The collection consists of materials produced or collected by landscape architect and U.S. Forest Service planning director Jurgen A. Hess relating to the implementation of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act. The primary item in the collection is a volume of Hess' reminiscences, titled "Implementing Gorge Protection: A View From the Front Lines: True Stories of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act Implementation," which documents his activities as a planning director for the U.S. Forest Service, support for and opposition to the act and its implementation, and activism by individuals and organizations such as Nancy Russell and Friends of the Columbia Gorge from the 1980s to the 2000s. Hess also discusses wildfires and other environmental challenges to the Columbia River Gorge in the 21st century. The reminiscences include many photographs, taken by Hess and others.

In addition to the reminiscences, the collection contains two items relating to opposition to public management of the Gorge. The first is a bumper sticker reading, "Save the Gorge from the Park Service," referring to discussion in the 1980s about whether the Gorge should become a national park. The other item is a 1991 document produced by Lex Loeb, titled "Supplemental Guide to Understanding the Implications of the Proposed Official Plans for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area." The document's cover is designed to look as though it is an official document produced by the U.S. Forest Service or the Columbia River Gorge Commission. The collection also includes a clipping that briefly mentions Loeb's 1995 run for U.S. Senate.