Ask a Planner

Use our NSA Lookup tool to find out if your property is in the National Scenic Area, or give us a call. If you live in Clark, Skamania, Multnomah, Hood River, or Wasco Counties, you can also contact your local county planning office for more information. Contact information can be found on individual planning websites linked on the homepage here.

Landowners in the National Scenic Area have the unique role of being stewards of the Gorge, helping to preserve the beauty and health of this landscape.

Most new land uses and development will require a permit from your county planning department. If you are in Klickitat County, you must obtain an National Scenic Area permit from the Gorge Commission before getting a building permit from the county. If you are located in one of the other five counties in the National Scenic Area, you will apply directly to your county planning department for a permit. Gorge Commission staff may provide comments on applications received by those counties, and final decisions are made by the county.

The review time required for an application depends on the complexity of the project and the current workload of the staff. We strive to review all projects in a timely manner.

Our NSA Lookup tool is the easiest way to find a property’s land use designation. You may also contact your county planning department or–if your property is in Klickitat County–the Gorge Commission office.

First, use one of our online mapping apps or contact your county planning department to find the land use designation assigned to your property. These designations come with rules about what uses are allowed on your property. Land use designations don’t always follow tax lot boundaries, so your property may have more than one designation. Once you know the designation, refer to your county’s land use ordinance. If you are in Klickitat County, click here. Each ordinance has a list of uses that are allowed without review, uses that can have fast review, and uses that need full review. If you don’t see your type of use listed, contact your county planning department for help. We are available to help interpret land use ordinances, so please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Start by reading our Building in the National Scenic Area Handbook. We highly recommend scheduling a meeting with a planner before you design your project.

If your house (or any building) is in the National Scenic Area and was built after 1986, changing the exterior color must be approved. Approval is by your county planning department, or Gorge Commission staff if you are in Klickitat County. If your building was constructed before 1986, approval is not needed.

If your project is in Klickitat County, you can download the application here. We recommend scheduling a pre-application conference with a planner to review your application. They will help you understand any resource protection rules that may apply and answer any questions you have. For other counties, contact their planning departments to get the correct forms.

You can view recent land use decisions made by Gorge Commission staff for Klickitat County on our website here. For decisions made in the other five counties, contact their county planning departments.

Meeting minutes are available on our website. If the minutes you want are not posted, contact the Gorge Commission office for a copy.

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