![]() ![]() ![]() The purposes of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area (CRGNSA) are clearly spelled out in the CRGNSA Act: to protect and provide for the enhancement of the scenic, cultural, recreational and natural resources of the Gorge and to protect and support the economy of the Columbia River Gorge area by encouraging growth to occur in existing urban areas and by allowing future economic development.ĭue to our unique enabling legislation, the land use and land management approach to the Gorge retains existing rural and scenic characteristics of the Gorge through a mix of unique partnerships. The Forest Service also assists in resource protection programs and provides technical assistance to help counties manage their land use. State, private, tribal, and county lands within the Scenic Area's boundaries are protected through a collaborative approach directed by the Act. In addition to National Forests, the agency conducts world-class research and manages various scenic and recreational sites for future generations, in service of "the greatest good." All National Forest System lands within the boundaries of the Scenic Area are administered by the Forest Service, as are recreation facilities on those lands. The Forest Service is a federal land management agency that has sustained the nation's forests and grasslands for more than 100 years. The Act drew boundaries for a 292,500 acre patchwork of public and private lands and charged the USDA Forest Service with developing and implementing a management plan in partnership with the newly established bi-state Columbia River Gorge Commission. The official designation took place on November 17, 1986 when President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act. COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE HOW TOThe vision took shape only after decades of studies, discussions, and public debate about how to protect the Gorge's natural resources, scenic beauty, cultural history and economic vitality. It was a cutting edge concept for its time - intended as a way to enable thriving urban centers in close proximity to bucolic hills and wild beauty. To protect the Columbia River Gorge's resources while also maintaining a working landscape, the region was designated by Congress as the nation’s second - and largest - National Scenic Area. It's also a vital transportation and communication corridor where trains, barges, and highways support an interstate commerce, and natural forces generate wind and hydrologic power. Shaped by ancient volcanoes and floods, the Gorge is also rich in culture and history, and home to 75,000 people. The Columbia River Gorge is a spectacular river canyon, 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep, that meanders past cliffs, spires, and ridges set against nearby peaks of the Pacific Northwest's Cascade Mountain Range. ![]()
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