Jeff Lambert spent 30 years crusading for conservation, to the benefit of all corners of Spokane County

Most Spokane County residents are just a stone’s throw from Jeff Lambert’s handiwork.

Like any good outdoorsman, Lambert has zig-zagged his way across the region, hopping into one conservation fight after another.

Lambert, though, would seldom use the word “fight” to describe his advocacy.

He leads with respect, regardless of whether it is with a collaborator, a landowner he is hoping to sway into preserving land for public access, or a developer objecting to his efforts.

Lambert remarked as much while on a walk to have his portrait taken near 600 acres of conservation lands he helped secure, careful not to trespass on private land.

“We have hopes for this to continue to have public benefit, and one of the ways you do that is always respect,” he said.

Few have had a larger impact on the region’s wild lands than Lambert in the four decades since the Missouri transplant first arrived in the Inland Northwest for an environmental engineering job. Long before he rallied public support for the protection of the Thorpe property, 200 acres in Latah Valley the state designated for development, he used his expertise at the forefront of Spokane’s most notable conservation efforts.

“There’s no question in my mind that he has made a huge difference in our quality of life,” said renowned mountaineer and former Spokane County Commissioner John Roskelley.

Earlier this year, Washington Wild recognized Lambert for his decades of advocacy by naming him the recipient of the 2025 Karen M. Fant Conservation Award, named for the statewide nonprofit’s cofounder. Executive Director Tom Uniak said Lambert embodies the spirit of grassroots conservation leadership the award is dedicated to honor.

Washington Wild was one of the organizations to assist with the successful public plea to DNR not to develop the Thorpe property. It was Lambert’s ties and quiet efforts that scuttled the controversial development, Uniak said.

“You need folks like that, that are so passionate locally about these places, and that’s what Jeff does,” Uniak said.

Dave Schaub, the executive director of the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy echoed Uniak: Lambert is too humble about the role he’s played regionally. He believes strongly that it takes a village to get something done and is quick to share the spotlight, but that has the effect of downplaying Lambert’s significant contributions, and depth of knowledge.

“Jeff is someone who knows funding mechanisms, he knows the dynamics of local, regional, state politics,” Schaub said. “He knows landowners, he knows organizations, and he really is someone who thinks strategically and long term and then brings real tactics to play in achieving conservation wins.”

Lambert has been involved in so many conservation efforts over the years that it’s hard to keep track, Roskelley mused. He got involved with the Spokane Mountaineers in the ’90s, spent more than a decade leading the Dishman Hills Conservancy and served as president of the Friends of the Bluff. He has also advocated for Eastern Washington at the state level, and currently serves as vice president and secretary of the Stewards of Washington State Land and a member of the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program Habitat Acquisition Advisory Committee.

Roskelley said people such as Lambert, who engage with their local governments on behalf of the public, play a crucial role in improving life for everyone. Whatever the environmental issue in front of the commissioners was, Roskelley said he could expect a call from Lambert.

The former county commissioner came to rely on Lambert’s fact-based, level-headed insight on issues on which he had otherwise lack context .

“Government has a tendency to go slow; issues come up and citizens don’t get involved, and things get passed that shouldn’t, properties don’t get purchased when they’re at a good price and sellers are willing to sell,” Roskelley said. “I mean, there’s all kinds of different reasons why people like Jeff are necessary to a proper running government, and it’s just people like that we need to hear calls and intelligent arguments that hit to the heart of the issue, rather than emotional outbursts.”

Roskelley’s and Lambert’s paths first crossed in 1997 while Lambert was campaigning in support of the county’s Conservation Futures fund. The property tax dedicated to preserving Spokane’s natural and agricultural lands by purchasing properties at fair market value had yet to establish the support it has enjoyed in elections since, Lambert recalled.

“It was hard because people didn’t know what conservation futures was, or what it could mean,” Lambert said. “So the campaign was really focused on connecting people to the very few areas that already had been acquired, and also talking about what could be done.”

Horseback riding, trails out your front door, wetland bird watching; the opportunities were everywhere. Lambert and others’ plea to Spokane County voters to give the program a chance for another five years succeeded, but narrowly. The measure received around 52% of the vote.

After eking out that initial win, Lambert carried on the campaign through the next decade, garnering more support every five years it appeared on the ballot, until, in 2007, voters supported Conservation Futures again but without an expiration date.

“In effect, every single victory that has been secured through conservation futures funding is one that, in some part, Jeff had a hand in,” Schaub said. “… He’s just a tireless community maker and conservation advocate.”

Nearly 30 years later, bringing the conservation program out of its infancy by securing that initial renewal is still one of his proudest accomplishments, Lambert said. More than 9,600 acres around Spokane County are now permanently protected as a direct benefit of the program.

“When you talk about quality-of-life issues and economic benefits, it is huge to have those kind of areas permanently protected so that people know that when they move here, they have easy access to recreation,” Lambert said. “So it’s a win-win for everybody.”

Lambert has made that argument several times to property owners as he has been involved in Conservation Futures acquisitions over the years, whether it is in the Dishman Hills area or elsewhere in Spokane County. He has helped convince cabin hermits and avid community builders alike, but his favorite owners to work with in the transition process are those who see the value in public use already, and want to preserve their family’s land and legacy.

“You approach each one of those situations differently,” Lambert said. “You want to make sure that when the time is right for the sale, that the first call that they make is to a conservation organization, whether that’s the county or a private nonprofit.”

Some conservation crusades go smoother than others, and Lambert said he thinks as much about the properties that did not end up in conservation as he does those that are successfully transferred into public use.

When conflict does arise, like with the Thorpe property, Lambert keeps his cool. He invites everyone to the table, including his opposition, to listen first. He leans on his coalition and ensures he has his facts straight.

“Because if your facts aren’t supportable, then you get undermined really quickly,” he said.

Lambert is not of the mind that all properties should not be developed into housing. He understands the need, and believes proper planning to address the housing crisis balances access to natural areas with urban development.

“Developing a community should be compatible with protecting the natural attributes, like prairie areas, wetlands, mature forests – and it’s really good for the community,” Lambert said. “I’m a big believer that the property owner should be fully compensated for their properties. And so I think it’s a poor concept to think that conservation properties have lower value than a property that can be developed.”

There is still more work to do as the region grows, Lambert said. Most recently, he has taken on the role of secretary for Spokane Urban Nature, which seeks to help secure smaller pockets of lands in the region for conservation and public benefit.

Conservation Futures is not a great match for smaller properties in densely urban areas, as it seeks to get the most bang for the buck for land and use.

“So what do you do if you have a prime 5- or 10-acre property within walking distance of 25,000 people?” Lambert said.

Lambert said those smaller properties could still have public benefit, but funding opportunities to purchase them are unusual. One of his proposals would be to modify Conservation Futures to have a designated funding stream for such properties in urban areas.

The particulars of that process would be determined later, if the idea gets some traction.

There’s “unbelievable support” regionally, from individual residents, coalitions and organizations alike, for conservation, Lambert said. He’s grateful to have been able to provide some leadership, strategic vision and environmental expertise, but it is that cross-stitch quilt of community support that keeps him going.

“When I take people out to look at potential conservation areas, I’m actually stunned that regardless of their political affiliation, whether they’re a developer or believe in more housing, they almost always agree that those areas should be protected for the benefit of the community,” he said.