Wenatchee Watershed Vision: Ideas for Sustaining and Enhancing a Balanced Landscape MISSION STATEMENT
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Wenatchee Watershed Vision: Ideas for Sustaining and Enhancing a Balanced Landscape MISSION STATEMENT The Trust for Public Land (TPL), a national nonprofit land conservation organization, conserves land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and other natural places, ensuring livable com- munities for generations to come. TPL has conserved over 52,000 acres of land in Washington state in the past 30 years. In 2006 alone, TPL helped conserve over 6,000 acres across Project Manager & Author: Kitty Rasmussen the state valued at more than $30 million. In the Editor(s): Shelley Kirk-Rudeen, Kitty Wenatchee watershed, TPL has protected the val- Rasmussen, Elizabeth Knaster ued landscapes of Eagle Creek Ranch and Spider GIS Development & Mapping: Matt Stevenson, CORE GIS, Meadows, and local rock-climbing gems such as CommEn Space the Peshastin Pinnacles, Sam Hill, and other climb- Report Layout & Design: Matt Stevenson, CORE GIS, ing sites in Icicle Canyon. More recently, TPL has CommEn Space worked closely with the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust to preserve wildlife habitat along the White Analysis, Cartography and Layout by River near Lake Wenatchee. CORE GIS LLC www.coregis.net and CommEn Space www.commenspace.org For more information, contact: Kitty Rasmussen, Program Coordinator Peter Hill, Project Manager Northwest & Rocky Mountain Regional Office Eastern Washington Office 1011 Western Ave, Suite 605 25 North Wenatchee Ave, Suite 206 Seattle, WA 98104 Wenatchee, WA 98801 (206) 587-2447 (509) 888-0844 [email protected] [email protected] To download a free copy, additional appendices, or order a hard copy of this report, visit www.tpl.org/wenatchee Cover Photo: Wenatchee River, Christopher Walter FOREWORD The Wenatchee River rolls through a spectacular continue to face tremendous growth and change The Wenatchee watershed — and the valley in landscape from its headwaters high in the over the next two decades and we want to help our particular — is on the cusp of change. Now is watershed in the North Cascades, along the partners throughout the community ensure the the time to think ahead and lay the groundwork verdant Wenatchee Valley, and into the mighty quality of life residents enjoy today is the same or for preserving and protecting the places and Columbia. For centuries people have settled along better for future generations. Preserving the living landscapes that make it so special. the Wenatchee, living with the landscape and landscapes of the Wenatchee watershed is key to benefiting from its rich natural resources, fertile realizing this goal. We invite you to think about what life will be like soil, and fresh, clean water. in the watershed and valley in 10, 20, 50 years and TPL’s Conservation Vision service works with ask yourself : What can I do now to make sure my Now — like many other communities throughout communities to define their conservation goals grandchildren’s children will still be able to enjoy the West with spectacular scenery, great and priorities and to develop strategies to achieve the orchards, ridges, rivers, hills, and forests that recreational opportunities, rich wildlife habitat, a those goals. We are not necessarily concerned with surround us today? welcoming rural lifestyle, and a burgeoning tourist protecting a certain species or rare plant; instead, economy — the Wenatchee Valley, from the city we build on community goals and needs, and focus The bottom line of the Wenatchee Watershed Vision of Wenatchee to Leavenworth, is experiencing on helping to direct growth to places best suited is simple: We must act together now to seize the tremendous change as the area attracts ever- for it, by setting aside industrial lands, building new opportunity to save and steward the landscapes increasing numbers of new people, homes, and parks, or preserving working farms. we value, and shape the future of the Wenatchee businesses. watershed. The Wenatchee Watershed Vision shows the likely As a land conservation organization, The Trust direction of growth and development in the for Public Land (TPL) wants to ensure the watershed in the coming years and makes strategic Wenatchee watershed benefits from this growth recommendations to maintain a healthy, balanced Roger Hoesterey Vice President and Regional Director while preserving and enhancing the valley views, community, safeguarding the unique character of natural areas, orchards, trails, and other places the area for long-time residents and newcomers that make it so special. That is why the Wenatchee alike. watershed and greater North Central Washington is a priority for TPL. We believe this area will We hope you find the ideas captured in this report Peter Dykstra intriguing, interesting, and, most of