Viewfinder: The Future of Our Communities

Who are we as a community? We may not be incorporated towns, but we have an identity  nonetheless - one built on shared history, hard work, and the unique beauty of this place we call home. Our story is one that’s been passed down through generations, and it continues to grow with every person who puts down roots here. 

A community that remembers its past has an identity. A community with an identity has  pride. And pride leads to protection - protection of the forests, rivers, and open spaces and the community that drew us here in the first place. When we understand the story of where we live, we plan more thoughtfully for what comes next. 

Each of our Mount Hood communities - Brightwood, Wemme, Welches, Zigzag,  Rhododendron and Government Camp - has its own history and character, yet all are  interwoven into one greater story. Together they form a fabric of shared experience,  stitched together by generations who built homes, businesses, and lives here because of their love for this mountain and its surroundings. 

Growth is inevitable. But how we grow - and what we choose to protect - will define whether  we remain communities with heart and character or become another stretch of highway lined with generic development. There are those who see our home as a blank slate, a  place to capitalize on, clear-cut, subdivide, and develop. But those of us who live here  know it’s not just land - it’s our community’s heritage. 

The first blow to our sense of place came decades ago with Highway 26. What once were  distinct towns became fragments along a fast-moving corridor. The highway created an  illusion that our area is nothing more than a strip mall along a freeway leading to Mount Hood, rather than a collection of living, breathing communities filled with people who care deeply about where they live. 

But we are still here - and we are still more than that. 

Unless we become intentional about preserving our community's character, the wave of  dollar-driven development spilling east from Sandy will reach us sooner than we think.  Without clear boundaries and thoughtful planning, we risk losing the very things that make  this place special - the quiet, the forests, the rivers, and the connection to nature that brought us here in the first place. 

We don’t live here because it’s convenient or trendy. We live here because we love the  woods, the clean water and the mountain air. We live here because this place still feels real.

It’s time for us to take a careful look at what kind of growth we want - and what kind we  don’t. Development doesn’t have to mean destruction, but it requires awareness, participation, and a shared understanding of who we are as a community. 

If we fail to protect the character and history of our home, we lose more than old buildings  or scenic views - we lose our identity. But if we honor our past while planning wisely for the future, we ensure that our story continues, strong and true, for generations to come. 

Because this place - our Mount Hood home - is worth protecting. 

For information about the history of our communities please visit  

www.mounthoodhistory.com