"There's no question development is good, and so is open space," Friends of Amon Creek member Kathy Dechter told the Tri-City Herald.

"But when open space is gone, it's gone," she added in the April 29 article about efforts to protect Amon Basin Natural Preserve.

As a land use planner, I learned well how one can add or remove parking, provide landscaping, reconfigure building footprints, access and roadways to create or improve a real estate development.

I also know that you cannot bring back wildlife and old-growth flora once its environment is removed.

I intend to donate to the fund to purchase the 119 acres adjacent to Amon Creek Preserve in order to prevent a proposed housing development there.

In addition to money, I will offer my time, expertise and efforts to protect and enhance the buffer. I encourage others to do the same.

When I was a child in Richland, public parks such as Columbia, Riverside (now Howard Amon) and Sacajawea were for family outings, special times like picnics on the Fourth of July, or to entertain relatives from out of town.

For my friends and me, however, every Saturday could be spent playing in paradise. Our playground, the natural world, was a bicycle ride away in any direction.

We pretended we were wild horses or explorers like Lewis and Clark, following trails in the desert and along rivers, surprising rabbits and quail, being brought up short by the occasional snake, hiding behind the sagebrush or among Russian olive to watch birds and other small creatures.

We had adventures and learned how things worked, how animals lived and plants grew, what changed with the seasons and the many sounds that could be found in being quiet.

I loved being outdoors and it was as much a part of me becoming me as family, school, social life and work.

I recently returned to the Tri-Cities and one of my first activities was a nature walk lead by the Friends of Amon Creek.

A dear friend and her grandchildren went with me. Fears that the young boys would be bored quickly evaporated as they listened intently to the guide, Scott Woodward, and enthusiastically spotted red and yellow winged blackbirds. They looked for signs of beaver, bent close to see blooms of small desert plants and stepped carefully to avoid damaging recovering native habitat along the path.

Kathy and I relived discoveries of half a century before, and we were both touched and rewarded when the boys said they would like to do this again.

Please, let us save today what we can for our children, as well as ourselves, teaching them to savor and delight in such open spaces. So they, in turn, will protect nature's special places for their children and grandchildren.

If we do not, it will be lost forever.

With all of the building that's going on in the Tri-Cities, Amon Basin wetlands provides one hold on nature.

It's worth preserving.

But like everything else, it comes with a price tag.

It's an ambitious plan to come up with $2 million, but that's exactly what the Tapteal Greenway Association and Friends of Amon Basin are trying to do.

The money will buy the 119 acres that form a buffer between the Amon Creek Natural Preserve in South Richland and the Steptoe development.

If the association can't come up with the money, the alternate plan is to develop the land with 438 homes, two roads and a bridge across the wetlands.

The area will be home to someone or something. Whether it's humans or black-tailed jackrabbits, otters and badgers has yet to be determined.

People in the Tri-Cities flock to open spaces. The trails on Badger Mountain, for example, are busy year-round.

But a recent push to buy the top of Little Badger Mountain to extend that trail failed to get enough community support.

It would be sad to see the same thing happen at Amon Creek.

Even those of us who never hike the mountain or traverse the trails benefit by having open spaces in our community.

For one thing, it makes the Tri-Cities more livable and desirable -- which reaps economic benefits. New residents and businesses are attracted to communities that boast large open spaces.

That means more than golf courses and groomed parks. Those are important, of course, but Amon Basin offers a unique opportunity to preserve natural habitat in an urban setting. Very desirable.

The preserve provides habitat to nearly 150 species of birds, river otters, beavers, badger and coyotes, and 47 plant species, including some sagebrush that's at least a century old.

And as Herald reporter Kevin McCullen recently pointed out, it's also home to the largest concentration of black-tailed jackrabbits in the Tri-Cities, and it's the only urban location that combines wetlands, riparian areas and shrub-steppe habitats.

It is -- in a word -- irreplaceable. Once wild lands are developed, it's impossible to reclaim what's been lost.

Letter writers have been encouraging readers to open their hearts -- and wallets -- to help Tapteal Greenway Association and Friends of Amon Basin buy the land.

Richland City Council members are scheduled to discuss a resolution supporting the project Tuesday night. But today is the deadline for public comment to the council.

If the Amon Basin project is something you want to see preserved, sending a note today would be an appropriate action.

Mayor John Fox's e-mail address is jfox@ci.richland.wa.us. He'll no doubt share any correspondence with the rest of the council.

An even more meaningful gesture would be to write a check to the association.

