Candidates Night 2024
2024-10-04 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Road, Underwood, WA, 98651
Join the UPRD and Friends of Underwood (formerly known as Underwood’s Community Committee) on Friday, October 4 from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at the Underwood Community Center to hear what candidates on the ballot in Skamania County are saying about issues that matter most to you. Candidates currently scheduled to attend are:
United States House of Representatives
Joe Kent

County Commissioner District #1
Mary Grode
Brian Nichols

County Commissioner District #2
Rob Farris
Mary Repar

PUD Commissioner
Dan Boyes
Maria Mel Steele

State Representative Seat #1
Kevin Waters

State Representative Seat #2
Terri Niles

State Senator
Marla Keethler

This list will be updated as additional candidates confirm their participation.
This event is open to the public and Underwood residents are encouraged to attend. Long-time Underwood neighbor Sally Newell will serve as the moderator. Not yet registered to vote? Start the process here.

Skamania Under Surveillance: Community Education Night
2025-01-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Road, Underwood, WA, 98651
Skamania County recently installed six (6) Flock Safety security cameras to track and record license plate data in various locations throughout the county. Come learn about this new surveillance system, the company collecting data from the cameras, and the experiences of other communities where they are being used.
This event is a neighbor-led community information session and discussion. Event organizers will be looking to answer a variety of questions throughout the night, some of which will include:

How do newly installed Flock Safety brand cameras differ from other security cameras?
How do cameras work to improve safety in our community?
What are the trade-offs and risks?
If I’m not doing anything wrong, should I care about surveillance?

This event is free and open to the public. The host, who lives in Underwood, is a career privacy and security expert whose work on accountability for license plate readers and other surveillance systems has been featured in national news outlets. Questions? Feel free to contact the event organizer.

Community EMS Levy Meeting
2025-03-20 18:00 - 19:00 | Underwood Fire Station, 962 Schoolhouse Road, Underwood, WA, 98651, United States
On April 22, 2025 voters will be asked to consider the renewal of a six-year EMS levy in support of Skamania EMS & Rescue. Thanks to Skamania EMS & Rescue, Underwood residents have had the benefit of full-time emergency medical responders operating from our fire station since 2018, increasing our capacity to benefit from life-saving medical care in Underwood and east county. Ongoing taxpayer support for the levy ensures that critical EMS services throughout the county will continue and develop in order to serve growing community needs.
Have additional questions? Read more about the history of the levy and find FAQ’s here then plan to join the Skamania EMS team for an evening of information-sharing at the Underwood Fire Station on March 20.

Rebuilding in the NSA: A Community Forum
2025-08-21 18:30 - 20:00 | Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Road, Underwood, WA, 98651
Join fellow Gorge residents and neighbors for a Community Discussion Night to talk about how National Scenic Area land use rules and review processes are affecting homeowners, property rights, and the future of Gorge neighborhoods.
Whether you’ve faced delays trying to build or improve your home, been denied a permit, or are curious about how these regulations shape what’s allowed in our communities, this is a chance to connect with neighbors, ask questions, and share your story. Together, we’ll explore how these policies work, why they matter, and what options we may have to advocate for more fair, transparent, and locally accountable processes.

This is a neighbor-run event, and officials and other stakeholders are invited to attend and participate. If you have specific questions please send them to gorgebaf at gmail dot com. Organizers may not have all the answers, but will try to find the right agency or other source who may be able to help.

Follow the event here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15zvbM8myB/

Rebuilding in the NSA: A Community Forum
2025-10-01 18:30 - 20:00 | White Salmon Valley Community Library, 77 NE Wauna Avenue, White Salmon, WA, 98672
Join fellow Gorge residents for a Community Forum (Klickitat edition) to discuss how National Scenic Area land use rules and review processes are affecting homeowners, property rights, and the future of Gorge neighborhoods. This is a follow-up to the Skamania Community Forum in Underwood, which was tremendously successful, bringing more than 50 neighbors and other stakeholders together to have these critical conversations about the direction of our community under the current Gorge Management Plan.
Whether you’ve faced delays trying to build or improve your home, been denied a permit, or are curious about how these regulations shape what’s allowed in our communities, this is a chance to connect with neighbors, ask questions, and share your story. Together, we’ll explore how these policies work, why they matter, and what options we may have to advocate for more fair, transparent, and locally accountable processes.

This is a neighbor-run event, and officials and other stakeholders are invited to attend and participate. If you have specific questions, please send them to gorgebaf at gmail dot com. Organizers may not have all the answers, but will try to find the right agency or other source that may be able to help. You don’t have to live in Klickitat County to attend this event and share your story. Future community discussion nights will be scheduled in Wasco and Hood River counties.
Follow the event here on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1EpE37ksuA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Planning Commission Public Hearing
2025-10-07 17:30 - 20:00 | Skamania County Courthouse Annex Building, 170 NW Vancouver Avenue, Stevenson, WA, 98648, United States
Residents of Underwood are invited to attend a historic Skamania County Planning Commission workshop and public hearing to participate, listen and learn about zoning for the last privately-owned, unmapped parcels of land in Skamania County (located in Underwood).
In advance of the hearing, attendees are encouraged to read more about the zoning options currently being discussed and consider how various zoning designations may affect quality of life, property values, the environment, or any other variable that’s important to your family. The result of this zoning decision is a significant one, as it will determine how land will be used for generations to come.
The Planning Commission workshop (open to the public and recommended) starts at 5:30 pm. The public hearing will begin at 6:15 pm. Both will take place at the Skamania County Courthouse Annex Building in the Lower Meeting Room. Residents who would like to make a public comment may do so at the meeting. Public comments are limited to 3 minutes each. Members of the community can also join the meeting via Zoom.
Can’t attend the workshop or hearing on this date? Submit public comments via email to planningcommissioners@co.skamania.wa.us.
Questions? Contact the Skamania County Planning Department directly at 509-427-3900.

The Gorge Under Surveillance: Community Update Discussion Night
2025-12-04 18:30 - 20:00 | Underwood Community Center, 951 School House Road, Underwood, WA, 98651
This past year, Skamania County installed Flock Safety license plate reader cameras in various locations throughout the county, including one on Tribal land at the in-lieu site on Cook-Underwood Road. These cameras automatically record passing vehicles and upload data to a private company database accessible to law enforcement.
Recently, a landmark Washington court case ruled that all images recorded by these cameras are public record, and anyone can request them. In response, the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office indicated its intent to disable the county’s Flock cameras and has since turned them off over concerns that the court decision could make it easier to weaponize the data they collect.
Still, questions remain. Will cameras be removed or only turned off? What data was collected when they were on, and who had access to it? What challenges have other cities had in getting Flock cameras turned off and/or removed?
If you have ongoing questions about Flock surveillance systems in our community, mark your calendar and join neighbors for an evening of updates, sharing, and discussion. what other communities have learned after adopting similar technology.
Additional discussion topics will include:
– What makes Flock cameras different from other security cameras?
– Who can access Flock camera data, and how is it being used?
– What has our six-month data audit revealed about system activity, accuracy, and new camera locations?
– What have other communities learned after adopting similar technology?
– How have communities elsewhere responded to safety gains and/or privacy concerns?
– What rights and responsibilities do residents have regarding public surveillance?
This is a neighbor-led information session, not a government meeting. Your host, a local resident and national privacy and security expert, will share recent legal developments, county updates, and practical steps communities are taking to ensure transparency and accountability.
This event is free and open to everyone.
