Community Engagement
Community engagement in natural resource management decision-making is critical.
The diverse forested landscape in Hood River is adjacent to county, tribal and private lands including the Hood River County Tree Farm, Warm Springs Reservation, and high value agricultural lands. The Mt. Hood National Forest is a special place that provides so much to so many.
Hood River is bordered by the Bull Run drinking watershed to the west and The Dalles watershed to the east, which together supply drinking water to one in every three Oregonians.
Irrigation water sourced from Mt Hood supports the production of $263 million worth of agricultural products in Hood River and Wasco Counties annually.
The Mt Hood National Forest experiences an estimated four million visitor use days each year, more than nearly any other National Forest in the Pacific Northwest.
Hood River Forest Collaborative hosts community meetings each year to share information with the public and solicit input. Image taken at a community meeting at Working Hands in August 2024.
The Hood River Forest Collaborative is working to increase public involvement in public lands management. Through collaboration we promote the myriad values the Mt. Hood National Forest provides to local communities and the broader public.
Hood River Forest Collaborative worked with Oregon State University Extension Fire Program, Comunidades, Natural Resource Conservation Service, and Hood River Soil and Water Conservation District to host a Spanish-language community event focused on community wildfire preparedness. The event brought together more than 100 community members in May 2024.
The Hood River Forest Collaborative hosts monthly meetings that are open to the public. To learn more sign up for our email list or contact hrstewcrew@gmail.com.
