VANCOUVER, Wash. — Twenty five years ago, the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act set in motion a bold experiment in federal land use across one of the Northwest’s most dramatic landscapes.
Even as the bistate commission that administers the law struggles to carry on its work in the face of deep budget cuts, the act has largely succeeded in containing sprawl.
The Columbian newspaper reported that more houses have been built in the scenic area, but spectacular Gorge vistas remain largely pristine.
More clearcuts dot private timberland in Washington state, but the Forest Service has required that loggers use a light touch on the most sensitive sites. New commercial and industrial development is concentrated in the 13 urban areas designated for economic growth.
The act regulated the development of rural lands within 292,630 acres of the Columbia Gorge in Washington and Oregon.
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