RICHLAND–A black-tailed jack rabbit wriggled under clumps of sagebrush and rabbitbrush before nestling against a gnarled stem, its black and gray coloration camouflaging its hiding spot in the Amon Basin.

Listed as a species of concern in Washington, the little rabbit never flinched as Scott Woodward walked past it and up a small hill overlooking the wetlands, riparian areas and shrub-steppe of the roughly 100-acre Amon Creek Natural Preserve in south Richland.

Amon Basin is home to the largest concentration of black-tailed jack rabbits in the Tri-Cities, and is the only urban location that combines the three kinds of habitat.

The Amon area also provides habitat to nearly 150 species of birds at various times of the year, river otters, beavers, badger and coyotes, and 47 plant species, including some sagebrush that's at least a century old.

But Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway Association, and others fear that Amon's unique habitat would be ruined if an adjoining 119-acre parcel is sold and transformed into a proposed housing development. The project calls for 438 homes, two roads and a bridge that would cross the heart of the wetlands.

"Without that land, there is no buffer to protect all this," Woodward said, gesturing to the riparian areas and wetlands. "Without the buffer, this whole area would be threatened. And if we lose it, it will be lost forever."

So the Tapteal Greenway Association and Friends of Amon Basin are launching a fundraising effort to get $2 million to buy the acreage and create what Woodward calls a "Central Park" for the Tri-Cities because of its unique natural qualities and proximity to homes and businesses.

The effort begins at 9 a.m. Saturday with a free guided walk and interpretive talks by experts in biology, geology, botany and more. Participants are asked to meet at Claybell Park off Broadmoor Street.

The event is intended to inform participants about the natural wonders of the Amon area and show off the native plant restoration and work on signs, kiosks and benches by volunteers, said Kathy Dechter of Richland, the Friends of Amon liaison to the Tapteal Greenway Association.

Owners of the coveted buffer property are willing to sell to the association, Woodward said. The property owners are John Michel of Kennewick and Tom Solback.

"The landowners have been gracious and very willing to work with us," said Woodward, a Tri-City native. "They'd prefer it remain a conservation park and they have given us time to come up with (the funds). But at the same time, business is business."

Development of the Steptoe Street extension, which will bring traffic to the eastern edge of Amon Basin, has accelerated the preserve-or-develop pressure on the property.

If fundraising is successful, the Tapteal association will be responsible for maintaining the land, which would be owned by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, Woodward said.

The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit that helps communities and government agencies identify land for protection as parks and open space, is acting as the agent in the project, he said.

Volunteers in the past year have planted cottonwood, sumac and dogwood trees along the creek, while Boy Scout troops have built benches at overlook areas and members of Ducks Unlimited contributed wood duck nesting boxes. Over the years, volunteers also have removed more than 25 tons of trash.

The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network, a public-private partnership that formed to identify the region's natural assets, has ranked the Amon Basin project as its highest-priority preservation area because of the quality and importance of the habitat, Woodward said.

This week, Woodward took a short walk through the preserve to point out its springtime splendor. Wildflowers are in bloom throughout Amon, from balsamroot to desert parsley.

Red-wing and yellow-winged blackbirds landed on cattails in the wetlands, while mallards and a pair of Canada geese paddled nearby. In the distance, rooster pheasants cackled.

In part of the wetlands -- near where a bridge would be built to lead to the possible housing development -- water bubbled up from springs, one of the reasons the water does not freeze over in winter and provides year-round access to waterfowl, Woodward explained.

Large holes scoured by beaver pock portions of the bank. Nearby, a trail along an old railway bed is used regularly by hikers and people walking their dogs, which must be leashed.

Granite boulders also dot the landscape, washed downstream by the ancient Missoula floods. And there are frequent signs of jack rabbits, a species that would decline if the population were forced out by development and squeezed into the smaller existing preserve, Woodward said.

"There's no question development is good, and so is open space," Dechter said. "But when open space is gone, it's gone."

–Kevin McCullen: 509-582-1535; kmccullen@tricityherald.com

Someday Kennewick and Richland could be linked at Steptoe. Peter Rogalsky with the City of Richland says a lot of people are enthusiastic about the project.

"It's connectivity. It's reduction in traffic congestion", said Roglasky.

And it'll likely mean more development. That's the part Scott Woodward and the Tapteal Greenway Association worry about.

"Our concern is the collateral damage–the 195-acre parcel in wetland that would immediately be up for sale."

It's private land, for sale to developers. Which could mean the space between nature in the Amon Basin and modern day civilization will be smaller.

