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[00:00:08]
Well, good morning. I am excited to be here. I sense enthusiasm from others as well. This is a great day here in Spokane. My name is Dave Upthegrove. I am Washington State's Commissioner of Public Lands, where I have the honor of leading 2,200 mission-driven employees at the State Department of Natural Resources. And I'm here this morning to celebrate a unique program at the Department of Natural Resources that allows DNR to work with communities to preserve spaces that are special to the community, like the one we're standing in right now.
[00:00:48]
Yesterday, the State Board of Natural Resources approved a list of six parcels across the state, from right here in Spokane to the Olympic Peninsula, that will ask the legislature for funding to conserve through the state's Trust Land Transfer program. And these projects, which include expanding a natural area in Jefferson County, returning land to the Yakima Nation, and 199 acres of Latah Valley right here in Spokane city limits, they all provide eco- All of these projects provide ecological, recreation, and habitat benefits to the communities that care most about them.
[00:01:32]
The Thorpe property right here in Spokane is one of the most beloved recreational spaces in this city and a staple for Latah Valley and the community members. I first discovered this special place in April of 2024. A mutual friend introduced me to Jeff Lambert and said, "As you're embarking on a mission to serve as DNR's director, it's important to get out and learn about the different communities in the state." And Jeff and some other local community leaders took me on a hike up through this property, and it gave me a chance to see firsthand the unique geological features and the incredible views we have, to see the rare and endangered plant species, to the incredible diversity of bird species, but also to understand how this is connected to a community that lacks walkable access to parks and open spaces, probably more so than almost any part of the city of Spokane.
[00:02:34]
And the ability to fulfill the vision of walkability and open spaces and recreation and protect ecological features was something that I'm very thankful that I got to see and understand before I even took the oath of office. The Spokane Parks and Recreation District, along with the City of Spokane, and a coalition of nearly 100 elected officials and community organizations, did an exceptional job of advocating for the protection of this property.
[00:03:09]
They made their support known to me personally and shared the information with our department. Washington Wild, Trout Unlimited, the Grandview-Thorpe Neighborhood Council, Friends of the Bluff, the Sierra Club of Washington, were just some of the dozens of organizations who joined in supporting the protection of this property. Now, we're hoping to transfer this land to the parks district to become a park to provide recreational opportunities for the people of Spokane.
[00:03:36]
And I'm really excited about the vision that the parks district has for this property. At a time when the state is facing cuts to recreation, this is a great way to expand recreation access to benefit the people in this community. This is also about improving park access for underserved communities. As I noted, this part of the city has limited access to walkable outdoor spaces, and that's part of having a livable community, and it's part of making sure everyone has the same access to the outdoors.
[00:04:14]
Also, in light of the devastation that we've seen in this city, the extraordinary impacts of wildfires, the loss of homes, the opportunity to do something positive, to contribute to the rebuilding of this city at a time when other parks and open spaces have been burned and damages, to bring a positive vision to the city at this moment in time, I think is more important than ever. So now it's time for the legislature to step up and fund not only this land transfer, but the other projects on this list that provide the same kind of benefits to communities throughout the state.
[00:04:55]
Together, these land transfers represent the best of what the Trust Land Transfer program can do as a vital tool to respond to community needs and protect and conserve important lands. So, I am urging state legislators to strongly consider these proposed transfers and provide the department with the funding necessary to get it done. That means there's still work to do. There's still work to do, and I'll be doing everything in my power to press the need for these transfers, especially right here in Spokane.
[00:05:28]
The city and these communities have been through some really challenging times, as I noted, and now is the time to begin to rebuild, to restore, and renew. And so, let's start today with this important first step. And it is my pleasure, and I'm having a-- But yes, Garrett is next. Garrett Jones, the director of Spokane Parks and Recreation District. Please welcome Garrett.
[00:06:01]
Thank you, Commissioner, and happy to be here today. What a journey that we've been on here so far. And again, my name is Garrett Jones. I'm the director of City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, and we were the applicants for the Trust Land Transfer for the Thorpe property here today. One of Spokane's most treasured community assets is its parks and natural lands.
[00:06:23]
We know it holds a significant place to our community, our wellness benefits, and improves the quality of life. While most Spokaneites have a close walk, as the commissioner noted, to a 10-minute walk within a park or open space, in 2022, an analysis of the city park system identified the Grandview-Thorpe neighborhood has one of the worst accesses to public parks within the city of Spokane, with 44 of the neighborhood residents are outside of that 10-minute walk to a park or open space. Additionally, our recent community outreach showed that 96% of Spokane residents consider conservation of natural lands as the very most important, highest priority within our community.
[00:07:10]
Listening to the community feedback within the last five years, we've made significant strides in acquiring land. As an example, acquiring a 230 acres of combined natural lands within the High Drive Bluff Park, Palisades Natural Area, and also Beacon Hill. In these cases, partnerships were the key to this. If it wasn't for programs like the Trust Land Transfer or the Conservation Futures, with the partnership that we have with the county, these would not be possible.
