HOOD RIVER — The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area headquarters is expanding.
Located in the historic Waucoma Building on Wasco Street, the space will host wildfire management crews and equipment in a first-floor warehouse, with an expanded visitors’ center on the third. A new Forest Service shield has also been placed on the front of the building to improve visibility.
The project management team at Cresa said increased wildfires in the Gorge have necessitated a base for fire management and space for storing fire equipment. Fire crews will continue to work from off-site camps in the event of wildfire.
The third-floor space was previously unoccupied. The larger and relocated visitors’ center, slated to open this summer, will handle permits and passes for various Gorge recreation sites, including Dog Mountain and Multnomah Falls. Information will also be available for those planning outdoor excursions. It is the only floor that will be open to the public, while area staff will work from both the first and third floors.
Now at the year and a half mark, the project has faced a number of setbacks due to federal budget cuts and shutdowns, and personnel cuts by the now-disbanded U.S. Department of Government Efficiency. But, Cresa said, they’ve persevered, which is something to celebrate.
R&H Construction is the general contractor on the project, with SUM Design Studio + architecture as the architect.
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