By Dispatch Squatch — 15 Sep 2025

🔥 Rebuilding After Rowena: Gorge Commission Hears Residents’ Pleas – September 9, 2025

The Gorge Commission’s September meeting was one of the most consequential in recent memory, dominated by a cell tower appeal hearing and the first full airing of disaster recovery rule changes in the wake of the Rowena and Burdoin fires.

⚖️ Appeal Hearing: Smartlink, LLC v. Skamania County

The day began with a lengthy appeal over whether a Cook-area cell tower expansion qualified for “expedited review” under both local code and the federal Spectrum Act. AT&T/Smartlink argued the tower was lawfully built and entitled to streamlined permitting. Opponents, represented by Friends of the Gorge and neighbors, disputed whether the tower met setback rules and concealment requirements.

Key exchanges showed how divided commissioners are:

Commissioner Amy Weissfeld:

“I vehemently disagree with the idea that this Commission isn’t bound by prior decisions. Otherwise we’d just see appeal after appeal, hoping for a new outcome.”

Commissioner Littler:

“The appellant failed to argue within our standards of review. They made policy arguments, but did not show that the examiner misinterpreted law or lacked substantial evidence.”

Commissioner Keller (Klickitat County):

“I find it a mockery of the term expedited that we are debating a project that began in 2001. When we turn this afternoon to fire victims, let’s be sure 'expedited review' means something real.”

Commissioners weighed whether concealment was “defeated” by the tower rising above tree lines, and whether past Commission decisions should bind the current body. Deliberations underscored the tension between local connectivity needs and the Scenic Act’s scenic protections.

🏚 Disaster Recovery Rule Amendments

In the afternoon, staff presented draft concepts for amending the Management Plan to ease rebuilding after disasters like the Rowena Fire and Burdoin Fire.

Proposed Changes Include:

Extending rebuild application deadlines beyond two years (possibly five or more).
Clarifying “in-kind replacement” rules (size, location, height).
Allowing temporary housing (RVs, yurts, manufactured homes, hardship dwellings).
Allowing temporary sheds or storage during cleanup and rebuilding.

Public comments were extensive and emotional:

Skamania County Commissioners:

“We respectfully urge the Gorge Commission to suspend all non-critical projects and direct staff to prioritize fire recovery permitting.”
“Government must be facilitators, not obstacles.”

Peter Patricelli, MD (Rowena resident):

“Like-for-like replacements should be handled with a simple, fast-track form—avoiding long reviews when rebuilding the same house that was already approved.”
“Tooley Terraces is an unincorporated subdivision platted in 1967 and should be treated as urban for rebuild purposes.”

Carrie Buchanan & Jeffrey Johnston (Rowena residents):

“Our fear is that developers will look at Tooley Terrace and take advantage of those that need to sell and edge out those that can re-build, but find the process too expensive, or will take too long.”

Pat DeJean (Rowena resident):

“Perhaps the monumental task and cost of clean-up could have been somewhat reduced if Code compliance was proactive and enforced the rules set forth by the commission and land use.”

Patrick Hollander (Rowena resident):

“Regarding the ‘streamlining of the procedures’ we have been constantly bombarded with the claim by everyone we have dealt with that the process is being ‘streamlined’ to facilitate our rebuilding process. and it is at best tiresome.”
“They originally told me that they would not be able to accept my review because the metal roof on my new home was the wrong shade of burnt red (not dark enough).”

Dr. Jarrod McClean (Underwood): urged the Commission to adopt rules limiting automatic appeals in fire recovery, so delays don’t block displaced residents.
Kate Bertash (NSA resident): urged the Commission to permit exceptions for ADA improvements that may place a project beyond the 10% difference threshold of "like for like" applications.

We heard from neighbors at our August 21st NSA resident discussion night that arbitrary interpretation of NSA rules limiting disability access features for homes is not just a hypothetical, but something they say is already happening to them.

The sheer volume of testimony reflected deep frustration but also broad consensus: rules must be updated quickly to prevent displacement and speed recovery.

