Living and rebuilding in the NSA
We are a group of Gorge residents concerned about the challenges of living here with increasing fire danger, housing costs, and external pressures by special interest groups. This is place to share your story and experiences living as a human in the National Scenic Area (NSA), and what that has meant for you and your experience with National Scenic Area permits and processes. All forms below are optional, please share as much as you feel comfortable with, and know that all information will be kept confidential unless you explicitly state otherwise.
Share your experience
We are hoping to understand people's hardships with the NSA permitting process and other related enforcement issues.
Are you seeking to rebuild from a fire and experiencing delays or denials in your approvals? Are you seeking to build, repair, or modify existing structures? How have Friends of the Gorge, Thrive, the Gorge Commission, or National Scenic Area (NSA) rules affected your life, land, home, or future plans? Tell us about any experience you would like to share, positive or negative.
Is your property currently located in the NSA?
Yes
No
What was the time period (e.g. Month and Year) this incident occurred?
-
Month
-
Day
Year
Use your best guess of when the incident began
What was the area (e.g. county or city), address, parcel number, and/or owner’s name at the time if your experience related to a specific parcel of land?
Do you have any documents related to your experience you would be able to share?
Browse Files
Drag and drop files here
Choose a file
Cancel
of
Specific Impacts
What kind of project or situation was involved? (check all that apply)
Trying to build or improve a home or ADU
Designating an in-building ADU for a family member
Farming or land use changes
Rebuilding after wildfire or disaster
Making an expert recommended change to improve fire safety of the property
Applying for a permit (and being denied or delayed)
Denied a fair appeals process
Being asked to remove a structure or change use of land
Being sued or legally threatened
Home has been deemed uninsurable due to fire risk from scenic requirements
Received a below market offer from a "land trust" group before or after a fire
The county or commission is enforcing statements from unelected, unappointed, outside special interest groups word for word in their decision letter
Other
How were you first contacted or informed about the issue?
Please Select
Application or permit rejection
Official letter or notice
A complaint or report from a neighbor or citizen policing group
Other
What explanation was given for the decision?
What consequences did this have for you? (check all that apply)
Financial cost or lost investment
Emotional stress or family hardship
Delay or cancellation of a planned project
Forced to sell or move
Legal appeal or fine
Delays in approval substantially increased construction costs
Lost contract or approval due to excessive delays
Other
Were you offered any support, guidance, or resources?
No
Yes (please explain)
Were you ever asked or pressured to
Sign a deed restriction
Reduce the size of your home or project
Change a roof or building material
Conduct expensive studies (cultural, scenic, biological, etc.)
Other
Do you feel that others in similar situations were treated differently?
No
Yes (please explain)
If you live in the NSA, how did you come to live here?
Please Select
Family property was designated in the NSA after Scenic Act enacted
Bought into scenic area
Other
How were the provisions of the scenic area communicated to you and/or your family during purchase of your property or after the National Scenic Act was enacted and applied to your property?
Legal or Support Needs
Would you like help reviewing your situation with a legal advocate?
Please Select
Yes
Maybe, but tell me more
No
Would you like someone to follow up with you?
Yes
No
Background
Used only if you consent - How may we get in touch with you? What is your personal background in the Gorge?
Name
First Name
Last Name
Email
example@example.com
What town or area do you live in?
e.g. Skamania County, Stevenson, etc.
How long have you lived there?
Demographic information
All optional - Collected only to determine if any biases in action or enforcement exist
Age range
Please Select
0-17
18-28
29-44
45-60
61-79
80+
Prefer not to answer
Race and/or ethnicity
Please Select
American Indian or Alaska Native
Asian
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino
Middle Eastern or North African
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Prefer not to answer
Approximate household income
Please Select
< $25,000
$25,000 to $49,999
$50,000 to $99,999
$100,000 to $199,999
$200,000 to $499,999
>$500,000
Prefer not to answer
Consent & Use of Story
Your story may make all the difference in effective change.
How can we use your story in the future?
Please Select
Keep it confidential and for internal understanding only
OK to quote anonymously in reports, outreach, or advocacy
OK to share publicly with my name attached (we will confirm with you first)
Contact me before using it in any way
Other
Do you want to stay informed about this project?
Yes, add me to your updates
No
Anything else?
Would you personally be interested in a short seminar explaining the relationship between the National Scenic Act, the Gorge Commission, County Commissioners, and special interest groups like Friends of the Gorge and their roles in the process of government here?
No
Yes - What would you like to learn about?
If you could change one thing about the regulations or approval process in the National Scenic Area, what would it be and why?
Is there anything we should have asked but didn't? Anything you would like to share confidentially about experiences you've heard of, people we should contact for information, or otherwise?
Submit
Should be Empty: