More than a dozen community members attended a virtual meeting on
Wednesday, Feb. 16, where they approved the reactivation of a Community
Planning Organization (CPO) for a number of Mountain communities, from
Lolo Pass Road to Cherryville Road. The CPO, which is expected to garner an
official name at a future meeting, will receive land use applications from the
county and provide feedback, along with serving as a venue for discussion of
community issues.

“I feel it's really important,” said Nora Gambee, who was elected as the CPO’s
chair at the meeting. “I want to make sure that things are going to happen
that are going to benefit the community. We are going to listen to the
community and the community is going to have input.”

All residents, property owners and business owners within the CPO’s
boundaries are counted as members. The CPO will have its next meeting
virtually at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 17. A link will be available at
https://www.clackamas.us/community/cpo.html.

Gambee, who is also currently on the board of directors of the Hoodland Fire
District, noted she was a prior member of the Mt. Hood Corridor CPO, the
organization that ceased operations approximately ten years ago, and wants
to see more control over what’s happening with land on the Mountain.

“People are clearing land and not doing anything,” said Gambee, who has
lived in the area for 35 years. “I care about what happens to it and the people
in it; we have some pretty wonderful people in the community.”

Other members of the new CPO’s board of directors were elected at the
February meeting, including David Lythgoe as the vice chair, Marti Bowne as
the secretary, Patricia Erdenberger as the treasurer and Jenni Rogers as an
at-large director.