COME ONE, COME ALL

Newly protected properties will be designed for inclusive recreation

story and photos by CATE HOTCHKISS

For years, Friends of the Columbia Gorge Land Trust Director Dan Bell had been eyeing a rare gem: a four-acre plot in the heart of the stunning Catherine Creek recreation area near Lyle, Wash. “As one of the last private properties amid 4,000 acres of protected public lands, it held the potential to expand preservation efforts, and enhance the space’s overall accessibility,”

Bell says.

Then, over Memorial Day weekend in 2020, the parcel was listed for sale. Given the current competitive real estate market, Bell and his team wasted no time submitting an offer.

While closing on that purchase, Bell was presented with another unexpected opportunity: the option to secure 50 acres, a combination of two adjoining ownerships abutting the upper

Cape Horn trail system in Skamania County. The owners, with whom Friends had developed a relationship spanning 15 years, were finally in a position to sell.

“I have been working with land trusts for more than two decades, and chances like these are few and far between,” Bell says. “And I knew our window could be short.” By mid-December,

Friends had acquired both properties.

CREATING SHARED SPACES

While located on opposite ends of the Gorge, Friends’ new parcels possessed similar attributes: river views, road access, and relatively level terrain—ideal for designing spaces usable by all people, regardless of ability level or age.

“Truly inclusive recreation areas are limited in the Gorge,” says Mika Barrett, Friends accessibility project manager. “Most trails traverse rugged, hilly landscapes, and are often out of reach for many groups, such as people with disabilities, young children, and elderly folks.”

Furthermore, existing universal access trails are not always barrier-free, she explains. For instance, the paved one-mile loop at Catherine Creek offers breathtaking views of Mount Hood and lush native wildflowers; however, the parking area, a gravel shoulder along Old Highway 8, requires visitors to cross a busy road. And although the path is primarily flat, it does include several steep inclines, and is occasionally impeded by fallen, gnarled limbs and branches, the debris from wind-whipped oaks and pines.

“For someone with mobility limitations, these types of physical obstacles can instantly derail an excursion and dampen their enjoyment and sense of belonging in the outdoors,” Barrett says. “The natural wonders of the Gorge should be welcoming and accessible for all.”

The paved loop trail at Catherine Creek is designed for universal access, including families with young kids. Dan Bell and Mika Barrett of Friends of the Columbia Gorge, above, plan for more inclusive recreation trails.

To that end, she is spearheading a recreation planning process through spring 2022 to engage a diverse coalition of stakeholders in reimagining and redesigning the new spaces. They will tackle interrelated issues, such as habitat conservation and restoration; inclusion and gathering areas; and universal access principles — all before any potential construction begins, or the areas become available for public use.

“These projects are unique because, instead of trying to retroactively make adjustments to existing infrastructures, we are committed to shaping them, from day one, with an emphasis on creating spaces that can be used by all people to the greatest extent possible,” she says. Barrett hopes the outcome, however it coalesces and materializes, could serve as a model for how land managers, both public and private, can better protect and steward vital lands, across the Gorge and beyond, by inviting everyone to share in the bounty of the great outdoors.

To learn more, visit gorgefriends.org/access Cate Hotchkiss is a freelance writer and photographer who lives in Hood River with her husband, two children, and their labradoodle.

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