A guy up in the Columbia River Gorge has a great piece of property, and has installed zip-lines so that folks can easily get from one side of the steep canyon to another. The high lines, strung among trees on the property, are environmentally-friendly, don't disfigure the pristine Columbia Gorge in any way, and afford incredible views.
A Columbia River gorge developer is trying a new twist after being told to remove his zip line complex - a park charging admission to pick pine cones with free rides on the aerial rope slides.
Skamania County officials filed a motion Monday in Superior Court asking that Derek Hoyte, of Washougal, be held in contempt. Hoyte faces up to 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine if the motion is granted after a hearing April 30, Prosecutor Peter S. Banks said.
Late last month, county officials ordered Hoyte to remove all zip lines, platforms and landings from his property in the Columbia River Gorge National Scene Area within 30 days. They said the development violated a conservation easement that was negotiated by the U.S. Forest Service with a previous owner to limit use of the land to agriculture.
Of course, the guy who owns the property can't cut down trees or plow land, so he conforms to the agricultural designation by growing pine cones, and the ziplines allow people to safely access the treetops. But people may have fun using them, and that is apparently disallowed by governmental restriction. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Archaic and outdated concepts.