THE DALLES (AP) — The Columbia River Gorge Commission says it will consider a request to remove 20 acres from protection under the National Scenic Area Act to build schools at Hood River.

The request could touch off a debate over the potential for other gorge towns to expand into the scenic area and whether the Hood River urban expansion requires congressional action.

“This issue will be the biggest to come before the commission in its history,” said Commissioner Honna Sheffield at a meeting this week.

School officials say they want to build an elementary school on the land, and eventually a high school.

Two other cities, The Dalles and Lyle, Wash., are also preparing requests to expand their urban areas. Those are expected to be before the commission next year.

Under Oregon’s land use law, cities are required to provide a 20-year supply of buildable land, a provision that puts gorge cities in a bind.

If approved, the Hood River expansion would be the first change in the borders of the National Scenic Area since minor mapping errors were corrected in 1997.

“Any change in the urban areas we take very seriously, and we will be fully participating,” said Michael Lang of the Friends of the Columbia River Gorge, an environmental watchdog group. He said the group hadn’t seen specifics of the Hood River request.

Commission members say that cuts in state funds from both Washington and Oregon are expected to make it more difficult to evaluate the expansion proposals.