[00:07:41]
The Trust Land Transfer program presents a very special opportunity here for us at this piece of property, and we're also pleased to see the momentum around the protecting and designating these sensitive areas, especially in the growing Grandview-Thorpe neighborhood that we see today, and will for sure fulfill that gap that is greatly needed in this community and this neighborhood. This property we could not afford to acquire on our own, and so it takes, again, that job of partnerships, communication, collaboration to many of the groups that the commissioner mentioned. I'd also like to thank Mayor Lisa Brown, our park board, our city council, our state legislative representatives, including Marcus Riccelli, local tribal partners, which is a huge part to success here today, and many community volunteers and organizations that were mentioned.
[00:08:36]
And then working really closely with Commissioner Upthegrove and Mayor Brown, having those connections with the state to bring them here, have those conversations around a table, and having those proactive conversations to get us to the success and the goal that we want to see. The Trust Land Transfer program is intended to, quote, "Keep special places in public ownership," and this property will do just that.
[00:09:02]
Working with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2022, in our master plan, this land was identified in our most recent planning as a special habitat conservation zone. Spokane Parks and Recreation would be honored to care for this 190-plus acre facility and this natural area, ensuring access to public space and natural lands for generations to come. So, I appreciate it.
[00:09:27]
We're excited. As the commissioner said, this is not the last step, and just know that us as the Parks Department of City of Spokane are advocates and partners in this endeavor to get this thing through the finish line. And with that, I would like to introduce a partner in this as well, in his district, Paul Dillon, city council member. Thank you.
[00:09:52]
Thank you all so much. On the drive up here, I saw a coyote crossing the road, so that has to be some kind of blessing. Yeah, absolute blessing. I just want to thank Commissioner Upthegrove. The Spokane complex fires, he was here right away on the ground. We are very indebted to the response from the Department of Natural Resources and all your leadership.
[00:10:15]
So my name's Paul Dillon. I represent District 2, where we are, and I'm honored to be the Parks Board liaison. There was a Spokesman-Review headline on April 1st of last year, and the headline was, "Last-Ditch Effort to Halt Thorpe Road Land Sale Falters." And while here we are over a year later, this was no April Fools' joke, even though reading it now feels like it. But today we are telling a different story, a story of community, a story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles.
[00:10:56]
This happened because of many of the people who are here today, standing around, that were mentioned, and many of the leaders that are here. There were hundreds of members of this community who fought for this moment, and this is your win. This is your victory. I was honored to bring forth the resolution with former council member Navarrete that requested the pause on this property.
[00:11:27]
I look forward to next steps with the legislature. This property, as stated, holds so much cultural and historical significance for local tribes. Its natural beauty, wildlife habitat, and proximity to neighbors make it such a critical space. This is such a massive win for impacted communities. I remain committed that a trust land transfer is the only answer to retaining this land in public ownership. At a time, so often, when we see public lands are for sale, they are devalued for profit.
[00:12:05]
You are witnessing Spokane stand up, work with partners, listen to community, act, and then tell a different story, a story that is a win-win. And finally, I want to leave with a quote from Wendell Berry, who recently passed. He famously said, "The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility." I believe that to be absolutely true. When I look out and see all of you here today, I feel that.
[00:12:37]
I hope you feel that. I know it's hard sometimes to take a moment to pause and recognize and celebrate the wins, but we have to. It reminds us what we are fighting for. Thank you again, Commissioner Upthegrove. Thank you to all of you, and it's my honor to introduce a real champion of this property and a big reason why we're here, Senator Marcus Riccelli.
[00:13:04]
Hello, y'all. State Senator Marcus Riccelli from the 3rd Legislative District in Spokane. I wrote some stuff down. I might go off a little script a bit, but this is a great direction for our community and an important change of course. And it takes me back to Christmas Eve 2024. I had received so much communication, and I was so frustrated that I sat down, sent an email to the folks who would be looking at this, including our former lands commissioner, because I felt like our community was being run roughshod over.
[00:13:35]
And this is just a testament. It's not about the people up here today. It's about some folks out here who organized day in and day out. This is a true testament to what grassroots advocacy can do, and this is a reminder and something that our lands commissioner heard, that the heartbeat of our community is in our community. It's not in Olympia. It's not anywhere else.
[00:13:55]
And I just want to express my gratitude because before he was even sworn in, before I was sworn in as a senator, we were having conversations, and I was lobbying him already. I'm kind of a squeaky wheel, and his receptivity, listening to folks, the commitment to be out here, to engage, to walk the land. And it shows true in what we're going through right now with our fires, the commitment to be out here to work with his employees, those fine people doing all the work.
