Defining the Gorge – Essay by Susan Hess.
How to define the Gorge? Given that our name is EnviroGorge, readers expect that our stories will focus on happenings in the Columbia River Gorge. Yet a story by Azor Cole told about Reactor B on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation becoming a National Park. It’s not only puzzling as to why a building that made material for bombs fits with parks like Crater Lake and Mt. Rainer, but why we ran a story on a place north of the Tri-Cities.
A story on the over capacity on Gorge trails featured a photograph of a woman standing on a trail looking towards a waterfall. Alert reader Bill Uhlman pointed out: “Hate to quibble, but this waterfall is really not in ‘the gorge.’ It appears to be Tamanawas Falls, which is on Mt. Hood off of Hwy 35.”
Another reader asked why we did a story on Malheur National Wildlife Refuge—clearly far from the Gorge.
Fair comments. And ones that EnviroGorge staff and writers talk about with almost every story.
One definition is the boundary of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area: the 80 mile stretch from the Sandy River at Portland’s edge to the Deschutes River west of The Dalles. But geographically the cliffs that hem the river reach many miles beyond.
When we look at whether a story fits our mission, we also look at the social, economic, political and environmental connections. Our mission: to start conversations about environmental and conservation issues that shape the Columbia River Gorge.
Hanford’s potential impact on the Gorge cannot be overstated. If the radioactive groundwater below Hanford continues leaking into the Columbia, it will poison every creature that lives in and depends on the river. No salmon. No windsurfing. What happens there, matters to the Gorge. We ran Azor’s story the month of National Park Service centennial.
Bill Uhlman’s point that Tamanawas Falls seems outside the Gorge made us think carefully about why we felt it fit. What we considered in that decision is that recreation binds a huge swath: Mt. Hood to Mt. Adams and the Portland-Vancouver metro area to Maryhill.
The Malheur refuge is a critical nesting, feeding and resting spot for millions birds as they migrate. Many fly over the Gorge on their north and south-bound journeys. Many stop here. What happens at Malheur may mean the difference to the survival of cranes, ducks, eagles, and so many more.
In a story on the increasing number of oil trains passing through the Gorge, Valerie Brown looked to see what effect that would have on farmers getting wheat to market. Here the issue was the intricate connection between economic and environmental factors.
We depend on our readers to help us tell stories correctly, accurately and to question us when we seem off target. It helps us examine our decisions and use that for future stories. With the proliferation of ‘fake’ news we appreciate our readers that use critical thinking when they peruse media. Thank you for reading and commenting.
I like your definition of the Gorge and you openness to increase the boundaries. After all, the pollution in China caused in part by the coal trains passing through the Gorge are also related and perhaps not outside the EnviroGorge boundaries. We are UNITED in our world and often what happens on one side of the world affects the other side. Of course writing about China might be an overstretch …. but maybe not. Thank you.
Glad you mentioned that point about the coal burned in China affecting air here. United is right and in so many ways.