
United States District Court, Eastern District of Washington
United States District Court, Western District of Washington
United States Supreme Court
Washington State Courts

 

Government Bodies and Agencies

Army Corps of Engineers
Bonneville Power Administration
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Cascade Locks, Oregon
Cascade Locks Planning Commission
Clark County
Clark County Board of County Councilors
Clark County Community Development
Clark County Community Planning
Clark County GIS
Columbia River Gorge Commission
Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation
Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee
Hood River, Oregon
Hood River, City Planning Commission
Hood River, City Planning Department
Hood River County Board of Commissioners
Hood River County Planning Department
Hood River Valley Parks and Recreation
Klickitat County Board of Adjustment
Klickitat County Board of Commissioners
Klickitat County Planning Department
Klickitat County Port District
Klickitat County Public Utility District
Mosier, Oregon
Mosier City Council
Multnomah County
Multnomah County Board of Commissioners
Multnomah County Land Use Planning Division
Multnomah County Planning Commission
National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region
Nez Perce Tribe
North Bonneville, Washington
Northwest Power and Conservation Council
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon Department of Justice
Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development
Oregon Department of State Lands
Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 1
Oregon Department of Transportation, Region 4
Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council
Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission
Oregon Governor
Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals
Oregon Legislature
Oregon Office of Administrative Hearings
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon Secretary of State
Oregon State Historic Preservation Office
Port of Skamania County
Port of Cascade Locks
Port of The Dalles
Skamania County
Skamania County Assessor
Skamania County Board of County Commissioners
Skamania County Building Division
Skamania County Community Development Department
Skamania County Environmental Health Division
Skamania County Hearing Examiner
Skamania County Planning Commission
Skamania County Planning Division
The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles City Council
The Dalles Community Development and Planning Department
The Dalles Planning Commission
Troutdale Building Safety Department
Troutdale Planning and Community Development
United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10
United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Pacific Region
USDA Forest Service, Air Resource Management
USDA Forest Service, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
USDA Forest Service, Gifford Pinchot National Forest
USDA Forest Service, Mt. Hood National Forest
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region
Wasco County Board of County Commissioners
Wasco County Planning Department
Wasco County Planning Commission
Wasco County Soil and Water Conservation District
Washington Attorney General
Washington Department of Ecology
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife, Region 5
Washington Department of Natural Resources
Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council
Washington Forest Practices Board
Washington Governor
Washington Growth Management Hearings Boards
Washington Legislature
Washington Natural Heritage Program
Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board
Washington Recreation & Conservation Office
Washington Secretary of State
Washington Shorelines Hearings Board
Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation
Washington State Department of Transportation
Washington State Office of the Code Reviser
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Washington State Environmental and Land Use Hearings Office
Washington State Transportation Commission
Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission

 

Land Use and Development Applications and Decisions

Clark County—Land Management System
Clark County—Land Use Projects—Weekly Neighborhood Report
Clark County—Land Use Permit Status Archive (pre-2019)
Clark County—Permit Center
Clark County—Permit Status
Clark County—Proposed Developments
Columbia River Gorge Commission—New Land Use Applications
Columbia River Gorge Commission—Land Use Decisions
Hood River County—Instructions for Accessing Land Use Applications
Klickitat County—Public Notices
Multnomah County—Land Use Decisions
Multnomah County—Public Notices
Oregon Division of State Lands—Applications by County
Oregon ePermitting (includes Hood River and Wasco Counties)
Oregon—Published Public Notices
Skamania County—Public Notices
Wasco County—Pending Land Use Actions
Washington DNR—Current SEPA Actions
Washington DNR—Forest Practices Application Review System
Washington—Published Public Notices
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District—Permit Decisions, Appeals, & Jurisdictional Determinations
USDA Forest Service—National Scenic Area Planning and Projects
USDA Forest Service—National Scenic Area Schedule of Proposed Actions

 