[00:14:25]
It shows the commitment to the community and understanding. I'm so grateful that the Spokane Tribe weighed in as well. That's a huge connection, important for this project, important for our community in general. I just want to make a shout-out. I know we have our newer council member Tellez here, too. Want to thank her for her engagement. So all the excitement, the potential to transfer the land to the city to manage for conservation purposes, for recreation, it has great potential.
[00:14:54]
But this isn't all about a big love fest today because I know people came here to celebrate, and we should celebrate today, but there's no done deal. So just as a reminder, this will be put forward for consideration, and the legislature is the trustee, and I need friends, I need advocates, I need help. I need legislators from this side of the state and all over our state.
[00:15:15]
I need community members that know they're going to appreciate this to weigh in. It begins tomorrow. Enjoy today. So this communication will be important. We need to make sure the legislators, the governor know this is high on the mark, and I look forward to working with you all to help this be well-positioned. But we need to continue to grow this broad coalition and communicate nonstop at every point of the process. And guess what?
[00:15:40]
I feel pretty good about our direction because you all took something that was headed like a freight train in one direction, and you turned that around, and you should be celebrated. Thank you for your work. I'm going to bring up a friend, Jeff Lambert, here to share a few comments, too. Thanks, Jeff.
[00:15:58]
Well, it sure is great to have a guy who can insert something in the budget be on our side. Thanks, Marcus. Well, I'm full of gratitude, and thank you, every one of you, for being here. And quite frankly
[00:16:34]
Hey, you got time. The commissioner was a little late to the press conference, so take all the time you need. So
[00:16:46]
those on the west side do not understand that this 200 acres is amazing, biodiverse land. It's in WDFW's Critical Wildlife Habitat with forests, cliffs, and wetlands, as well as the DNR's Natural Heritage Program actually identified rare forest types on this property. So why was this considered for an exchange to a developer? And I can understand why the freight train was let loose, why DNR advocated for it.
[00:17:37]
Spencer Gardner, the Spokane planning director, and Steve McDonald, the economic development director, encouraged the development, ignoring all these factors, including the Critical Areas Ordinance and the WDFW designation, which they're required to do. So I'm not blaming DNR as much as taking responsibility as a community for this is an opportunity for us to really take a look at the way our planning department works with developers and make sure that we can limit this kind of thing from happening in the future.
[00:18:25]
Now, especially want to thank the commissioner for stopping this. I'm not sure how he did that, but I give you all the credit. Thank you, sir. So the advisory committee has almost uniformly ranked this property high. So we're vindicated in suggesting that this is better to be conservation rather than housing, which obviously we need, but We also need open spaces for all those reasons that we're well aware of.
[00:19:13]
So of course, with these gentlemen who've already spoken, it's pretty clear we need to continue to work for getting this funding. I hope both the City of Spokane and Spokane Parks put the Thorpe property high on their legislative priority list. We've got to have that. I don't have time to thank everybody, but wow, looking around, there are people here who have spent an amazing amount of time.
[00:19:48]
Phil Larkin, Alan McCoy, Brian Nagy. We've had terrific support from local organizations, some of which haven't been mentioned, like Friends of the Bluff, Spokane Urban Nature, Spokane Audubon, and there's many more. So as has already been said, by working together and bringing forth our desire to protect this property, has actually worked. So, I was maybe going to skip my favorite thing to do, which is to report on the numbers. So, we mentioned a statewide letter with 100 organizations on it. We had a public hearing at the Spokane Library about the exchange. There were 30 commentators, and all opposed the exchange. There was no one that spoke in favor of it.
[00:20:51]
We had about 150 letters and emails that went into the record. Phil put together a petition with 500 signatories, and we got almost unanimous support from elected officials at the city, county, and legislative level that represent this area. So, let's finish this in Olympia in 2027.
[00:21:24]
Well, that concludes our speaking program. Thanks again for folks who took the time. Thanks again for your advocacy. Thank you to our speakers today. And I will be joining Senator Riccelli and your delegation in working hard on this next step with all of your support. So let's welcome the rain, which we need here in this weather, and have a great afternoon. Let's see if there's any questions.
[00:21:53]
Oh. Yes, we're happy to take questions if people want to. I'll take the easy ones, and they'll take the... Good job. Yeah. You are saying, okay, now the work begins. Yes. How can the people here best help? Sure. So just because the legislative session begins in January, exposing, so we have a whole bunch of positions that are up for election in November.
[00:22:24]
Engaging those people running for those offices now would be important. Engaging them to come out and visit, get familiar with the property, to meet with groups, I think, would be an excellent way. Asking people to sit down and chat. So I think a heavy focus with the legislators. I do think, with our council members here, this has been a priority, but weighing in with our council members to give them the authority to put it on their legislative agenda makes it a priority in Olympia.
