Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Management Plan Disaster Recovery Amendments Now Available for Public Comment
From Wasco County Community Development:
By Stephanie Krell
The Dalles, Ore., Sept. 22, 2025 — Wasco County Community Development is partnering with Columbia River Gorge Commission (CRGC) and USDA Forest Service staff to modernize disaster recovery in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. This collaboration aims to address the recovery needs following the Rowena, Burdoin, Broughton, and Tunnel Fires.
A draft of revisions is now available on the CRGC website. Public comment is open until October 22 nd. The goal is to present the amendments to the Gorge Commission at their November 12th meeting.
"We appreciate the partnership with the Columbia River Gorge Commission as we work together to address citizen identified needs," said Kelly Howsley-Glover, Community Development Director. "Amendments have been drafted to be flexible, and take into consideration best available data on recovery realities.”
Wasco County will be hosting two community information sessions to share the proposed amendments. The first information session is scheduled for September 30th at 5pm at the Steve Kramer Board Room (401 E 3rd St, The Dalles, OR 97058). The session will include staff presentations, and the opportunity for one-on-one discussions. A virtual option will be available. A second information session is scheduled for the same location and time on November 6th .
Columbia River Gorge Commission staff will be hosting a Klickitat County information session on October 6th from 6pm-7pm at the Lyle Community Center (308 Klickitat Street, Lyle, WA 98635).
Revisions include clearly identifying one-for-one replacement as an expedited permit, allowing up to ten (10) years from the incident to permit and rebuild, increasing size thresholds to accommodate new manufacturing and building standards, and permits for temporary uses including storage structures and manufactured or RV home use. Staff have prepared some materials to help walk citizens through the proposal. Handouts and the revision text can be viewed on the Columbia River Gorge Commission’s website: https://www.gorgecommission.org.
Columbia River Gorge Commission Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski said, "The Gorge Commission recognizes the profound challenges our communities have faced in the wake of repeated wildfires. We are grateful to work alongside Wasco County and the Forest Service in making the recovery process more responsive and supportive for landowners rebuilding their lives."
Wasco County is urging citizens to show their support for the Plan Amendment request. The community's voice is vital in this process.
How to Provide Comments:
The Commission requires all written materials to be submitted no later than October 22 nd .
Email comments to: PublicComment@Gorgecommission.org
Subject line: Plan Amendment Request for Disaster Recovery Comment
For questions about how to provide comments, please contact Kelly Howsley-Glover
(Wasco County Community Development) at 541-506-2560 or kellyg@co.wasco.or.us, Krystyna Wolniakowski (Columbia River Gorge Commission) at 509-713-9623 or krystyna.wolniakowski@gorgecommission.org or Casey Gatz (USDA Forest Service) at 503-319-1300 or casey.gatz@usda.gov.
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