🧑‍💼 Executive Director’s Report

Executive Director Krystyna Wolniakowski reported on:

Budget Requests: Supplemental funding proposals to both states to restore cut positions and maintain critical services.
Fire Recovery Assistance: Staff met directly with Rowena and Burdoin fire victims, attended county/state recovery meetings, and worked with planners to draft the disaster recovery amendment. Commissioners publicly praised staff for making the rebuild process “as seamless and as efficient as possible under very arduous conditions.”

📣 Committee Updates

Communications Committee: Reviewed its draft communications strategy. Commissioners noted they are “going through that strategic plan and adding a few things to it, modifying the draft and just making sure that our team was on the same page.” Next steps include finalizing a social media engagement plan and content calendar.
Rules Committee: Reported on draft changes to Commission rules covering open meetings, public records, conflicts of interest, and hearing procedures. Key changes include Oregon’s stricter $50 gift cap, mandatory recording of conflict disclosures, and a new “rule of necessity” when many commissioners are conflicted.

💼 Economic Vitality Committee Meeting – August 26, 2025

Meeting Focus: Setting priorities for the committee’s work plan, with emphasis on agricultural policies and economic opportunities for Gorge residents.

Key Discussions

Agricultural Income Test (Ag Income Test):
- Staff explained the history: originally set at $40,000 in 1991, updated to $80,000 in 2020 by inflation adjustment. The test requires that new homes on large-scale ag land be tied to farming operations producing significant gross income.
Broader Economic Opportunities for Ag Landowners:
- Brennan Bissell pushed for more flexibility: agritourism (Hip Camps, Airbnbs), supplemental housing on farms, and other “progressive” options to help struggling farmers.
- Liberty suggested workforce training and loan programs as more immediate tools, noting many Gorge farms make under $10,000 gross annually.
Urban Areas & Economic Development: Commissioners debated whether the Commission should discuss urban economies at all, given limited jurisdiction.
- Brennan Bissell was skeptical: “We could spend a lot of time talking but have no real capacity for impact.”
- Liberty countered that since most farm incomes in the Gorge are low, and urban jobs often support those households, the Commission shouldn’t wall itself off from thinking about city economies in relation to the Gorge as a whole.
- Krystyna Wolniakowski (Executive Director) added context, noting that the Scenic Area Act itself contains an “economic vitality” purpose statement that includes Urban Areas as the place where growth is supposed to be directed. So even if the Commission can’t regulate inside cities, it still has a mandate to consider how urban growth and rural resource protection interact.

Brennan Bissell stressed:

“The Gorge is one of the most fertile places in the U.S. and yet it’s essentially a food desert.

Profitability Policy for Ag Structures: Discussion of vague rules requiring barns or other structures to be linked to “profitable” farm use. Commissioners questioned how to measure this, with Liberty noting:

“You can lose money year after year and still be a farmer. Profitability is the wrong standard.”

Laura Brennan Bissell disagreed sharply, arguing the current threshold is “preposterous” and disadvantages small farms:

“I can almost guarantee you that anybody who speaks positively to the current level is a multi-generational large farm looking to snuff out competition.”

Robert Liberty clarified:

“It’s not a profitability test—it’s a farm business test for the purpose of obtaining a profit. You don’t have to show net income, just that you are genuinely in the business of farming.”

Outcomes & Next Steps

No formal votes were taken, but the committee agreed to keep the Ag Income Test and profitability policies on the work plan for deeper review.
Brennan Bissell will prepare a future briefing on agritourism and alternative income opportunities for farmers.
Liberty will take point on reviewing loan programs and workforce training needs.
Staff will circulate background materials on the Ag Income Test and revisit it at the next meeting, acknowledging strong disagreements about fairness and feasibility.

📅 Next Gorge Commission Meeting

There will not be a regular Commission meeting in October the October 14, 2025 Monthly CRGC Meeting is officially canceled.

The next monthly meeting is scheduled for November 12, 2025, held via Zoom webinar. Agenda and materials will be posted in advance.

🧾 How to Join & Speak Up

Written comments for meetings are accepted ahead of time via email to PublicComment@gorgecommission.org. Be sure to send by the deadline listed on the finalized agenda.
During the meeting, there is a public comment period where individuals can speak (usually limited to 3 minutes each) on topics related to the National Scenic Area.
Keep an eye on the Gorge Commission’s Meetings page for the November meeting agenda once it’s finalized.