Schemes, Dreams and Teams: a Century-Long Saga to Protect the Columbia Gorge with Kevin Gorman

Thrive is honored to sponsor this Sense of Place lecture on a landscape that is near and dear to our hearts. Over a century ago, new roadways into the Columbia Gorge led to audacious schemes to “improve the scenic holdings of the Columbia Gorge” by building the world’s tallest elevator at Mist Falls and polo grounds atop Devil’s Rest. Development proposals like these and others eventually led to the creation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

However, the visionaries of the National Scenic Area couldn’t have foreseen the population increases of the Portland area, the explosive growth of outdoor recreation, let alone climate change and wildfire threats. Join Friends of the Columbia Gorge Executive Director Kevin Gorman for a dive into history, conflict and how technology might help all of us keep the Columbia Gorge wild and beautiful for generations to come.

Sense of Place is an annual lecture series produced by our friends at Gorge Owned (GO!) that seeks to foster a deeper understanding of and connection to our landscape and to one another.

$10 Suggested Donation.