The Columbia County Board of Commissioners approved a 30-day pilot construction permit on a motion to let the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and a contracted vendor manage weekend and holiday traffic on Reader Road and adjacent Sauvie Island recreation areas.

ODFW staff told the board the pilot would begin about one and a half to two weeks after the county issued the permit, with a likely implementation date over the July 4 weekend if the board granted the green light. Angela Ward, a business analyst in the director’s office for ODFW, said the passes for access will be free but will require going through a transaction process on ODFW’s system: “They are free. You have to go through a transaction process on our system to be able to obtain it, but it is a free product.”

The pilot is intended to test traffic-control and check-in staffing, public messaging and vendor operations before deciding whether to extend the program for the rest of the summer. ODFW staff described a flexible staffing approach tied to weather and expected beach use; the vendor contract allows adding staff for unusually hot non‑holiday days.

Oregon State Police (OSP) and wildlife-area staff briefed the board on enforcement capacity, and on how citation volumes vary with weather and available personnel. “We have found that issuing citations does not curve the overcrowding out there,” said Doug Shudar, who identified himself as a regional Fish and Wildlife lieutenant with the state police in the transcript. He summarized citation totals for the Memorial Day–Labor Day period: 346 citations in 2022, 1,377 in 2023 and 660 in 2024, and cautioned that citation counts reflect both demand and how many officers were available to issue tickets on a given day.

Staff and county officials said enforcement is handled by law enforcement and that ODFW staff do not have the same citation authority. The transcript reported a typical citation amount of $115 for parking violations; staff also said many visitors will pay citations rather than change behavior, reducing the deterrent effect of citations alone.

County public-works staff and ODFW discussed operational details the board requested be finalized under the county’s permit process, including a traffic-management plan prepared by consultant David Evans and a review by public works before the pilot begins. The county described using a conservative fraction of the counted parking capacity (the transcript gives a count of 928 total parking spaces in the area) so permits do not push use to absolute capacity.

Commissioners asked for regular reporting during the pilot. ODFW said it will report back to the board at the end of the pilot period and will check in with county staff and emergency responders in the first two weeks of operation to adjust staffing and procedures. The board approved the item identified in the meeting as order 41 20 25 (construction permit/order) and took verbal “Aye” votes in favor; the transcript does not record a roll-call or a detailed vote tally.

The pilot will test: day-specific passes available up to two weeks in advance, vendor-run check-in points, a public-information campaign including flyers and variable-message signs, and coordination with emergency responders for access. County staff said they will consider alternate cooling sites and other options to direct overflow visitors, and that towing or additional enforcement measures remain possibilities if problems persist.