July 2018 Historic Benson Bridge Reopens Estimates for The historic Benson Bridge Reopening trails reopened to the public on June 28

for the first time since the Eagle From Multnomah Falls Creek Fire in September of 2017. west — end of 2018 Structures along the Larch From Multnomah Falls to Mountain Trail, from Multnomah Cascade Locks — no Falls Lodge to Benson Bridge, estimate at this time were damaged in the fire and needed to be repaired. The Historic Columbia River Highway –end of 2018 Shady Creek Bridge, which had burned, has been replaced and a rockwall catchment fence has been repaired. Several hazard Many National Forest trees have also been removed. System trails within the Even though the trail to the bridge burned area remain closed. Please check our is open from the Lodge, the trails website for other hiking above the bridge remain closed opportunities in the Historic Benson Bridge at Multnomah Falls due to public safety concerns. VIPs Get Firsthand Look at Gorge Recovery Burn Bans are in effect U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in both Washington Sonny Perdue made a stop in and Oregon counties in the Columbia River Gorge on the CRGNSA. Check his “Back to our Roots Tour” with local counties on through Washington and full list of restrictions. Mind your campfire, if Idaho. Secretary Perdue met its too hot to touch its with Oregon Governor Kate too hot to leave. Brown, Congressmen Greg Walden and community CRGNSA Manager Lynn Burditt talks with officials on July 3 to discuss Congressmen Greg Walden, USDA Secretary Sonny Columbia River Gorge Perdue and Governor Kate Brown. National Scenic Area the Eagle Creek Fire Restora- tion efforts. The Fire Recovery focused on economic and environ- 902 Wasco Street Suite 200 Hood River, OR 97031 Roundtable was held at the mental recovery. After the meeting 541-308-1700 Community Kitchen Shelter at Secretary Perdue dined at a local www.fs.usda.gov/crgnsa the Eagle Creek Trailhead business in Cascade Locks. with the discussions (See VIPs on Page 2)

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Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn visited Multnomah Falls and the historic Benson Bridge. The visit was part of a fundrais- ing weekend for The Carter Center, a non government human-rights advocacy organization. The non- profit group held its annual fundraiser at the Skamania Lodge in Stevenson WA. The Carter’s visit, though unplanned, coincided with Former President Jimmy Carter poses with Forest Service personnel the reopening of the historic Bensons Bridge. Columbia River Gorge.

Sponsored in part by the Oregon Zoo, Cascade Citizens Watch for Pikas Pika Watch volunteers will be working closely The citizen science program Cascade Pika with USFS wildlife biologists to collect data on Watch will be monitoring the American pikas the presence of pikas and their numbers in order to to see how they are recovering after the Eagle better understand how pikas recolonize after a fire Creek Fire. Pikas are small mammals disturbance of their habitat. The data already collected before the Eagle Creek Fire offers a rare opportunity to compare pika numbers before and after a fire disturbance. The project will help scientist understand how fire affects pika habitat and the potential trends in how pika populations respond to habitat disturbance caused by fire.

related to rabbits that typically live in cool, rocky, high elevation mountain habitats and are sensitive to changes in climate. The Columbia River Gorge pikas are of particular interest because they live at a lower elevation then other US pika populations. The monitor- ing project provides a unique opportunity to study this distinct group of pikas in a post fire environment as the Eagle Creek Fire burned through most of the known low-elevation A volunteer surveys for pikas in the Columbia River Gorge, prior pika habitat on the Oregon side of the to the Eagle Creek Fire