Monitor Use - Don’T Prohibit It

Sat., Aug. 13, 1994

Anne Windishar

Mount Spokane isn’t a barren wasteland, trampled by horses, abused by campers or scarred by skiers.

From the way the state Department of Natural Resources is acting, you’d think it was that bad, and worse.

Conservationists and outdoor recreation buffs are still waging war over the DNR proposal to set aside 3,500 acres of Mount Spokane State Park. The proposal would lock away a fourth of the park as a natural forest area, severely limiting recreational use.

The point is to protect prime botanical areas - “plant communities” they’re called - but state officials have yet to prove they’re at risk. Rather, there’s general agreement that recreationists have been good stewards of Mount Spokane. There’s no sign that will change.

Granted, talk of increased development merits the attention of state officials. We all should want to maintain our parks’ integrity. But measured, careful monitoring of the growth is preferable to simply closing the area off.

The greatest irony in the whole discussion is that Mount Spokane still doesn’t have a master plan outlining its future use. That should come first, before land preservation or expansions.

A 15-member Mount Spokane advisory committee has heard from scores of people - skiers, hikers, mountain bikers, and horse riders - at two public hearings. They know the depth of feeling and respect for the park. They’re torn between restricting the flora and fauna areas and waiting for a better plan to guide those decisions.

When they make their recommendation to the state Parks and Recreation Commission in September, they should stress the importance of a master plan before anything more is decided.

Hopefully they’ll be heard. The seven-member commission has no representative from Spokane, the most heavily populated county in Eastern Washington. Governor Mike Lowry has a chance to remedy that oversight this fall, when he appoints a new commissioner to fill a vacancy.

Mount Spokane isn’t the first park - and won’t be the last - to stir such emotions. In fact, DNR has also identified 1,400 acres in Riverside State Park as possible natural forest areas. That proposal won’t be revealed until next year, however.

Spokane also deserves a voice in state decisions regarding the Centennial Trail. With so many state parks in this locale at stake, Lowry should draw from Spokane’s bounty of concerned, involved citizens for his appointee.

Then, next time issues involving our parks come up, Spokane’s outdoor recreation buffs can be involved from the start.

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