Depending on your perspective - and your ability to wade through verbiage - St. Edward State Park has secured another victory to maintain its pristine forests.
At a Jan. 12 meeting, the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission voted on land classification and long-term boundaries of state-owned and surrounding properties.
In short, the forest west of the seminary building has been given a natural designation with a potential trail that will form a loop to the lake. This will allow a corridor for mountain bikes at the southern border of the park, all open to environmental review.
Background
In August 2005, parks staff set out to prepare a Classification and Management Plan (CAMP) for St. Edward State Park.
Beginning in the fall of 2005, staff created an advisory committee during the fall of 2005 to provide guidance on the array of issues associated with the park and CAMP.
The advisory committee met more than 20 times and held four public meetings. Last November, parks staff held a public meeting specifically to seek comments on the long-term boundary and land classifications recommended by the advisory committee. The advisory committee then prepared a recommendation to parks staff.
The parks commission is receiving staff recommendations in two documents. The first contains recommendations for land classification and long-term boundary. On April 26, the commission will review the second document with the staff recommendations on the remaining policy questions. That item will also contain the management plan for the park. The meeting will be in Ephrata and is open to the public.
Long-term boundary
The following recommendations have been presented by parks staff to the commission:
* Big Finn Hill County Park property west of Juanita Drive and north of 132nd Street: Acquire in fee or develop a management agreement. Management goals would remain unchanged, i.e. dispersed recreation (trails) and natural resource protection.
* Undeveloped private and county property south of park: Obtain in fee, obtain an easement, or develop a management agreement. This undeveloped property would buffer the park from additional residential development.
* Bastyr University: Develop a management agreement and seek trail easements. A management agreement would cover parking, managing traffic, financial support and natural resource management. Bastyr University hopes to expand enrollment in the future. A trail management plan and trail easement would benefit trail users and provide for coordinated management.
* Arrowhead Elementary School: A management agreement would allow use of the parking lot by park visitors, formalize a trail connection between the two properties and explore future plans for the undeveloped property west of the school.
* Developed private property by northwest park boundary (property with existing homes): A management agreements could provide a means of working with landowners to address retaining the current integrity of the forest and stream. No land purchase is recommended.
* Undeveloped private property by northwest park boundary: Obtain in fee, obtain an easement or develop a management agreement. A park trail crosses one of these parcels. At least one of these parcels has no legal access to it.
Land classification
1. Recreation: areas suitable for and/or developed for high-intensity outdoor recreational use;
2. Resource Recreation: medium-intensity and low-intensity outdoor recreational use;
3. Natural: preservation, restoration and interpretation of natural processes;
4. Heritage: preservation, restoration and interpretation of historic properties;
5. Natural forest: preservation, restoration, and interpretation of natural forest processes while providing for low-intensity outdoor recreation; and
6. Natural area preserve: preservation of rare or vanishing flora, fauna, geological, natural historical or similar features.
Advisory committee recomendation
The advisory committee recommended the natural area classification for the entire forested portion of the park west of the seminary building, and all the land east of the seminary building to be classified resource recreation. The heritage areas classification is recommend for the seminary building and Bastyr University and the ball field areas are recommended as recreation.
Staff recommendation
The staff recommendation follows the advisory committee recommendation in all areas except for the forested area west of the water tower trail, the seminary building and the northern parking area.
The staff recommendation of resource recreation for the western portion of the park allows for medium- and low-intensity activities and facilities. Orienteering and mountain bike riding are not an allowed activity within the natural classification and are allowed within the resource recreation classification.
The following facilities and activities are permitted within the resource recreation classification but, are not considered appropriate for St. Edward State Park: equestrian trails, off-trail equestrian uses, camping, roads, parking and docks/piers. Note that an activity conditionally permitted requires specific commission authorization in order to be allowed.
More information is available from Bill Koss, state parks planning and research manager, at 360-902-8629 or bill.koss@parks.wa.gov; the state parks Web site at www.parks.wa.gov/; a citizens-action group at www.C4SEP.org.[[In-content Ad]]