[00:22:49]
So I'm guessing they'll be grappling with that, and that would be great for us to see from the community come out. And then just broad consensus with other organizations that are willing to lend their voices. And don't forget about the power of the emails, the letters, and the communications. This brings me back to a story. Tim Gabia, a former basketball coach at Shadle Park High School that I played basketball with. He's never talked anything political with me, but he was sure on this one, and he was in my ear.
[00:23:21]
"Don't forget that everybody's connected in this community, and it's really important to weigh in." And the State Department of Natural Resources will be making an official budget request for $30 million to fund the six projects on the list.
[00:23:41]
For Council Member Dillon, what has to happen at the council level while this is going on at the state to make sure that they're in alignment, and that everything needs to happen if that funding gets cleared? Yeah, great question. So, we have a legislative work group that I'm on, along with Council Member Dixon and Council Member Klitzke. And so right now, we're already discussing ideas for the 2027 legislative session.
[00:24:09]
And so this has been on in prior years. The funding for this to retain this property will definitely be a priority. I'm really glad Council Member Tellus is here as well, and also representing the district so we can help see this through and make sure that this is on the top of our agenda for 2027. Right now we're reviewing our comprehensive plan, and this area is zoned as open space in that comp plan.
[00:24:38]
So I think that there's a lot of good things coming together to make this happen and fulfill this commitment and see this through. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to celebrate. It's really a pleasure to be out here and seeing so many friendly faces. One challenge I've seen is that people don't necessarily know that this is a great asset, and one of the reasons is the gate's there, and there are no trespassing signs.
[00:25:11]
So it's a rhetorical question is can we remove a gate to help people know that they can access this property? You don't have to answer it, but think about it. I tried to turn to Parks and Rec, and he pointed out it's still our property. I don't know. I don't know the reasoning behind the gate. My vision for this property is one that is accessible first and foremost. That's the whole vision of this is a part of the city that needs more access. And I had a chance to review some of the initial ideas and designs that Parks and Rec is looking at, and they're all aimed at that.
[00:25:53]
How do you make this a useful and accessible piece of property that protects those natural features, allows people to access it and enjoy it? So I'm sure we'll figure out the gate. Thanks. If you don't mind. No. So a property like this on a fairly busy road with no designated parking and no signage makes it really difficult for me as an advocate for this property to send people here. 2929 West Thorpe is actually the house that's up the driveway there, but this property doesn't have an address. So what I would respectfully suggest is that we remove the gate, put the gate about where that pole is, and make this into a rudimentary parking area.
[00:26:53]
That would be while it's under DNR ownership. We could raise the money locally, or we can work together on that, and that allows us to help educate the public about this property. So that's a proposal that I'm willing to make happen one way or another. Good idea. Thanks so much. All right. Open. Just really quick, about $30 million that we're going to be asking for.
[00:27:20]
Can you speak to how that's going to be specifically allocated for this property? What does that number really look like? On my way here in the car, I was flipping through my notes looking for the price of this, and I couldn't find it to remember it. I don't know if our- 3.9 ... 3.9 million. We have a process where the agency considers requests from around the state.
[00:27:42]
We get lots of them, and they're evaluated, and then we have been charged by the legislature of bringing forward no more than $30 million, and we rank that list. The legislature doesn't have to follow that ranking. We encourage them to. We think it's just good government, the ones that scored the highest. This project is number five of the six projects, and I think someone said 3.9 million. So it ultimately is up to the legislature.
[00:28:11]
They have historically sometimes, when they didn't have enough money to fund the lists, make their own choices of which to fund. I hope they'll fund the list. Just like this is a really special place to this community, there's wonderful stories behind each of those other projects with equal value. So I know each community goes and champions theirs. My job as DNR is to champion that list, to uplift all these projects, to make sure the legislature funds this program.
[00:28:44]
But how they do that and if they do that will be up to them. Mr. Chair. Yeah, please. I would say to a lot of these various lists that come forward, really the advocacy and joining together for the mission for the state would be to ask for the complete funding of the list. Obviously, I'll be looking at that cutoff, if there's a cutoff, and making sure we at least go to five.
[00:29:10]
But I think collectively, we've seen in this process it works better when we join up and we say, as a priority, this is a value that as a state that we're putting forward. This is exciting for me today to just talk about the enthusiasm. I'll be reaching out to our capital budget lead, Senator Trudeau from the Tacoma area, the ranking members, et cetera.
[00:29:32]
So it's a process, but asking for the full list to be funded, I think is the best strategy at this point. Of course, we adjust as pressures come, but I think that's the mantra that we should have. So at the risk of being Debbie Downer, worst case scenario, this property doesn't get funded. What happens to the property? There are no plans currently for this property other than moving forward with this proposal.
[00:30:08]
It remains a holding of the State Department of Natural Resources, where we have responsibilities in the Constitution and state law to manage on behalf of the beneficiaries, and that includes a fiscal responsibility, and that's the beauty of this program. This money from the legislature buys it from the trust. We hold it in trust. So the schools that this is supposed to generate money for will still get the money, and we'll get to protect the property.
