Land Trust secures $800,000 match for Lookout Natural Area acquisition

WENATCHEE — The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust has secured the full $800,000 in private funding needed to complete its matching share of the purchase of the Lookout Natural Area, clearing the way for the City of Wenatchee to move toward closing on what would become its first city-owned regional park north of the Wenatchee River.

Land Trust Executive Director Hanne Beener told the Wenatchee City Council that the funds will be transferred into escrow ahead of the scheduled closing at the end of February, with the possibility that the transfer could happen as early as late January or early February.

The acquisition is part of a partnership between the city and the land trust that relies on a state grant to cover roughly half of the purchase price, with the land trust responsible for raising the remaining match from private sources.

In addition to the $800,000 match, Beener said the land trust, working with the Icicle Fund, is also bringing an additional $25,000 to the table to help offset closing costs. The city is only able to recover about half of those costs through the grant, she said.

The property, now known as the Lookout Natural Area, sits north of the Wenatchee River near the city’s urban growth boundary and offers expansive views of Wenatchee, East Wenatchee, and the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers. Beener said the name reflects both the geography and the site’s cultural history, noting that Colville tribal members who visited the property described it as a traditional lookout point.

The site would become the first city-owned park or regional open space area north of the Wenatchee River and would build on the city’s existing network of foothills and open space properties.

Beener said the property connects to a larger network of public lands, including wildlife-managed areas, and serves as important habitat for native plant species, bighorn sheep, and mule deer. Like other foothills properties, the area would likely be subject to seasonal closures to protect winter mule deer range.

Initial public access would likely use an existing service road, with a broader trail and access plan to be developed through a public engagement process in coordination with the city.

Altogether, the campaign to acquire and prepare the property represents a roughly $4.3 million effort. Beener said the land trust has raised about $1.3 million in private funding so far, which includes not only the match for acquisition but also stewardship funds that will be used to support long-term operations and maintenance.

Those stewardship funds are invested and drawn down annually to support management of the property, since the land trust does not rely on tax revenue for ongoing operations.

Beener said the project aligns with goals laid out in the city’s parks plan as well as recreation and conservation plans adopted by Chelan and Douglas counties.

Under a master agreement signed in 2021, the land trust and the city would manage the property collaboratively, similar to other open space properties already held under that agreement.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media