🔥 Gorge Commission Passes Disaster Recovery Amendment - What Changed, What Didn’t, and What Comes Next - 1/13/26
The Gorge Commission unanimously approved a major disaster-recovery amendment, aiming to speed rebuilding after the Rowena and Burdoin fires. But federal concurrence and staffing gaps still stand between new rules and real relief.
January 13, 2026 Columbia River Gorge Commission Meeting Summary
With thanks as always to the Documenters releasing notes under CC-by-4.0.
After months of process, intense public scrutiny, and extended tribal consultation, the Columbia River Gorge Commission unanimously approved a long-awaited mid-cycle amendment to the National Scenic Area Management Plan aimed at speeding post-disaster rebuilding.
The vote marks a major milestone for residents affected by the Rowena and Burdoin fires, but also exposes an apparently growing disconnect between what the Commission is being asked to do, and what it’s funded to carry out.
Below is a detailed breakdown of what passed, why it matters, and what barriers still remain.
🏡 Disaster Recovery Plan Amendment - PASSED UNANIMOUSLY
The Commission voted 11-0 to adopt a mid-cycle plan amendment designed to clarify and expedite rebuilding after disasters, while preserving treaty rights and cultural resource protections.
What the amendment does:
Once it takes effect, the amendment will:
- Create an expedited review pathway for replacement dwellings rebuilt to the same size, height, and footprint as pre-disaster structures
- Allow temporary RV housing and temporary storage structures during recovery
- Extend the deadline to begin rebuilding to 10 years after a disaster
- Clarify when cultural resource review is required, focusing on new ground disturbance, not rebuilding in place
Commission staff confirmed that 82 homes and accessory structures across 30 properties were damaged or destroyed in the Rowena and Burdoin fires alone, underscoring the urgency of clearer rules.
💬 Tribal Consultation & Cultural Resources: What’s Actually Required
A significant portion of the meeting focused on ensuring that expedited review does not weaken treaty rights or cultural protections.
Key clarifications from staff and tribal representatives:
- Treaty rights are fully preserved. Tribes retain the authority to raise treaty rights issues at any point, which pauses expedited review.
- In General Management Areas (GMAs), cultural review is only required when rebuilding:
- Expands beyond the original footprint, and
- Is within 500 feet of a known cultural resource, or 100 feet of a high-probability area
- In Special Management Areas (SMAs), all replacements require some level of cultural review, even if no survey is ultimately needed.
Lawrence Squiemphen III, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, confirmed the tribe’s agreement with the final language, particularly provisions ensuring that:
- Expedited review does not apply to expansion beyond original footprints
- Septic relocations and new disturbance areas receive full review
Commissioners repeatedly emphasized that expedited review is about reducing unnecessary delay, not bypassing consultation.
đź—ł Commissioner Deliberation: Balancing Urgency and Responsibility
Commissioners from both states spoke to the tension between moving quickly for disaster victims and maintaining durable, lawful protections.
- Commissioner Nichols (Wasco County) read a prepared statement supporting the amendment to provide real relief to affected residents.
- Commissioner Johnson urged the Commission to look beyond this amendment and begin planning for larger, more frequent disasters, calling for more resources, funding, and inter-agency coordination.
- Commissioner Fowler cited the National Scenic Area Act’s second statutory purpose, supporting the Gorge economy, and quoted Oregon Governor Tina Kotek:
“These amendments strike an appropriate balance between protecting the cherished cultural, scenic and natural resources of the Columbia River Gorge and ensuring that residents can recover and rebuild their lives in a timely manner.”
- Commissioner Pah-Tu Pitt (Warm Springs / Wasco) offered one of the meeting’s most human reflections:
“If I could, I would totally just… rebuild a house for you, that is where my heart is. But we also have to make sure we’re not routinely dismissing tribal nations as standing in the way of our wellbeing… the people that I know within my nation, they care about the Gorge.”
The motion passed unanimously.
⏳ Important: The Amendment Is Not in Effect Yet
Despite the vote, residents cannot use the new rules immediately. Because the National Scenic Area is jointly administered:
- The Gorge Commission governs General Management Areas
- The U.S. Forest Service governs Special Management Areas
Both agencies must submit their amendments for concurrence by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has up to 90 days to respond under federal law.
Staff indicated concurrence is unlikely to take the full 90 days, but until it happens:
- Counties cannot apply the new expedited standards
- Rebuilding timelines remain uncertain
Once concurrence is granted, counties may adopt the amendment immediately, without rewriting their local ordinances.
đź’¸ Budget Reality Check: Faster Rules, Fewer Staff
One of the most sobering parts of the meeting came after the vote.
Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski provided a supplemental budget update revealing a sharp mismatch between expectations and capacity:
Washington State:
- Governor recommended $75,000 to launch the Commission’s new online permitting system
- Recommended $8,000 for administrative costs
- Did not recommend funding to restore the Klickitat County planner position, which was eliminated after a 25% budget cut
This is critical because:
- A full-time planner can process ~20–25 permits per year
- Disaster recovery may generate 80+ applications from Klickitat County alone
Wolniakowski testified before the House Appropriations Committee urging lawmakers to reconsider, noting that expedited rules are meaningless without staff to process them.
Oregon:
- A parallel supplemental request is being submitted this week, including Oregon’s share of licensing system costs and commissioner support funding.
Commissioners openly acknowledged the contradiction: governors appear to be urging speed, while staffing needed to deliver that speed remains unfunded.
🧑‍⚖️ Other Notable Business
- Steve Hochman was welcomed as the new Hood River County commissioner, bringing a background in business and earth science.
- The Commission approved criteria for the Executive Director’s annual performance review, which will occur in executive session.
- Committee assignments for 2026 were finalized, reflecting a shift toward more committee-level work as full Commission meetings become less frequent.
- Despite recent news coverage, Commissioner Robert Liberty’s resignation (earlier in January) was not discussed during the meeting, leaving the Multnomah County seat vacant for now.
🔍 Why This Matters
This amendment is the first major mid-cycle change to the Gorge Management Plan in years, and a rare example of the Commission moving decisively under pressure from residents, counties, governors, and tribes alike.
But the meeting also highlighted a deeper structural issue: policy reform without operational capacity risks creating new frustration rather than relief.
As disasters become more frequent, and as the next full Management Plan review approaches, the question is no longer whether rules need to change, but whether the institutions tasked with enforcing them are being given the tools to succeed.
We’ll continue tracking:
- USDA concurrence timing
- County adoption
- Permit processing outcomes
- Budget decisions in both states
And we’ll keep centering how these decisions land, or fail to land, for the people who actually live in the Gorge.
đź“… Join the Next Gorge Commission Meeting
The next Columbia River Gorge Commission meeting is scheduled for:
đź—“ Tuesday, March 10, 2026
⏰ 8:30 a.m. (Pacific Time)
đź“Ť Zoom (remote meeting link)
Meeting agendas, Zoom links, and supporting materials are posted in advance on the Commission’s website. Schedules and formats may change.
đź”— Agenda & meeting access:
https://www.gorgecommission.org/meetings/monthly-meetings-2026
đź—Ł Public comment:
Written comments are generally due by 5:00 p.m. the business day before the meeting. Live public comment is typically available during the meeting as well.