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Senate panel advances resolution marking 100th anniversary of Multnomah Falls Lodge
Summary
The Rules Committee voted to send SCR 21 to the floor to commemorate the centennial of Multnomah Falls Lodge. Concessionaire and conservation groups testified about the lodge’s history, visitor numbers and the Forest Service’s preservation role.
The Oregon Senate Rules Committee voted to advance Senate Concurrent Resolution 21, which commemorates the 100th anniversary of Multnomah Falls Lodge and invites public recognition of the site’s historic and recreational role in the Columbia River Gorge.
State Senator Daniel Bonham, sponsor of the measure, described Multnomah Falls Lodge as a family-operated, historic attraction within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and noted the lodge’s long record of public visitation. "This 620 foot waterfall…3,000,000 visitors every year," Bonham said while introducing photographs and history of the site.
Chris Willis, general manager of Multnomah Falls Company, testified for the concessionaire and described the operational and preservation partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. "We are the concessionaire…we operate the restaurant and the gift shop of the historic lodge," Willis said, adding that company staff maintain a 24-hour presence at the site and that the lodge has survived storms, mudslides and the Eagle Creek fire of 2017.
Madison Kenny, conservation organizer with Friends of the Columbia Gorge, spoke for the nonprofit and urged committee support, noting the lodge’s listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and the protection intent of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act of 1986. Kenny said the site’s trails and interpretive programming contribute to public recreation and education.
Committee members asked about the lodge’s construction and preservation. Senators and the concessionaire noted Albert Ernest Doyle as the lodge’s architect and Simon Benson as the philanthropist associated with land donation; they said the Forest Service maintains the site’s historic integrity and that the lodge no longer provides overnight lodging but functions as a day-use historic site with a restaurant and gift shop.
Vice Chair Buono moved SCR 21 to the floor with an adopted recommendation; the committee voted by roll call with recorded ayes from Senator Bolden, Senator Manning, Senator Thacker, Vice Chair Bonham and Chair Jama. The resolution carries no fiscal or revenue impact and will be carried to the Senate floor for consideration and centennial recognition events later in the year.
Testimony emphasized historic preservation, visitor safety and the cooperative roles of the concessionaire, the U.S. Forest Service and state transportation agencies in managing access and protecting the site.