Peter Rogalsky says rules protect buffer areas closest to the water. But beyond that the city doesn't have plans to buy more land to preserve it. The greenway association is now trying to buy it on its own.

"They have the right if they want to buy the ground, but the city doesn't see it as a priority", said Rogalsky.

The path through here could get underway in the next few months. The only hold up – is cash. The project only has about half of what it needs. And clearing the cash will eventually mean clearing some of the land.

The City of Richland and the City of Kennewick partnered to bring in about $7 million for the project. They still need another $7 million more.

RICHLAND – Six dozen volunteers and members of the Tapteal Greenway Association battled the wind Saturday, to save native plants and clean up garbage around Claybell Park.

The group raised enough money to buy 100 acres of land near the park last year, which it donated to the City.

Their goal is to make it pristine and bring back the natural habitat, but people have been destroying the place with ATV's, paint-balls and trash.

"There's a lot of garbage out here," said volunteer Marilyn Boyle. "This place has been mistreated out here, so I'm hoping that some day, we'll be able to bring the dogs out here, and our nephews and our families, and have a picnic."

They also plan to extend the park into the land surrounding it. The Greenway association will be in charge of maintaining the area.

They have another restoration day scheduled for April 18, and can always use volunteers

Einstein is a recluse, but that’s not unusual for a beaver. Evidence of his engineering skill and his industriousness are some of the unmistakable features of the Amon Basin Nature Preserve. Einstein’s neighbors include various species of waterfowl, cottontail rabbits, black-tailed jackrabbits, raccoons, hawks and river otters. The creek is a hobbit-like hideaway just south of Claybell Park in Richland.

Development is closing in, yet the preserve is hardly noticeable because of the undulating terrain. The public has a chance to visit Einstein’s environment Saturday during a guided interpretive walk starting at 9 a.m. The event is sponsored by the Friends of Amon Basin and the Tapteal Greenway Association. People who want to join should meet at Claybell Park, off Broadmoor Street in South Richland. Hikers are advised to bring water, binoculars, a camera and wear sturdy shoes, but leave their dogs at home, said Scott Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway Association.

A recent walk to the 100-acre preserve revealed a mix of wetlands and shrub steppe that includes freshwater springs, vistas and one of the last patches of Wyoming sage in the Tri-Cities and one of the best examples in the world, Woodward said. The walk begins just south of Claybell Park, following a dirt trail heading to the west about 50 yards, then due south about 100 yards, drawing closer to the west fork of Amon Creek. Russian olive trees sink their tap roots deep along the creek bank, while their thorny branches provide cover and seclusion for rabbits and migrating salmon. The walking trail broadens because it has been used for vehicle access and because it is the old Yakima River bed, Woodward said.

Farther on, as the trail sneaks along a side hill to the east, the creek environment closes in on the west. Midmorning sunlight paints the creek with bright yellows and greens, and a pair of green-winged teal scoot low over coyote willows and horsetail rush. Redwing blackbirds and blue heron frequent here, Woodward said. Woodward walks and talks, eager to point out a surprise just ahead. “We have a resident you will want to see,” he said. A couple of harrier hawks skim over a pond where the ambling Amon Creek leaks through a mass of vegetation that conceal muskrat. It’s the first sign of Einstein, but Woodward held his tongue. He preferred to point out the fragile ecology of the hillside, noticing the occasional white spots on the ground where it looked like someone dropped a bag of flour. Those spots are evidence of underground springs, the white being minerals deposited when the wetness evaporates in the heat of the day, he said.

Walking a bit closer to the south end of the pond, Woodward pointed out a beaver condominium, as he called it, and a beaver slide, where Einstein and his family have stripped away grass to make a muddy path to the water in case a quick getaway is needed. The largest edifice attributed to Einstein is something the beaver created more than 100 feet across on a pond. The pond provides not only refuge for Einstein, but a play area for river otters, Woodward said.

Leaving the creek, and marching due east up the dune hills, Woodward reached a vantage point and an old railroad right of way. The evidence of unauthorized off-road activity was obvious. Embankments had been scrubbed of fragile vegetation. Sagebrush was flattened, some of it decades old, Woodward noted. The railroad bed swung a long arc around the hill, generally northeast and led to a broad open area devoid of vegetation. Rusty car bodies were about and lots of off-road trails criss-crossed the area.

A rush of water emerges from a culvert during irrigation season, creating Beer Falls, a popular off-roading rendezvous site. The Amon Wastewater meanders about one-half mile northward toward Claybell Park. Woodward pointed out damage from off-roading that has created flooding problems.

