General office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Planners are available for general questions between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm or by appointment.
To Ask A Planner your question, email our planning team.
We use energy to power our homes, water our crops, run our hospitals, drive our police cars and power our schools. Energy use is our community's biggest cost and biggest impact on the environment. If we lose power, we lose the ability to communicate, keep our food refrigerated, and drive our cars. The more efficiently we use energy and produce our own energy locally, the more we will be able to adapt to rising energy costs and natural disasters, while also helping the environment.
For the last 12 months, Hood River County community leaders have been embarking on a collaborative effort to develop a county-wide energy plan. The plan, if adopted and implemented, could help the county save on energy costs, become more resilient to rising prices and natural disasters, and create significant environmental and public health benefits.
Project Funders
Hood River County, the City of Hood River, the City of Cascade Locks, the Port of Hood River, the Port of Cascade Locks, and the Energy Trust of Oregon
Why an Energy Plan
Energy use is our community's biggest cost and biggest impact on the environment. Falling prices of technologies and the advent of distributed energy are inspiring rapid changes in how we acquire and consume energy in every aspect of our lives. Hood River, along with hundreds of communities across the U.S., recognize that strategic energy planning is critical to ensure optimum benefits and mitigate future challenges. Having an energy plan will give our community the strategies and tactics it needs to be prepared for, and benefit from these opportunities.
Informational Video
Energy Plan F.A.Q.'s
Hood River County Energy Plan Feedback Form
Energy Steering Committee RARE Coordinator: Marla Harvey marla.harvey@co.hood-river.or.us
Short-Term Rental (STR) Information:
STR Application
STR Informational Handout
STR Standards
Property owners need to obtain an STR permit prior to using a dwelling as a STR. How STRs are permitted and the type of STR permit differs depending on how property is zoned. An unpermitted STR could be subject to enforcement and penalties.
Marijuana in Hood River County:
Informational Handout
HRC Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan We know disasters will come to Hood River County…the only question is when. How will we prepare for the inevitable?
Hood River County is updating the Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan. Mitigation plans outline community risk to natural hazards and potential actions the County can take to reduce risks to people, property and the local economy BEFORE the next wildfire, winter storm, flood, earthquake, etc. strikes. The Cities of Cascade Locks and Hood River are creating locally specific action plans as well.
Please help us out by completing this SHORT survey (less than 5 minutes!): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WG8CMFW.
If you are interested in learning more or providing input, contact Nicolia Mehrling at nicolia.mehrling@co.hood-river.or.us . You can see the former version of the plan, adopted in 2012, here, at the Hood River County Emergency Management web page. Drafts of the new plan will be posted as soon as they are available.