[00:30:41]
So there will be pressure over time because it's being managed in trust for local governments' funding. But there are no current plans or proposals other than to support the trust land transfer proposal. There we go. Thanks everybody.
Source: https://vimeo.com/1223512661
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paragraph timestamps retain their original caption positions.
[00:00:08]
Well, good morning. I am excited to be here. I sense enthusiasm from others as well. This is a great day here in Spokane. My name is Dave Upthegrove. I am Washington State's Commissioner of Public Lands, where I have the honor of leading 2,200 mission-driven employees at the State Department of Natural Resources. And I'm here this morning to celebrate a unique program at the Department of Natural Resources that allows DNR to work with communities to preserve spaces that are special to the community, like the one we're standing in right now.
[00:00:48]
Yesterday, the State Board of Natural Resources approved a list of six parcels across the state, from right here in Spokane to the Olympic Peninsula, that will ask the legislature for funding to conserve through the state's Trust Land Transfer program. And these projects, which include expanding a natural area in Jefferson County, returning land to the Yakima Nation, and 199 acres of Latah Valley right here in Spokane city limits, they all provide eco- All of these projects provide ecological, recreation, and habitat benefits to the communities that care most about them.
[00:01:32]
The Thorpe property right here in Spokane is one of the most beloved recreational spaces in this city and a staple for Latah Valley and the community members. I first discovered this special place in April of 2024. A mutual friend introduced me to Jeff Lambert and said, "As you're embarking on a mission to serve as DNR's director, it's important to get out and learn about the different communities in the state." And Jeff and some other local community leaders took me on a hike up through this property, and it gave me a chance to see firsthand the unique geological features and the incredible views we have, to see the rare and endangered plant species, to the incredible diversity of bird species, but also to understand how this is connected to a community that lacks walkable access to parks and open spaces, probably more so than almost any part of the city of Spokane.
[00:02:34]
And the ability to fulfill the vision of walkability and open spaces and recreation and protect ecological features was something that I'm very thankful that I got to see and understand before I even took the oath of office. The Spokane Parks and Recreation District, along with the City of Spokane, and a coalition of nearly 100 elected officials and community organizations, did an exceptional job of advocating for the protection of this property.
[00:03:09]
They made their support known to me personally and shared the information with our department. Washington Wild, Trout Unlimited, the Grandview-Thorpe Neighborhood Council, Friends of the Bluff, the Sierra Club of Washington, were just some of the dozens of organizations who joined in supporting the protection of this property. Now, we're hoping to transfer this land to the parks district to become a park to provide recreational opportunities for the people of Spokane.
[00:03:36]
And I'm really excited about the vision that the parks district has for this property. At a time when the state is facing cuts to recreation, this is a great way to expand recreation access to benefit the people in this community. This is also about improving park access for underserved communities. As I noted, this part of the city has limited access to walkable outdoor spaces, and that's part of having a livable community, and it's part of making sure everyone has the same access to the outdoors.
[00:04:14]
Also, in light of the devastation that we've seen in this city, the extraordinary impacts of wildfires, the loss of homes, the opportunity to do something positive, to contribute to the rebuilding of this city at a time when other parks and open spaces have been burned and damages, to bring a positive vision to the city at this moment in time, I think is more important than ever. So now it's time for the legislature to step up and fund not only this land transfer, but the other projects on this list that provide the same kind of benefits to communities throughout the state.
[00:04:55]
Together, these land transfers represent the best of what the Trust Land Transfer program can do as a vital tool to respond to community needs and protect and conserve important lands. So, I am urging state legislators to strongly consider these proposed transfers and provide the department with the funding necessary to get it done. That means there's still work to do. There's still work to do, and I'll be doing everything in my power to press the need for these transfers, especially right here in Spokane.
[00:05:28]
The city and these communities have been through some really challenging times, as I noted, and now is the time to begin to rebuild, to restore, and renew. And so, let's start today with this important first step. And it is my pleasure, and I'm having a-- But yes, Garrett is next. Garrett Jones, the director of Spokane Parks and Recreation District. Please welcome Garrett.
[00:06:01]
Thank you, Commissioner, and happy to be here today. What a journey that we've been on here so far. And again, my name is Garrett Jones. I'm the director of City of Spokane Parks and Recreation Department, and we were the applicants for the Trust Land Transfer for the Thorpe property here today. One of Spokane's most treasured community assets is its parks and natural lands.
[00:06:23]
We know it holds a significant place to our community, our wellness benefits, and improves the quality of life. While most Spokaneites have a close walk, as the commissioner noted, to a 10-minute walk within a park or open space, in 2022, an analysis of the city park system identified the Grandview-Thorpe neighborhood has one of the worst accesses to public parks within the city of Spokane, with 44 of the neighborhood residents are outside of that 10-minute walk to a park or open space. Additionally, our recent community outreach showed that 96% of Spokane residents consider conservation of natural lands as the very most important, highest priority within our community.
