At Portland State, students can find opportunities for involvement in projects that will impact campus life or important policies at the university or community level. But one group of graduate students in the Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning program are taking that involvement one step further, formulating a project whose outcomes could potentially determine the economic future of an entire city.
Connect Cascade Locks is organized and run by Celilo Planning Studio, which consists of six PSU graduate students who work in collaboration with the Port of Cascade Locks. The project is intended to develop an economic growth plan that centers on trails and recreation. According to the group’s website, “The purpose of Connect Cascade Locks is to increase the economic development prospects of the community of Cascade Locks through a regionally integrated recreational trails network.”
“Everybody loves trails. This is something people can really rally around to combine this divided community,” said Chloe Ritter, Celilo outreach coordinator.
Cascade Locks is the only city intersected by the 2,600 mile Pacific Crest trail that stretches from Vancouver, Canada, to Mexico. It is the second most visited city in the Columbia River Gorge behind Hood River. Yet, with 13 percent of its residents living in poverty and 25 percent of its inhabitants on food stamps, the city has yet to seize upon tourism and outdoor recreation in its economic recovery efforts.
Recently, an effort to bring a casino to this area of the gorge was defeated by conservation groups, and the hotly contested Nestle water-bottling facility is pressing forward with the permitting process. The Connect Cascade Locks project, however, could potentially give the city a “tourist destination” status, a move that would generate tourism dollars, bringing economic reprieve to the local community. And it comes with little to no backslash from other gorge user groups.
“The project is bigger than us. We are the facilitators of an already existing momentum,” said Michael Ahillen, design coordinator at Celilo.
According to Sarah Bronstein, editor at Celilo, the Pacific Crest trail is one of many popular trailheads just outside city limits, including gorge hikes Eagle Creek, Dry Creek and Herman Creek. One of the group’s goals is to connect these trails to Cascade Locks itself, complete with its own trailhead and signage, so hikers would seek this as a destination spot. Bronstein said that her “love for the gorge, the active transportation component and the opportunity to work in a rural area” make this such an ideal project for her.
Parking at the trailhead, going for a hike and walking over to the local brewery is part of what Connect Cascade Locks hopes will make this a popular destination spot. “I get the feeling in 10 to 20 years from now, Cascade Locks will be a tourist destination like Hood River or Bend,” Ritter said.
“But personalized to the community,” Ahillen added.
Another aspect of the project is to draw in other outdoor recreations, including cycling opportunities. The International Mountain Bike Association is constructing a 25-mile biking trail network that loops directly from one end of town to the other. The Historic Columbia River Highway is set to complete repairs of a section of road that will connect Portland to Cascade Locks by the end of this summer, enabling cyclists to bike from Portland without having to ride on Interstate 84.
Surveys conducted by Celilo Planning Studio indicated “the most common recreational activities were wind sports, backpacking and bike touring.” More than 1,200 individuals have responded to the survey thus far, and it is still available on the website for more users to weigh in on their use of the gorge. The survey also found that bike tourists were likely to spend more money than those passing through in a vehicle. Cyclists often stay longer, seek lodging or spend significantly more on food than those who may stop in a car.
In addition to this increased cycling infrastructure and trail access, the Port of Cascade Locks has several other proposed projects that tie into a recreation-based economic development plan. Anticipated projects include a future disc golf course, cyclocross race track and expanded waterfront park and marina to capitalize on tourism from wind sports, with an emphasis on sailing.
According to the Celilo Group survey, there is already high demand for additional cafes, a brewery and a coffee shop in the city. Evidence suggests that the planned recreational amenities and their impact on tourism will increase demands for these services and provide much-needed economic stimulus.
On April 25, Connect Cascade Locks will hold a public open house at the Port of Cascade Locks Marine Park Pavilion, where the group will present and discuss community input and where community members can give feedback on the project. For more information, visit connectcascadelocks.com/upcoming-events.html.
To take the Connect Cascade Locks survey, visit connectcascadelocks.com/index.html.