Today’s tours are intended to educate and invite the public to participate in protecting and making the preserve better, said Kathy Dechter, one of the coordinators. There are 15 volunteer guides who will take each group out for 1 ½ to 2 hours, Dechter said.

The sponsoring organizations also hope the tours will create interest in the public attending a community meeting at 7 p.m. April 30 at the Richland Community Center, 500 Amon Park Dr., Richland. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department will be asking for public comment as it considers how to further develop and expand Claybell Park adjacent to the preserve.

Dechter said the Tapteal Greenway Association also wants public participation in helping eliminate illegal vehicle access to the preserve, in restoring damaged areas, and in establishing trailheads and designated trails.

Parts of the Amon Creek Natural Preserve might look enticing to an ATV driver, but the area isn't meant to be torn up by motorized vehicles.

It never was, of course, but in the past people haven't hesitated to drive on the delicate landscape because no one was officially protecting it.

Now someone is.

Last year the area became a public wildlands park, meant solely for walkers, joggers and horseback riders.

But not everyone has gotten that message. Some are still using it for dirt bikes, paint-ball shoot-outs and as a dumping ground for trash.

The Richland police have stepped up patrols to crack down on illegal activities that continue to plague the area.

It shouldn't be necessary. More people need to understand what Amon Creek is all about and appreciate the fragile terrain instead of ruining it for visitors and the birds and animals who live there.

The preserve covers at least 105 acres from the intersection of Leslie Road and Clearwater Avenue, north to Claybell Park.

The area is the largest tributary to the Lower Yakima River, and the wetlands on its west fork are considered extremely valuable to wildlife.

Volunteers with the Tapteal Greenway Association take care of the ponds, wetlands, shrubs and trails in the preserve and are working to get the word out that the area is not the place for motorized vehicles.

It's an oasis among the expanding housing developments of south Richland.

With the help of neighbors and the Richland police, we hope the day will soon come when everyone treats the Amon preserve like the treasure it's become.

The Tapteal Greenway Association achieved a major milestone with its recent acquisition of 15.5 acres along Amon Creek.

That parcel was the missing piece needed to create 100 acres of contiguous parkland that will be protected from development and available for hiking, bicycling and horseback riding.

The newly acquired property is east of the Willowbrook subdivision and between Claybell Park and Amon Creek, behind the Meadow Springs Country Club.

The 350-member group has been working for five years to create the 100-acre preserve.

The Tapteal Greenway Association purchased the land with $280,000 from state Department of Transportation funds designated to replace wetlands lost to highway development in other areas and $100,000 from the state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council.

Association members also raised $9,000 to pay closing costs.

The Tapteal Greenway Association will turn the land over next month to the city of Richland, which already owns a 39-acre parcel in the Amon Creek project.

The Amon Basin area boasts a wide range of residents, from jack rabbits to beaver to river otter, and several types of birds. Native plants abound.

But all of the special things that can be found at Amon Creek are sensitive to outside influences. And the association wants to protect them, especially from people looking for challenges in their off-road vehicles.

The group will continue to clean up the property. Members already have removed 14 derelict vehicles and 16 tons of illegally dumped debris on the property. Despite their best efforts, more trash and vehicles already have been left on the property.

The city, Kennewick Irrigation District and BNSF railroad have all pledged to step up enforcement to keep intruders out and to curb dumping. Signs will be posted banning all motorized vehicles.

While many of us still think of the Mid-Columbia as wide-open space, land in the Tri-City area is quickly being developed. Pockets of land recently available for wildlife now hold houses and retail centers.

The Tapteal Greenway Association is here to remind us that we need to think ahead and protect some special areas in our midst.

The Amon Basin project is a smart move. The sensitive ecology of the land would have made it difficult, if not impossible, for commercial development.

And it gives Tri-Citians -- especially the ever-increasing number of south Richland and west Kennewick residents -- a great area to explore.

Trails will be developed, benches will be placed along the path, and it will become a thoroughly enjoyable haven to visit. It's great foresight from Richland and the Tapteal Greenway Association to ensure a future for this oasis of nature in the middle of an expanding sea of development.

Another piece of the vanishing sage steppe landscape has been snatched from potential development in Richland.

The Tapteal Greenway Association, working with some other big-dollar donors, recently bought 15.5 acres along Amon Creek north of Claybell Park.

The parcel, which lies on the back side and east of the Willowbrook subdivision, is the final piece making up a contiguous, 100-acre area that will be ideal for nonmotorized recreational use, said association president Scott Woodward.