[00:07:10]
Listening to the community feedback within the last five years, we've made significant strides in acquiring land. As an example, acquiring a 230 acres of combined natural lands within the High Drive Bluff Park, Palisades Natural Area, and also Beacon Hill. In these cases, partnerships were the key to this. If it wasn't for programs like the Trust Land Transfer or the Conservation Futures, with the partnership that we have with the county, these would not be possible.
[00:07:41]
The Trust Land Transfer program presents a very special opportunity here for us at this piece of property, and we're also pleased to see the momentum around the protecting and designating these sensitive areas, especially in the growing Grandview-Thorpe neighborhood that we see today, and will for sure fulfill that gap that is greatly needed in this community and this neighborhood. This property we could not afford to acquire on our own, and so it takes, again, that job of partnerships, communication, collaboration to many of the groups that the commissioner mentioned. I'd also like to thank Mayor Lisa Brown, our park board, our city council, our state legislative representatives, including Marcus Riccelli, local tribal partners, which is a huge part to success here today, and many community volunteers and organizations that were mentioned.
[00:08:36]
And then working really closely with Commissioner Upthegrove and Mayor Brown, having those connections with the state to bring them here, have those conversations around a table, and having those proactive conversations to get us to the success and the goal that we want to see. The Trust Land Transfer program is intended to, quote, "Keep special places in public ownership," and this property will do just that.
[00:09:02]
Working with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2022, in our master plan, this land was identified in our most recent planning as a special habitat conservation zone. Spokane Parks and Recreation would be honored to care for this 190-plus acre facility and this natural area, ensuring access to public space and natural lands for generations to come. So, I appreciate it.
[00:09:27]
We're excited. As the commissioner said, this is not the last step, and just know that us as the Parks Department of City of Spokane are advocates and partners in this endeavor to get this thing through the finish line. And with that, I would like to introduce a partner in this as well, in his district, Paul Dillon, city council member. Thank you.
[00:09:52]
Thank you all so much. On the drive up here, I saw a coyote crossing the road, so that has to be some kind of blessing. Yeah, absolute blessing. I just want to thank Commissioner Upthegrove. The Spokane complex fires, he was here right away on the ground. We are very indebted to the response from the Department of Natural Resources and all your leadership.
[00:10:15]
So my name's Paul Dillon. I represent District 2, where we are, and I'm honored to be the Parks Board liaison. There was a Spokesman-Review headline on April 1st of last year, and the headline was, "Last-Ditch Effort to Halt Thorpe Road Land Sale Falters." And while here we are over a year later, this was no April Fools' joke, even though reading it now feels like it. But today we are telling a different story, a story of community, a story of perseverance, overcoming obstacles.
[00:10:56]
This happened because of many of the people who are here today, standing around, that were mentioned, and many of the leaders that are here. There were hundreds of members of this community who fought for this moment, and this is your win. This is your victory. I was honored to bring forth the resolution with former council member Navarrete that requested the pause on this property.
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I look forward to next steps with the legislature. This property, as stated, holds so much cultural and historical significance for local tribes. Its natural beauty, wildlife habitat, and proximity to neighbors make it such a critical space. This is such a massive win for impacted communities. I remain committed that a trust land transfer is the only answer to retaining this land in public ownership. At a time, so often, when we see public lands are for sale, they are devalued for profit.
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You are witnessing Spokane stand up, work with partners, listen to community, act, and then tell a different story, a story that is a win-win. And finally, I want to leave with a quote from Wendell Berry, who recently passed. He famously said, "The care of the earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all, our most pleasing responsibility." I believe that to be absolutely true. When I look out and see all of you here today, I feel that.
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I hope you feel that. I know it's hard sometimes to take a moment to pause and recognize and celebrate the wins, but we have to. It reminds us what we are fighting for. Thank you again, Commissioner Upthegrove. Thank you to all of you, and it's my honor to introduce a real champion of this property and a big reason why we're here, Senator Marcus Riccelli.
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Hello, y'all. State Senator Marcus Riccelli from the 3rd Legislative District in Spokane. I wrote some stuff down. I might go off a little script a bit, but this is a great direction for our community and an important change of course. And it takes me back to Christmas Eve 2024. I had received so much communication, and I was so frustrated that I sat down, sent an email to the folks who would be looking at this, including our former lands commissioner, because I felt like our community was being run roughshod over.
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And this is just a testament. It's not about the people up here today. It's about some folks out here who organized day in and day out. This is a true testament to what grassroots advocacy can do, and this is a reminder and something that our lands commissioner heard, that the heartbeat of our community is in our community. It's not in Olympia. It's not anywhere else.
