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Friends of the Columbia Gorge's Legal Efforts

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Friends is working to remove Condit Dam, which has blocked fish passage in the White Salmon River since 1913.
Friends is working to remove Condit Dam, which has blocked fish passage in the White Salmon River since 1913.
While the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act was designed to halt the spread of urban sprawl into the Columbia Gorge, the Act is only as strong as its implementation. As the only conservation organization focusing exclusively on the Columbia Gorge, Friends vigorously enforces the Act and other laws to protect this national treasure for ourselves and our future generations.


Land Use Oversight: The Gorge's sensitive and unique resources are under the constant threat of overdevelopment. Friends acts as an environmental watchdog by reviewing and commenting on every publicly circulated land use application in the National Scenic Area—more than 250 each year—to ensure that development occurs in concert with Gorge protection.

Litigation and Appeals: When Gorge resources are threatened by unlawful decisions and violations, Friends exercises our right to file legal challenges. Similarly, when Gorge decisionmakers protect Gorge resources by upholding the law, Friends helps defend the decisions against challenges by development interests. Visit our online docket of current legal cases, or peruse our compilation of past legal cases involving the National Scenic Area. 

For more information, see our set of legal and conservation links.

Gorge Protection Background
The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act (Act) was signed into law in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Covering two states, six counties, 13 urban areas, and public and private land ownership, the Scenic Area is a complex landscape.

This Fact Sheet on Gorge protection provides an overview of the Act, including a map of the National Scenic Area boundaries and a summary of the history,  goals, and challenges of protecting the Columbia Gorge.

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