This is a departure from the usual topical posts (and a bit of an explanation on the recent draught in this blog), but I want to finally announce that I’ve completed a massive overhaul of the Mount Hood National Park Campaign web site!

The new look (shown above) is retro, and largely drawn from the 1930s heyday of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) efforts that brought many of the “national park” elements to Mount Hood and the Columbia River Gorge. Some of the imagery is even more evocative, going back to the great landscape artists of the 1800s. The goal with the retro look was to enhance the sense of possibility — that it’s never to late to think big for Mount Hood and the Gorge.

The site content is also greatly expanded, with a new “proposals” area that includes ambitious concepts for greatly expanded hiking and bike trails, campgrounds, picnic areas, byways and lodges. The details on these concepts can be browsed in a series of indexed maps in the “proposals” section. Hopefully, these will be fun and inspiring for those with a detailed knowledge of the area to explore.

The “how you can help” section has also been greatly updated, reflecting new elected officials, our new political paradigm (hooray!) and some improved tools for crafting a letter to Congress in support of the national park idea. This includes a handy “national parks compared” page, with Q&A for those inclined to read the details.

But above all, the overhaul of the site represents a new direction for the campaign as an “idea campaign.” That’s my way of saying that visitors won’t be asked for contributions, and that I won’t be forming a non-profit anytime soon. Instead, the goal is simply to keep the big ideas alive, and our collective hopes for a Mount Hood National Park intact and inspired — and ready for action when the time comes to make the dream a reality.

Here’s the link to the new website.