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And I just want to express my gratitude because before he was even sworn in, before I was sworn in as a senator, we were having conversations, and I was lobbying him already. I'm kind of a squeaky wheel, and his receptivity, listening to folks, the commitment to be out here, to engage, to walk the land. And it shows true in what we're going through right now with our fires, the commitment to be out here to work with his employees, those fine people doing all the work.
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It shows the commitment to the community and understanding. I'm so grateful that the Spokane Tribe weighed in as well. That's a huge connection, important for this project, important for our community in general. I just want to make a shout-out. I know we have our newer council member Tellez here, too. Want to thank her for her engagement. So all the excitement, the potential to transfer the land to the city to manage for conservation purposes, for recreation, it has great potential.
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But this isn't all about a big love fest today because I know people came here to celebrate, and we should celebrate today, but there's no done deal. So just as a reminder, this will be put forward for consideration, and the legislature is the trustee, and I need friends, I need advocates, I need help. I need legislators from this side of the state and all over our state.
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I need community members that know they're going to appreciate this to weigh in. It begins tomorrow. Enjoy today. So this communication will be important. We need to make sure the legislators, the governor know this is high on the mark, and I look forward to working with you all to help this be well-positioned. But we need to continue to grow this broad coalition and communicate nonstop at every point of the process. And guess what?
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I feel pretty good about our direction because you all took something that was headed like a freight train in one direction, and you turned that around, and you should be celebrated. Thank you for your work. I'm going to bring up a friend, Jeff Lambert, here to share a few comments, too. Thanks, Jeff.
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Well, it sure is great to have a guy who can insert something in the budget be on our side. Thanks, Marcus. Well, I'm full of gratitude, and thank you, every one of you, for being here. And quite frankly
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Hey, you got time. The commissioner was a little late to the press conference, so take all the time you need. So
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those on the west side do not understand that this 200 acres is amazing, biodiverse land. It's in WDFW's Critical Wildlife Habitat with forests, cliffs, and wetlands, as well as the DNR's Natural Heritage Program actually identified rare forest types on this property. So why was this considered for an exchange to a developer? And I can understand why the freight train was let loose, why DNR advocated for it.
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Spencer Gardner, the Spokane planning director, and Steve McDonald, the economic development director, encouraged the development, ignoring all these factors, including the Critical Areas Ordinance and the WDFW designation, which they're required to do. So I'm not blaming DNR as much as taking responsibility as a community for this is an opportunity for us to really take a look at the way our planning department works with developers and make sure that we can limit this kind of thing from happening in the future.
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Now, especially want to thank the commissioner for stopping this. I'm not sure how he did that, but I give you all the credit. Thank you, sir. So the advisory committee has almost uniformly ranked this property high. So we're vindicated in suggesting that this is better to be conservation rather than housing, which obviously we need, but We also need open spaces for all those reasons that we're well aware of.
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So of course, with these gentlemen who've already spoken, it's pretty clear we need to continue to work for getting this funding. I hope both the City of Spokane and Spokane Parks put the Thorpe property high on their legislative priority list. We've got to have that. I don't have time to thank everybody, but wow, looking around, there are people here who have spent an amazing amount of time.
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Phil Larkin, Alan McCoy, Brian Nagy. We've had terrific support from local organizations, some of which haven't been mentioned, like Friends of the Bluff, Spokane Urban Nature, Spokane Audubon, and there's many more. So as has already been said, by working together and bringing forth our desire to protect this property, has actually worked. So, I was maybe going to skip my favorite thing to do, which is to report on the numbers. So, we mentioned a statewide letter with 100 organizations on it. We had a public hearing at the Spokane Library about the exchange. There were 30 commentators, and all opposed the exchange. There was no one that spoke in favor of it.
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We had about 150 letters and emails that went into the record. Phil put together a petition with 500 signatories, and we got almost unanimous support from elected officials at the city, county, and legislative level that represent this area. So, let's finish this in Olympia in 2027.
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Well, that concludes our speaking program. Thanks again for folks who took the time. Thanks again for your advocacy. Thank you to our speakers today. And I will be joining Senator Riccelli and your delegation in working hard on this next step with all of your support. So let's welcome the rain, which we need here in this weather, and have a great afternoon. Let's see if there's any questions.
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Oh. Yes, we're happy to take questions if people want to. I'll take the easy ones, and they'll take the... Good job. Yeah. You are saying, okay, now the work begins. Yes. How can the people here best help? Sure. So just because the legislative session begins in January, exposing, so we have a whole bunch of positions that are up for election in November.
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Engaging those people running for those offices now would be important. Engaging them to come out and visit, get familiar with the property, to meet with groups, I think, would be an excellent way. Asking people to sit down and chat. So I think a heavy focus with the legislators. I do think, with our council members here, this has been a priority, but weighing in with our council members to give them the authority to put it on their legislative agenda makes it a priority in Olympia.
