Outdoor Access for All: Exploring Safety, Equity & Inclusion in the Columbia Gorge and Beyond

Last year, hate crimes in the U.S. rose to the highest level in more than a decade, according to the FBI. In Oregon, hate crimes and bias incidents spiked 366% with several high-profile reports from Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and LGBTQ+ community members being harassed in public parks and other public recreation areas. We can and must do better.
No one visiting the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Oregon Coast, or any lands held for the benefit of the public should have to fear that they and their loved ones might be harassed or attacked due to their skin color, gender identity, or ethnic background. But we still have a long way to go to ensure safe and equitable access on public lands.
On Wednesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. (Pacific) Friends hosted a virtual discussion organized in collaboration with Comunidades, Love is King, and People of Colors Outdoors to explore the opportunities and challenges in ensuring equitable access for all to state parks and lands in the Columbia Gorge and beyond across both Oregon and Washington.
More on our virtual roundtable...
The panel was moderated by OPB Science & Environment Reporter Monica Samayoa:
Meet our moderator: Monica Samayoa is a reporter with Oregon Public Broadcasting's (OPB) Science & Environment unit. She works to include traditionally hidden voices and helped translate early COVID-19 warnings into Spanish in order to reach the thousands of at-risk migrant farmworkers around the state.
In addition to Monica, our featured panelists included:
• Chad Brown, Founder & President, Love is King and Founder & President, Soul River, Inc.
Meet Chad Brown: Chad is the founder of not one but two nonprofits: Soul River, which brings veterans and inner-city youth together on wild rivers for mentorship experiences, and Love Is King, which focuses on safeguarding rights for marginalized and vulnerable communities outside.
• Ubaldo Hernández, Senior Organizer, Columbia Riverkeeper and Co-Founder, Comunidades
Meet Ubaldo Hernández: Ubaldo has been a community activist in the Columbia Gorge for the last 20 years -- creating inclusive spaces for the Latino community and helping founding both Gorge community radio station Radio Tierra (KZAZ) and the new nonprofit Comunidades: Amplifying Voices for Environmental and Social Justice.
• Caroline Park Lipps, Co-Owner, Thunder Island Brewing
Meet Caroline Park Lipps: Caroline is a co-owner of Thunder Island Brewing located in Cascade Locks, Oregon and a member of Governor Kate Brown’s Council on Wildfire Response, where stakeholders collaborate to establish strategic objectives to address wildfire prevention, preparedness, and response.
• Gregory Wolley, Board Member, PDX People of Colors Outdoors and Principal Consultant, Creating Tomorrow's Workforce
Meet Gregory Wolley: Greg has been a leader in the conservation community for decades. A board member for People of Color Outdoors, Greg's career-long passion has been to bring more diversity, inclusion, and equity into environmental, conservation, and natural resources work.
The panel discussion was followed by a moderated Q&A session, with facilitation assistance and welcome by Melissa Gonzalez (Friends' outdoor programs and communications specialist) and Natasha Stone (Friends' community engagement specialist).