Washington amendment threatens Columbia River Gorge Commission funding; executive director to press governor's office

Executive Director Christina Walenkowski told commissioners on an emergency virtual meeting that an amendment adopted in the Washington House would, if sustained through reconciliation, remove Washington—s share of funding for the Columbia River Gorge Commission.

"There was a vote by through an amendment to defund the commission," Walenkowski said, describing the action as "very startling" and saying she and staff immediately began outreach to the Washington governor—s office and members of the House Appropriations Committee.

The commission—s budget depends on matching contributions from both Washington and Oregon; Walenkowski said the Washington portion for the agency is comparatively small but essential, roughly $2,000,000 for the two-year biennium in Washington. She said the Senate and House budget proposals had been "fairly similar" and aligned with Oregon—s draft budget at about $21,000,000 before the amendment.

Why it matters

The Columbia River Gorge Commission administers the National Scenic Area management plan on behalf of both states; commissioners said losing Washington—s share of funding would sharply reduce the…