Areas nominated for nature preservation

Wildlife corridors, areas near Riverside State Park, wetlands, forests and a disputed recreation area on Spokane’s South Hill are among 19 properties that could be preserved for nature and recreation under Spokane County’s Conservation Futures program.

“I’m very impressed with the caliber of the nominations and the geographic sprinkling,” said Spokane County Parks planner Steve Horobiowski.

Properties nominated range in size from less than 2 acres on Spokane’s South Hill to the 1,100-acre Antoine Peak located just west of Sullivan Road and north of Trent Avenue in the Spokane Valley.

Nominated sites are spread across the county. Three are located within the city of Spokane, but no sites were nominated within Spokane Valley city limits.

Riverside State Park Manager Rene Wiley nominated three different properties neighboring the park, in part to improve the public’s access to existing park lands.

Purchase of the 70-acre “Tessier” property along Pine Bluff Road would enable the public to access a now-isolated portion of the park surrounded by private property, said Wiley.

“We have this beautiful natural area and no one can get to it,” she said.

Wiley also nominated the 280-acre “Trautman” property, which currently separates the northern portion of Riverside State Park near Nine Mile from southern areas.

The third site Wiley nominated is just seven acres, but sits on the Little Spokane River. If it were to be developed, the property owner could fence off the river in an area that’s popular with canoeists.

Several additional properties along the Little Spokane River were nominated by other people.

Also on the list are two sites that are part of the embattled “Bluff” area on the western edge of Spokane’s South Hill.

Neighbors have been fighting developer Steve Smart’s plans to build homes on one of the nominated properties overlooking Latah Creek. It is now heavily used by mountain bikers and hikers.

Project opponents have argued that building there would reduce access to other publicly owned land along the bluff.

In order to nominate the property, neighbor Heidi Gann had to obtain Smart’s consent that he’s open to the site being in the Conservation Futures process.

Properties cannot be condemned. They must be purchased from willing sellers.

One such potential seller is Helen Rishel who nominated 61 acres she owns along Deep Creek, about 11 miles west of Spokane.

Rishel said she would prefer that the property be used to house a children’s home, but barring that would like it to be preserved in its natural state.

Coyote, birds, beavers and other animals now call it home.

“I think if they don’t choose this one, they’re making a big mistake,” she said of the committee that will rate the sites.

So far, 22 parcels totaling more than 4,000 acres have been purchased with Conservation Futures money.

Spokane County voters have approved the property tax – $6 per $100,000 in assessed property value – three times since 1994.