Advocacy Update - August 2022
IATC is actively working with multiple partners on trail and park planning on existing public lands and the acquisition of a number of parcels with high value for wildlife, connectivity for wildlife and humans, and appropriate low impact recreational uses. Our work is often done in conjunction with community-based groups that team with us for our support and to learn from our decades long work with government agencies and elected officials.
This review of some of our major efforts will be from west to east in the Alps. Starting with western Cougar Mtn., there are two parcels that we have been hoping to see as park land even before the club was formed in 1979. These are DeLeo Wall property on the southwest of Cougar Mtn. and the former Milt Swanson property across Lakemont Blvd. from the Red Town Trailhead. The Save DeLeo Wall campaign is pleased that King County has committed money to acquire the property and sees it as a significant addition to Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park. A Forest Practices Permit for clearcutting much of the property was renewed last year, but has not been activated. So far the owners are not interested in selling and the County cannot force a sale.
Steve Williams led a Red Town history hike on August 28. The “Save Coal Creek” signage served as a reminder of the vital connection the Isola parcel plays between the two adjoining parks.
The former Milt Swanson property is the subject of a proposed development permit for over 30 units by Isola Homes. The property is in the Bellevue city limits and the hearing on the permit application is expected to occur this fall. We are strongly supporting the Save Coal Creek campaign which has raised significant money to hire a top environmental lawyer and consultants with expertise in the various environmental and safety issues presented by the development. The Mountains to Sound Greenway has strongly endorsed the acquisition of this property by the City of Bellevue for a park that would adjoin the Coal Creek Natural Area.
On the eastern side of Cougar Mountain and the western side of Squak Mountain the club is working with the City of Issaquah and King County on a number of property acquisitions and trail connections.
The City of Issaquah has made a purchase of 20 acres that adjoin the NE corner of Squak Mountain State Park and offers some great trail potential routings on city open space and the State Park. We are helping with scouting of possible trail alignments that will significantly add to the Squak Mtn. system. The parcel, formerly known as “Squak Mountain Estates” is illustrated in the following 3D map:
On the subject of State Parks, we have been working closely with the trail planning going on in Lake Sammamish State Park. Our working relationship with State Parks has never been stronger than it is now.
We have a continuing positive relationship with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR has two major roles. One is to manage and acquire lands that are in a Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA) and to manage other lands to produce income for underlying owners. The underlying owners may include the K-12 public school system, state colleges, state prisons, a county, or other public institution. On those lands they have to follow numerous environmental regulations, but also produce income for the underlying owner. An over-simplified description of the situation on Tiger Mtn. is that the north side is in an NRCA and the south side of the mountain is in timber production/revenue generation status. Many of our trails and treasured environmental features are in the areas where the DNR is mandated by law to produce income and that may reduce the recreational qualities we value.
The DNR has significant timber lands on Taylor Mtn. and the western part of Rattlesnake Mtn. and the Raging River area. Twenty years ago we regularly led hikes in these areas and there are some real treasures with viewpoints and water related features. Our vision for these areas is very incomplete and outdated. We need a group of explorers to develop our vision for these areas. We need to better understand which lands may have a higher and better use as conservation sites and need to be acquired, and where trails should be located even if that land has been logged or will be logged in the future.
IATC has a long history of knowing the land better than its owners, regardless if they’re public or private. We can still say that for much of Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains, but there is a bunch of land that is public or should be public south and east of SR-18 upon which we have limited and outdated information. Our exploration activities of 40 years ago on Cougar, Squak and Tiger mountains need to be duplicated on the eastern and southern edges of our Issaquah Alps.
Our work in these less known areas will be exploratory with recommendations about any private land that should be acquired by the state, identification of areas that should receive special protections and establishment of new trails and what uses should be allowed on any existing trails and any new trails that are proposed.
Those with special interest in these lands south and east of SR-18 or those who want to be involved in exploratory work in these areas are asked to contact us and watch for Exploratory Hikes listed in the Alpiner and the events page on our website.