Maps, Photos, GIS, and Property Information

Alltrails.com—Trails Maps
Bonneville Power Administration—Renewable Generation Sites
Clark County GIS
Clark County Maps Online
Clark County—Property Information Center
Clark County—Property Tax Information
Columbia River Gorge Commission—Maps and GIS Data
Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Map
Hood River County—WebMap Online Parcel Viewer
Klickitat County—Database of Surveys, Plats, Short Plats, & Boundary Line Adjustments
Klickitat County—Energy Projects
Klickitat County—Interactive Mapping Service
Klickitat County Treasurer's Office—Property Information Search 
Multnomah County GIS
Multnomah County—Historical Zoning Maps
Multnomah County—Survey and Assessor Image Locator
NOAA Fisheries—Protected Resources App
Northwest Power and Conservation Council—Map of Power Generation in the Northwest
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife—Conservation Strategy GIS Data
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife—Habitat Maps and Data
Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries—Lidar Data Viewer
Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council—Map of Energy Facilities
Oregon Tax Lot Maps (ORMAP)
Pacific Biodiversity Institute—Conservation GIS Starter Kit
PortlandMaps (for Multnomah County)
PSU Pacific Northwest Landscape Assessment & Mapping Program
Skamania County—Mapsifter
Skamania County—Record and Parcel Search
Skamania County—Recorded Documents Search
Univ. of Oregon—Aerial Photography Collection
Univ. of Oregon—Map Collection & Resources
Univ. of Washington—Map Collection and Cartographic Information Services
USDA Farm Service Agency—National Agriculture Imagery Program
USDA Forest Service—Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Maps
USDA Forest Service—Geospatial Data
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service—Geospatial Data Gateway
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service—GIS and Digital Soil Mapping for Soil Survey
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service—Web Soil Survey
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service—National Wetlands Inventory
USGS Data Download and Visualization Services
USGS Topographic Maps
WAC Corp.—Aerial Photography of the West Coast
Wasco County Records Inventory
Wasco County Surveyor’s Office—Inventory of Aerial Photographs
Wasco County Web Map
Washington Department of Ecology—GIS Information
Washington DNR—GIS Data & Databases
Washington DNR—Geologic Hazard Maps
Washington DNR—Lidar Mapping
Washington DNR—Maps, Aerial Photos, and Survey Data
Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council—Map of Energy Facilities
Washington Natural Heritage Program—Rare Plant and Ecosystems Locations

 

Reference — General

Access Washington—State Government Information & Services
Congress.gov
Federal Register
FindLaw
Freedom of Information Act
NatureServe Explorer
Oregon Blue Book
Oregon DLCD's Land Use News Weekly Digest
Oregon—Federally Listed Threatened and Endangered Species
Oregon Public Records and Meetings General Information
Oregon—Rare, Threatened, and Endangered Species
Oregon—Sensitive Species
Planning Commissioners Journal
U.S. Forest Service—National Lichens & Air Quality Database and Clearinghouse
Washington—Threatened and Endangered Species
Washington Public Records and Open Public Meetings
Washington Regulatory Handbook
Washington—Species of Concern
Washington State Environmental Policy Act Handbook
Washington State Environmental Policy Act Guidance
Washington State Register
Washington State's Public Affairs Network
Washington State's Water Quality Assessment & 303(d) List
WashingtonVotes.org

 

Reference — Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area

Bowen Blair Jr., The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area: The Act, Its Genesis and Legislative History, 17 Envt'l L. 863 (1987)
I-84 Corridor Strategy
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality & Southwest Clean Air Agency—Columbia River Gorge Air Study and Strategy
Scenic Resources Implementation Handbook
Western Waters Digital Library—The Columbia River Basin

 

Contact Directories

Oregon Bar Directory
Oregon State Employee Search Form
Skamania County—Community Development Staff Directory
U.S. Forest Service Directory—Pacific Northwest Region
Washington Bar Directory
Washington State Employee Directory