We Are The Gorge
Welcome, Neighbor! We hope to make it easier for you to find and attend local public meetings, so those who live and work here can all participate in decisions affecting the beautiful place we call home.
For each county, you can view the calendar, subscribe on Google Calendars (subscribing will automatically let you see future events), or copy individual events to your own calendar.Alternately, you can follow our Instagram @WeLiveTheGorge to get a weekly list of public meetings.
Click on your county:
We recommend subscribing both where you live and where you work.
Hood River County, OR
Hood River County includes the following Gorge towns:
- Cascade Locks
- Hood River
- Mt Hood
- Odell
- Parkdale
View this county's public meetings at the button below:
Wasco County, OR
Wasco County includes the following Gorge towns:
- Maupin
- Mosier
- Dufur
- The Dalles
- Tygh Valley
- Wamic
Subscribe to this county's public meetings at the button below:
Klickitat County, WA
Klickitat County includes the following Gorge towns:
- Goldendale
- Dallesport
- Lyle
- White Salmon
- Bingen
- Home Valley
Subscribe to this county's public meetings at the button below:
Skamania County, WA
Skamania County includes the following Gorge towns:
- Carson
- North Bonneville
- Stevenson
- Underwood
Subscribe to this county's public meetings at the button below:
Report a Change or Addition
FAQs
Is this page affiliated with an organization?
Nah, we're just some people who keep forgetting to attend our own local meetings, so we decided to solve the problem.
Which meetings should I attend?
We recommend starting with your county's Board of Commissioners meetings, and if your town is incorporated, your City Council meetings.
If your town is not incorporated, then the county-level meetings will be most important for you.
We recommend everyone consider attending Gorge-wide meetings like the Columbia River Gorge Commission monthly meetings.
What is the Columbia River Gorge Commission?
The CRGC is a special multi-state body made up of 13 appointed members, 1 of which must live in the Gorge National Scenic Area. They're responsible for creating and enforcing policy that aims to protect the scenic, natural, recreational and cultural resources here.
The decisions made by this body affect everyone who lives in the Gorge, and especially affects those whose address lies in the National Scenic Area. We recommend looking up with your county planning department whether your address carries this special designation.
What is a Planning Commission?
While the exact decisions they consider vary slightly depending on where you live, this appointed body generally plays an advisory role in planning and development approval processes.This can include (but is not limited to) deciding how land is zoned, whether proposed plans are a good match for the land's zoning, and use of public space. Public feedback helps this commission understand what kind of land use helps the people who reside in this area.
How often should I attend?
You don't need to attend every meeting if you don't have the time. Dropping in as often as you remember, or at least reading the meeting minutes afterwards if you can't make it, is a helpful habit to build. Even attending once is a great learning experience.
How do I participate?
Make sure you read the meeting agenda at the link in the calendar event. Listen to what is being discussed, and then read the agenda to see how and when citizens are invited to provide comments or feedback. This may be different for different meetings. Some request comments to be emailed in advance. Some provide live time for audience feedback, limited to 3 minutes.
What kind of comments are helpful?
Public comments help the board or council understand what it's like to live and work in the area they govern. It helps to speak from your first person point-of-view, and describe what you experience in engaging with a municipal or county-level service or decision.
Positive and supportive comments are as important as comments requesting changes. People only tend to speak up when something is wrong, but people who are looking to say, open a new business, or add to a public service also benefit from vocal support.
Why do you put multiple towns on the same county calendar?
Between where we live, work, do our errands, go to school, get medical care, and so much more, most of us actually live our lives in a few different towns. So it's sometimes helpful to keep up with what's going on in more than one place.
How can I help?
Tell your neighbors and coworkers about this website, and help them figure out how to find the meetings they'd like to attend. If you see some stickers or flyers, help us leave them where they'll make the most impact.