Background Friends of the Columbia Gorge was founded in 1980 and has over 6,500 members in Oregon, Washington, and beyond dedicated to preserving, protecting, and stewarding the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. With offices in Portland and Hood River, OR and Washougal, WA, the organization uses an array of tools (advocacy, litigation, land acquisition, and public education) to ensure the Columbia Gorge remains a wondrous and vibrant place. In 2005, Friends of the Columbia Gorge launched the Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust, a 509(a)(3) support organization to acquire spectacular landscapes within the Columbia Gorge Summary of Position Building a large and diverse cross section of public support across the Pacific Northwest is critical to sustaining Friends' efforts t