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So I'm guessing they'll be grappling with that, and that would be great for us to see from the community come out. And then just broad consensus with other organizations that are willing to lend their voices. And don't forget about the power of the emails, the letters, and the communications. This brings me back to a story. Tim Gabia, a former basketball coach at Shadle Park High School that I played basketball with. He's never talked anything political with me, but he was sure on this one, and he was in my ear.
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"Don't forget that everybody's connected in this community, and it's really important to weigh in." And the State Department of Natural Resources will be making an official budget request for $30 million to fund the six projects on the list.
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For Council Member Dillon, what has to happen at the council level while this is going on at the state to make sure that they're in alignment, and that everything needs to happen if that funding gets cleared? Yeah, great question. So, we have a legislative work group that I'm on, along with Council Member Dixon and Council Member Klitzke. And so right now, we're already discussing ideas for the 2027 legislative session.
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And so this has been on in prior years. The funding for this to retain this property will definitely be a priority. I'm really glad Council Member Tellus is here as well, and also representing the district so we can help see this through and make sure that this is on the top of our agenda for 2027. Right now we're reviewing our comprehensive plan, and this area is zoned as open space in that comp plan.
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So I think that there's a lot of good things coming together to make this happen and fulfill this commitment and see this through. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to celebrate. It's really a pleasure to be out here and seeing so many friendly faces. One challenge I've seen is that people don't necessarily know that this is a great asset, and one of the reasons is the gate's there, and there are no trespassing signs.
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So it's a rhetorical question is can we remove a gate to help people know that they can access this property? You don't have to answer it, but think about it. I tried to turn to Parks and Rec, and he pointed out it's still our property. I don't know. I don't know the reasoning behind the gate. My vision for this property is one that is accessible first and foremost. That's the whole vision of this is a part of the city that needs more access. And I had a chance to review some of the initial ideas and designs that Parks and Rec is looking at, and they're all aimed at that.
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How do you make this a useful and accessible piece of property that protects those natural features, allows people to access it and enjoy it? So I'm sure we'll figure out the gate. Thanks. If you don't mind. No. So a property like this on a fairly busy road with no designated parking and no signage makes it really difficult for me as an advocate for this property to send people here. 2929 West Thorpe is actually the house that's up the driveway there, but this property doesn't have an address. So what I would respectfully suggest is that we remove the gate, put the gate about where that pole is, and make this into a rudimentary parking area.
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That would be while it's under DNR ownership. We could raise the money locally, or we can work together on that, and that allows us to help educate the public about this property. So that's a proposal that I'm willing to make happen one way or another. Good idea. Thanks so much. All right. Open. Just really quick, about $30 million that we're going to be asking for.
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Can you speak to how that's going to be specifically allocated for this property? What does that number really look like? On my way here in the car, I was flipping through my notes looking for the price of this, and I couldn't find it to remember it. I don't know if our- 3.9 ... 3.9 million. We have a process where the agency considers requests from around the state.
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We get lots of them, and they're evaluated, and then we have been charged by the legislature of bringing forward no more than $30 million, and we rank that list. The legislature doesn't have to follow that ranking. We encourage them to. We think it's just good government, the ones that scored the highest. This project is number five of the six projects, and I think someone said 3.9 million. So it ultimately is up to the legislature.
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They have historically sometimes, when they didn't have enough money to fund the lists, make their own choices of which to fund. I hope they'll fund the list. Just like this is a really special place to this community, there's wonderful stories behind each of those other projects with equal value. So I know each community goes and champions theirs. My job as DNR is to champion that list, to uplift all these projects, to make sure the legislature funds this program.
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But how they do that and if they do that will be up to them. Mr. Chair. Yeah, please. I would say to a lot of these various lists that come forward, really the advocacy and joining together for the mission for the state would be to ask for the complete funding of the list. Obviously, I'll be looking at that cutoff, if there's a cutoff, and making sure we at least go to five.
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But I think collectively, we've seen in this process it works better when we join up and we say, as a priority, this is a value that as a state that we're putting forward. This is exciting for me today to just talk about the enthusiasm. I'll be reaching out to our capital budget lead, Senator Trudeau from the Tacoma area, the ranking members, et cetera.
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So it's a process, but asking for the full list to be funded, I think is the best strategy at this point. Of course, we adjust as pressures come, but I think that's the mantra that we should have. So at the risk of being Debbie Downer, worst case scenario, this property doesn't get funded. What happens to the property? There are no plans currently for this property other than moving forward with this proposal.
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It remains a holding of the State Department of Natural Resources, where we have responsibilities in the Constitution and state law to manage on behalf of the beneficiaries, and that includes a fiscal responsibility, and that's the beauty of this program. This money from the legislature buys it from the trust. We hold it in trust. So the schools that this is supposed to generate money for will still get the money, and we'll get to protect the property.
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So there will be pressure over time because it's being managed in trust for local governments' funding. But there are no current plans or proposals other than to support the trust land transfer proposal. There we go. Thanks everybody.