Support letters from organizations or individuals for the transfer of the Dept. of Natural Resources Thorpe Property to the Spokane for a park/conservation area to dnrtltprogram@dnr.wa.gov.

1. The Spokane Parks and Natural Lands Master Plan shows high priority for natural lands with 95%showing support for natural lands and wildlife habitat and the Spokane Parks Dept. has a resolution to complete a Natural Land Management Plan.
2. The Spokane Sustainability Action Plan has goals to preserve and provide access to natural lands for recreation, nature education, scenic views and wildlife habitat.
3. The Latah Valley is deficient in parks and conservation land with only one park in the Grandview-Thorpe area. Thorpe will provide the land for a park and an extensive conservation area.
4. There are 3500 housing lots recently permitted in the Latah Valley according to the Dept. of Transportation with the large 1300-unit Victory Heights development west & north of the Property.
5. The Thorpe Property is within one of two high priority conservation areas in the 2022 Parks and Natural Lands Master Plan.
6. The Dept of Natural Resources holds the Thorpe Property in trust for funding K-12 Education and the property underperforms in generating income for the beneficiary.
7. The Dept of Natural Resources has a Trustland Transfer program to transfer ownership of underperforming trust land to local governments at no cost to be used for parks and conservation land by a Washington State Legislature Capital Budget buyout.
8. There is significant community benefit for the Thorpe Property to be a park and natural land. The Latah Valley has a need for additional parks with playgrounds, water features, picnic shelters, nature education facilities, and an undisturbed biodiverse natural area with great views and wildlife viewing.
9. The transfer is important to the community and currently we have support letters from the Grandview/Thorpe Neighborhood Council, Latah/Hangman Neighborhood Council, Citizen Action for Latah Valley, Friends of the Bluff, Friends of Westwood Natural Area, Spokane Mountaineers, Evergreen Mountain Bike, Spokane Urban Nature, Spokane 350, Spokane Conservation District and the Lands Council. More support letters are being requested.
10. There are significant economic benefit to Spokane as people and businesses choose to live close to parks and natural areas for health and well-being.
11. There is an education benefit for students to access to undisturbed natural lands for learning about nature and science. The current limited access and parking will be improved to facilitate nature walks.
12. There is a proven mental health and fitness benefit to having access to natural areas.
13. There many community organizations are willing to provide stewardship of the Property including Spokane Mountaineers, Evergreen Mountain Bike Club and the Washington Trails Association.
14. The long-standing infrastructure deficiencies impacting Grandview/Thorpe and Latah/Hangman neighborhoods will be multiplied if the Thorpe Property is converted to an estimated 1500-unit development if the DNR sells the property to a developer.

Please send support letters to DNR to dnrtltprogram@dnr.wa.gov and Jeff Lambert at ecojeff@me.com by April 30, 2024.

For more information contact Jeff Lambert, 509-999-5100 or ecojeff@me.com