Maryanne Tagney Jones, 425-222-7615
Description - Advocacy responsibilities for the Raging River and
Preston encompass the headwaters of the Raging River between
Rattlesnake and Taylor Mountains, the Raging River basin lying SE of
the I-90/Hwy 18 interchange, areas surrounding Preston to the north,
east, and west, and the open space initiatives undertaken by the
Preston Community Club in their "Forest Gateway Vision" document.
With completion of the new, 4-lane Snoqualmie Ridge Parkway
facilitating the new Snoqualmie Ridge development (2,000 homes) just to
the north of the I-90/Hwy 18 interchange (Exit 25), it's clear that
the future of the entire Raging River valley lying just across the
freeway to south is at high risk for conversion to development. While
currently zoned "Forest Production," (meaning the zoning intent is for
long term forest management on the land), ownership of approximately
1,500 acres in the basin has nonetheless already been passed to the
Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Division for future development planning.
The entire Raging River basin is currently in a forested state and
provides a critical open space linkage between the Cedar River
Watershed, Rattlesnake Mountain, Taylor Mountain, and Tiger Mountain.
Any development in the basin would fragment the forest and seriously
and permanently impact the natural ecosystem, including the fragile
Raging River itself (one of the last, best salmon streams remaining in
King County).
In 1998, Weyerhaeuser sold over 8,000 acres in the Raging River basin
to Sunkist Grower's, which states an intent to continue to manage
these lands for timber production, not development. However, the 1,500
acres nearest Hwy 18 and I-90 is owned by Weyerhaeuser Real Estate
division, which is exploring development options.
In Preston, an active Preston Community Club identified several
initiatives in a document called, "the Forest Gateway Vision," that
were intended to preserve the rural, forested character of the Preston
area in the face of escalating development pressures. With the solid
backing of King County Executive Ron Sims and the County Council, King
County has moved aggressively to successfully accomplish each of the
elements of the Vision, including:
- Purchasing the 22-acre Preston Mill Site for use as a future County
Park and environmental education center
- Purchasing a 20-acre site doomed for industrial warehouses to
instead become the future Preston Arboretum and Botanical Gardens.
Almost 300 additional acres are being purchased for additional
arboretum lands and to protect the forested edge of I-90 from becoming
a strip city of development.
- Purchasing land for the Preston Park Ballfields. 15 acres were
purchased which, rather than becoming additional commercial
development, will instead become ballfields for local youth.
- Completing the first-ever Transfer of Development Credits (TDC)
project on a 313-acre forested parcel slated for development. Instead,
this and a second parcel will serve as the Grand Ridge-Mitchell Hill
Connector, providing a 475-acre forested linkage between 1,700 acres of
County park land on Grand Ridge eastward to over 1,000 acres of State
DNR forestland on Mitchell Hill, above Preston. This connection will
support wildlife migration and future trail linkages.
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- Advocate strongly for the permanent conservation of forestlands in
the Raging River basin and the north slope of Taylor Mountain, even if
these lands remain in private ownership as "working forests," i.e.,
oppose any proposal for development south of I-90 and in the Raging
basin.
- Support continuing efforts to realize the Forest Gateway Vision,
i.e., support master planning by King County Parks for the Preston
initiatives, and support efforts to secure funding for development of
needed park amenities.
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