all, inspiring. Washington State Director ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Trust for Public Land would like to thank the Icicle Fund, a charitable foundation supporting the arts and environmental protection in the upper Wenatchee Valley, for the generous support of TPL’s Living Landscapes Program of North Central Washington and the research and production of this report. We are also grateful for the people and organizations – too numerous to mention here – who contributed their time, ideas, feedback, and more to the report (see Appendices B and C for a list of participants). We would like to specially thank Gordon Congdon of Chelan-Douglas Land Trust and Nancy Warner of The Nature Conservancy for volunteering their time, guidance, and energy to the vision-building effort over the last year. We also appreciate the keen guidance of Mike Kaputa, Chelan County natural resources director, and Chuck Mosher, East Wenatchee facilitator, along the way. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 Major Issues Building a Vision for the Wenatchee Watershed The Time to Act is Now I. INTRODUCTION TO THE 4 WENATCHEE WATERSHED Growth and the Landscape The Changing Agricultural Economy The Natural Environment Recreational Opportunity II. OPPORTUNITIES AND 9 STRATEGIES FOR MOVING FORWARD IN THE WENATCHEE WATERSHED Agricultural Lands Natural Lands Development Recreation III. CONSERVATION FINANCE 51 OPPORTUNITIES IN CHELAN COUNTY Photo: Orchard, Jump Off Rock, Christopher Walter IV. TOOLS FOR CHELAN COUNTY’S 53 CONSERVATION TOOLBOX 56 V. TAKING ACTION APPENDICES A. Map Descriptions and Data Sources 58 B. Interviewees and Questionnaire 61 C. Review Session Participants 63 D. Study Methodology 64 E. Summary of Local Initiatives 65 F. Chelan County Conservation Toolbox Matrix 68 G. Federal Land Conservation Grant and Assistance Programs 77 H. Acronyms 80 MAPS 1.1 Wenatchee Watershed – Land Ownership 7 1.2 Wenatchee Valley – Land Ownership 8 2.1 Agricultural Lands 17 2.2 Ecoregional Terrestrial Conservation Priorities 26 2.3 TNC Freshwater Conservation Opportunity Areas 27 2.4 Wildlife Impact Areas, 1995 - 2006 28 2.5 Ponderosa Pine Habitat and Wildland-urban Interface (WUI) 29 2.6 Wenatchee River Floodplain 30 2.7 Maximum Potential Development 36 2.8 Development Probability 37 2.9 Development Probability and Agricultural Lands 38 2.10 Development Probability and Wildlife Impact Areas 39 2.11 Development Probability and Wildland-urban Interface 40 2.12 Wenatchee River Fishing Access 49 2.13 Recreational Corridors and Connections 50 Photo: Wenatchee Farmers Market, 5.1 Wenatchee Watershed Vision Summary: A Balanced Landscape 57 Christopher Walter Photo: Castle Rock, Christopher Walter EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The secret is out: The Wenatchee watershed is a for Public Land (TPL), working closely with throughout the watershed. The strategies set forth wonderful place to visit, live, work, and play. From the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) and build on existing opportunities and depend on the the snow-covered peaks of the North Cascades to The Nature Conservancy (TNC), undertook a initiative and engagement of many groups — from the shrub-steppe slopes of the Columbia River, Conservation Vision exercise in 2006. Grounded local recreational advocates to county leadership spectacular scenery, recreational opportunity, in input from community leaders, the vision- — to realize success. rural landscape, and a slower pace of life make building process focused on identifying major goals the Wenatchee watershed, and especially the and key strategies for four theme areas: The Wenatchee Watershed Vision is intended to provide Wenatchee Valley – from the city of Wenatchee communities in the Wenatchee watershed with a • Agricultural lands, which encompass the working to Leavenworth – ripe for growth. Signs of change host of strategies and tools to face the challenges orchards of the Wenatchee Valley; already appear on the landscape – orchards of imminent growth and ensure the quality of converting to high-end subdivisions, more • Natural lands, which include the undeveloped, life residents enjoy today is even better for future traffic on country roads, ridgelines and canyons natural areas throughout the watershed; generations. TPL only will play a minor role in implementing the strategies presented in this increasingly dotted with homes, more people on • Development, which focuses primarily on report; our goal is to encourage community leaders, the trails, and longer lines at the ski lifts. Just over residential development; and a two-hour drive from both Seattle and Spokane, local organizations, and public agencies to take the • Recreation, which focuses on land- and water- it is no wonder the Wenatchee watershed has been lead in meeting this challenge and instigate positive based recreation. discovered as a hotspot to retire, recreate,