Tapteal A publication of the Tapteal Greenway Association Summer Edition 2012 talk PRESERVING the rustic character of the lower Yakima River, PROTECTING native habitats and species through conservation, ENHANCING recreational opportunities throughout the corridor, providing outdoor EDUCATION programs, and promoting PUBLIC ACCESS to and understanding of these resources. Please Volunteer for June 9 We really need your help. Tapteal has committed to Time slots begin at 7 AM, ending at 9 PM a minimum of 50 volunteers for the Tough Rhino Mud Run on June 9. A portion of the proceeds from You can work more than one shift this event will be donated to Tapteal based on our Shifts include: volunteer hours. At this writing we only have 8 volunteers and that is quite frankly embarrassing o 7am-9am set up considering the effort we have gone through to recruit volunteers. o 8am-3pm vendor liaison o PLEASE consider one 10am-9pm trash team (can break into smaller shifts) of the jobs listed below. Ask your neighbors, o 9am-3pm course marshals your colleagues at work, your family members to o 9am-3pm water stations on course help us out. (can break into smaller shifts) Yes you can compete o 9am-3pm finish line and still help us out after or before your o 3pm-9pm clean up (can break into heat. smaller shifts) Contact Scott with the times you can work at 627- Visit ToughRhinoMudRun.com for more 3621 or [email protected] information: Volunteers receive t-shirt plus $10 food Over $5,000 in Cash prizes voucher Horn Rapids Park in Richland 5K obstacle Mud Run The Tough Rhino Mud Run tests your ability to run, climb, jump, crawl, and muscle your way through the Kids ½ mile and 1 mile events most extreme 5K Mud Run created! Amon Basin Wildlands Walk 2012 – Best Ever! The glorious weather on Saturday, May 12 encouraged a fine turnout: 163 folks took part in our annual Wildlands Walk through the 100-acre Amon Central Park. Our good friend from REI, Heather Bendickson, brought along granola bars, water, sunscreen (a very popular item that day), and other treats for walkers. Each family also received a Tapteal shopping bag stuffed with the new Amon Basin plant and bird brochures, a Wildlands Walk brochure, a TGA brochure, a Tough Rhino promo, and REI discount coupons. From the Claybell Park starting point, 21 trail guides led their parties on a walk covering a 1.5 mile circuit of seven distinct stations. At each post, expert stationmasters gave 10-minute mini-lessons on Amon plants, birds, geology, and wildlife, and the future of Amon. Among the topics presented were: shrub steppe and riparian habitat common (and uncommon) resident birds – waterfowl wildlife-- badger, coyote, beaver, jackrabbit, lizards plant restoration areas where native plants are slowly coming back after many hours of volunteer labor wildflowers in bloom beaver dams and ponds (courtesy of Einstein and his family) geologic history: Little Badger fault, Ice Age floods, glacial erratic 2 | P a g e impending development (454 homes) in We are grateful to our intrepid 2012 Trail Guides: adjacent Springwater Development and the Bob Benedetti, Dawn Bern, Bobbie Bull, Sue Carver, urgency to secure funds to purchase 120 Rita Dudley, Christine Faught, Carol Freese, Gretchen acres to preserve and protect these Graber, Tim Kuchler, Gwen Rawlings, Loretta precious lands in their wild state. Rowlette, Diana Ruff, Nancy Stapleman, Karen Sowers, Dennis Trimble, Jim Watkins, Susan Weber, Marie Whyatt, Gene Wirth, Pam Woodward, and Randy Zalubel. Thanks also to our knowledgeable 2012 Station Masters: Adam Fyall, Ernie Crediford, Marilyn Hayes, Jim Kelly, Richard Romanelli, Dick Gies, and Scott Woodward. Special thanks to Sam Dechter, our eye in the sky, for keeping the tour groups on course. Appreciation to all for making this the best Wildlands Walk yet! “Do or Don’t Cry For Us Argentina” President’s Message My wife Pamela and I recently returned from a trip to the Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile. It is an absolutely fascinating and diverse landscape that at times can be overpowering. Equally intriguing was an underlying respect of the viewscape among those who lived in the region. There is a cultural and ethical thread woven into the fabric of the population. They are proud of their connection to the peaks, ridgelines, lakes, glaciers, rivers and seemingly endless open space. After a few days in the country… you get it. They are proud of the beauty but they are equally proud of the way they have protected their sense of place. It is also obvious that they figured out preserving what is around them