County buys Newman Lake land

Bald eagles at the north side of Newman Lake don’t have to worry about noisy neighbors encroaching on their lakefront views.

The eagles’ habitat is now protected from development by the Spokane Conservation Futures Program.

Spokane County closed Monday on the $1.54 million deal to buy 421 acres on and near the lake.

The property features 3,000 feet of shoreline, and includes wetlands, forest and rocky ridges.

There are also several informal hiking trails on the site, said Spokane County Parks Director Doug Chase, who envisions the land being used by local paddlers.

The sellers – now all living outside the area – donated about $85,000 of the purchase price back to the county to create an endowment to care for the property.

“The whole north end of the lake is one of the last areas that’s undeveloped. We’re very fortunate to be buying a large portion of that,” said Chase.

The property impressed everyone in the group that reviewed it two years ago, said Jim Huttenmaier, a member of the Spokane County Parks Advisory Committee. Bald eagle nests and deer were easily visible on that visit, he said.

“This piece of property allows the wildlife a corridor to come down to the lake and drink and feed at the lake,” Huttenmaier said.

Preserving the upland portion of the property protects Newman Lake’s water quality by preventing erosion.

“It’s terrific news. It’s such a good example of the good use of public money to protect outstanding land and habitat,” said Chris DeForest, director of the Inland Northwest Land Trust, which has worked with several Newman Lake landowners to create conservation easements to protect their property from future development.

Over the years, Spokane County has purchased almost 4,000 acres through the taxpayer-funded and voter-approved conservation program.