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Plans to add Little Spokane property to Riverside State Park advancing

The buildings and farmhouse associated with a dairy called Glen Tana sit on the north shore of the Little Spokane River north of Spokane. The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy hopes to add the roughly 1,000-acre parcel to Riverside State Park. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)
By Michael Wright michaelw@spokesman.com(509) 459-5508

The grand plan to add a former dairy farm north of Spokane to Riverside State Park may take a little longer than originally expected, but it’s moving forward.

The Inland Northwest Land Conservancy purchased the 1,060-acre Glen Tana property in 2023 with plans to sell most of it to Washington State Parks and the Spokane Tribe.

The Spokane Tribe has bought close to 80 acres from the conservancy and is working toward buying another 25 acres.

Washington State Parks had originally planned to purchase all of its share by May 2026, but a small shortfall in grant money means part of their purchase is delayed.

Lara Gricar, state parks’ area manager for Eastern Washington, said they won two grants from the state Recreation and Conservation Office that cover most of what they need, but that they’re about $1 million short.

She said they expect to be able to buy the bulk of their portion of the land by May 2026, but that the rest will have to wait.

Until those transfers are complete, the land stays with the conservancy. The group has been raising money over the past couple of years to refill the account it uses to purchase land and cover the maintenance costs for Glen Tana.

On Thursday, the nonprofit gathered with its donors and officials from the Spokane Tribe and State Parks at Glen Tana to celebrate a major milestone – reaching the $4 million mark in the conservancy’s fundraising campaign for the property.

Dave Schaub, the conservancy’s executive director, told the crowd that protecting the property from development was part of a long-term vision for the nonprofit, which plans to retain ownership of part of the land.

He said the group took a risk in buying the property – including taking out a loan to finance the purchase – but that the reward of preserving a relatively wild place on the outskirts of Spokane was worth it.

“For me, the way I steer a steady course is by connecting to places like this,” Schaub said.

The property off Rutter Parkway includes a couple of miles of the Little Spokane River. It abuts the Waikiki Springs Nature Preserve.

The Spokane Tribe sees its acquisition of part of the property as a way to help further the restoration of salmon to this portion of the upper Columbia drainage, where vast amounts of habitat for anadromous fish was blocked off by the construction of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams.

Glen Tana has been the site of ceremonial salmon releases. Other releases have been done in the main Spokane River and other parts of the drainage. Connor Giorgi, the tribe’s anadromous fish program manager, said they plan to build a salmon acclimation facility there.

Monica Tonasket, a Spokane Tribal Council member, told the crowd Thursday night that the tribe has been working hard on bringing back salmon, and that acquiring the property will help advance that goal.

“One day, we’re going to see these rivers full of salmon again,” Tonasket said.

Diana Dupuis, director of Washington State Parks, said Glen Tana is an important property to protect because it’s prime wildlife habitat and green space in an otherwise urban environment.

“This is a gem,” Dupuis said. “This is something that should be treasured.”