can enhance the entire region’s economy by selling access through tourism and creating a commercial market for those who want to share that same sense of place. We have all seen that happen on a smaller more isolated scale on the perimeters of our National Parks. My wife and I returned home to a nauseating view of the destruction of Little Badger, notification of the new plat for the destruction of Thompson Hill and the regurgitated plans for a bridge across Amon Creek attached to a road that spells the end of Amon Basin as we know it. It begs the question…what are we proud of as a region when it comes to our ridgelines, rivers, creeks and open spaces? How do we view the value of these natural blessings? Theodore Roosevelt said, “It is also vandalism wantonly to destroy or to permit the destruction of what is beautiful in nature.” In the case of Little Badger it is vandalism driven by greed and lack of compassion for the community that has been permitted. Can we be proud of just letting it happen? Is there political will to develop a creative approach that maintains our sense of place and makes the landowners/ homebuilders whole? 3 | P a g e There are such solutions and it is up to the community to demand that those options be given an audience. Lend your voice when the time comes. Stay tuned for that call to action. Trail North Now – The Tapteal Trail For those of you who have been around Tapteal for a while you are very aware of the long standing effort to secure a trail easement from W.E. Johnson Park to Horn Rapids Park. We have featured the project in the newsletter and at our Tapteal Celebrations year after year. Some of you may have started to wonder if this story is fiction due to the never ending delays and red tape tossed our way. Well we are very happy to report that after 15 years of negotiations, meetings, phone calls and personal lobbying the end of that tunnel has arrived. The City of Richland and The Barker Ranch LLC, have reached an agreement that secures a trail easement from Horn Rapids development to Horn Rapids Park. Tapteal will be an important part of trail development and maintenance. We will also be the primary stewards of the trail to ensure a safe and clean experience for trail users. With the completion of this new segment of the Tapteal Trail that leaves just four more links to connect the dots between W.E. Johnson Park and Horn Rapids Park. In addition with the new Chamna Natural Preserve back door (see Chamna back door now open) segment secured the big picture starts to take shape with the Bateman Island to W.E. Johnson Park segment complete and the Bateman Island to Horn Rapids Park piece waiting in the wings. The four links: 1. Benton County has expressed support for the project and language is currently being developed to bring the Tapteal Trail through Horn Rapids Park 2. North Stone Corporation controls a portion of the property immediately south of the new trail easement. They have agreed to allow the Tapteal Trail to come through their western boundary line, a route that we all approve of. 3. The next adjoining land owner to the south of North Stone is in discussions with the city on a form of easement swapping that could potentially open up another trail section allowing access all the way to Kingston road. 4. A private property owner who borders W.E. Johnson Park has expressed some interest in a trail across his land if the city makes good on all the connections to the north. Potentially up to 20 or more miles could be added to the Tapteal Trail if all of the links mentioned above become reality. Let’s hope it does not take another 15 years to get it done. Michael Crowder of the Barker Ranch and Gary Ballew from the City of Richland were the prime movers and shakers of this agreement. They can be proud of the legacy they have created for our community. 4 | P a g e Chamna Backdoor Opens Up If you are familiar with the east end of the Chamna Natural Preserve you know that there is a very narrow social trail that connects Chamna with the Sacajawea Heritage Trail. If you stray a few feet to the south you will end up tumbling down a steep grade into the Yakima River. This path is especially dangerous for equestrians and cyclists. Tapteal has made several overtures to the City of Richland and the property owners to create a safer and permanent trail easement that links Bateman Island to Chamna via this small section. The current Tapteal Trail marker project brought this property and a formal exit point off of the Sacajawea section to the front again as the need for a definitive Heritage Trail onto the Chamna link.