It’s running a tad late, but representatives of the Columbia River Gorge Commission (CRGC) are optimistic the “Gorge 2020 Management Plan Review & Update Process” will be in draft form by the summer of 2019.

The Columbia River Gorge Commission will ask the Legislatures of Oregon and Washington for a budget increase in order to hire two new staffers — and finish an overdue management plan.

November 2016 marks three decades since a reluctant President Ronald Reagan signed the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act into law. Reagan reportedly held his nose while he penned a crucial turning point in the long-simmering battle over the gorge’s fate.