(emailed on January 13, 2023)

Hello supporters of the Chelan Butte,

We would like to provide an update on a few items. As you know, our efforts to preserve the Chelan Butte have been very busy. All of us on the CBC board would like to thank everyone who responded to our request to show up for the January 3rd Chelan City Council workshop. It was standing room only (sorry to those who had to stand), but hopefully you found the presentation by Dave Erickson with Wenatchee Park & Rec interesting and it definitely sent a message to the mayor and city council that the community is still very interested in preserving the Butte.

At the January 3rd workshop a draft Resolution was presented that CBC had provided to the city. This Resolution indicates that the City wishes to be a co-applicant with the Trust for Public Land on an earmark request for $300,000 from the state capital budget for a planning study on the potential acquisition of the 875 acres on the Butte, including identifying funding opportunities, land uses, ownership structures, development and maintenance costs, etc. We are happy to report that the Chelan City Council approved the Resolution by unanimous vote at the January 10th city council meeting and it was subsequently signed by the mayor (see the Resolution here).

The Trust for Public Land’s lobbyist has been floating the earmark request to our local representatives in the state legislature and having the signed Resolution demonstrating the City’s desire to procure this funding should help. We’re hoping that one or more of our local representatives will support this request. If anyone has any connection with our local state representatives (Mike Steele, Brad Hawkins, or Keith Goehner), please encourage them to support the earmark request submitted by the Trust for Public Land and the City of Chelan for the Chelan Butte planning study!

Of course the other big issue affecting our effort to preserve the Butte is the purchase option that was signed by representatives of an investment group from the west side of the state. CBC was contacted by the option holders for an initial discussion of their general motivations and our(and the community’s) desire to preserve the Butte. It was a cordial, but blunt, conversation over the course of about an hour. However, CBC wanted to follow-up with a written summary of how far we had proceeded with the Butte preservation project in 2022, all of the reasons why the community wants to see the Butte preserved, and where this leaves us. You can read our letter to the option holders here. We have not yet received a response.

We will continue to pursue the planning study earmark from the state, communicate with the option holders as appropriate, and work on other ways to continue to promote the preservation of the Chelan Butte.

Thank you for your continued support,

Brian Patterson – Chelan Basin Conservancy President
on behalf of the CBC board:
Lisa Garvich – Vice President
Tony Crosetto – Treasurer
Mary Bider – Secretary