“This is a dream that started five years ago and it is coming true,” he said.

The recent acquisition of 15.5 acres connects a 39-acre piece to the north and east bought by the city of Richland last fall with the Amon Creek Natural Preserve of nearly 60 acres farther south along Leslie Road.

“The intent is for hiking, biking and horseback riding. It has wetlands, big sage and hills, and is one of the best pieces of dune environment left in the Tri-Cities,” Woodward said.

The Tapteal Greenway Association, a nonprofit group with about 350 members, has been angling to get the land for recreational purposes since 2005.

The recent land purchase was leveraged by $280,000 from the Washington Department of Transportation. The agency had set aside the money set for mitigation projects after taking a swath of Yakima River wetlands to build the Highway 240 causeway, Woodward said.

Another $100,000 came from the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. That group also put up money on the buy the Amon Creek Natural Preserve property, he said.

The Tapteal Greenway Association came up with about $9,000 for closing costs on the recent land deal. Woodward said the association intends to turned over the property to the city of Richland at a ceremonial deed presentation next month.

“This is the last place in the Tri-Cities where you can find this kind of ecology,” Woodward said Thursday while walking through the preserve.

Jack rabbits, cottontail rabbits, beaver, river otter, Harrier hawks, green-winged teal and a variety of ducks noticed the visitors who worked their way south along the west fork of Amon Creek.

Woodward said the land is rich in native plants and fauna, but is at high risk from unauthorized activities, especially four-wheel drive rigs.

“It’s a mess and it keeps getting worse by the day. I'm so frustrated,” he said.

An aerial photo shows scars from the off-roading cutting across the sage and rabbit brush. But nothing shows the devastation as much as the gouges on steep embankments and even the slopes along railroad tracks, from indiscriminate four-wheeling.

Cleaning up the property has been a priority for the association for several years. Members took out 14 abandoned vehicles two years ago, along with about 16 tons of debris dumped near several access points to the property, Woodward said.

Yet the trash keeps coming back. Three more demolished and abandoned cars could be seen Thursday near Beer Falls on the east side of the property.

Woodward said several agencies, including the city of Richland, the Kennewick Irrigation District and BNSF railroad, are stepping up efforts to keep motorized vehicles out and to stop illegal dumping.

Woodward said Richland has agreed to post the land with notices banning motorized activity such as cars, trucks, motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles.

OLYMPIA — The state Board of Natural Resources on Tuesday agreed to transfer a 39-acre site to the city of Richland for $905,000 to expand Claybell Park while adding to a growing nature preserve in south Richland.

The Tapteal Greenway Association already has been working to acquire land in the Amon Basin to the south to spare it from development. Just last month the group received a grant to boost its offer for property that, if acquired, would put all lands along the west fork of Amon Creek into public ownership.

The state has been eager to get rid of the 40-acre Meadow Springs property, trust lands managed by the Department of Natural Resources to support school construction. The land hasn't generated any revenue and actually has cost the state to maintain because it has been used as a dumping ground.

“We're constantly in there trying to clean it up,” said Doug Sutherland, the state's public lands commissioner.

The agency planned to auction the property off in 2003 but held off when Tri-City interests intervened, hoping to preserve the open space.

“It makes good sense for us to do the transaction,” Sutherland said. “These properties in urban areas are very difficult for us. $900,000 can buy a nice piece of timber property that we can generate revenue from.”

“It's a great deal because of all the entities involved in it,” said Scott Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway Association.

Some of the land will be used to expand 11-acre Claybell Park by possibly adding parking, restrooms, soccer fields, picnic shelters and paved pathways.

Richland Deputy City Manager Bill King said 10 to 12 acres could be reserved for development, though don't expect new amenities to spring up over night.

“The sort of immediate priority has been to acquire the land while it's still available,” he said.

Most of the property will be left in a natural state.

Woodward said the land is home to some of the greatest plant diversity in the area — “some really quality stuff,” he said.

The transfer puts about 100 acres in the area under local — and public — control.

OLYMPIA — At its regular meeting today, the State Board of Natural Resources approved two direct land transfers of Common School Trust land–one provides 39 acres to the city of Richland and the other conveys 38 acres near Lacey to North Thurston Public Schools.

Richland gains open land next to city park
The Board approved the direct transfer of 39.5 acres of trust land to Richland–a move encouraged by local residents. The parcel, known as Meadow Springs, is next to the 11–acre Claybell Park. Richland’s $905,000 payment will be used to purchase replacement property for the trust.

“When we present a proposed transaction to the community, we listen to local people and interested groups,” said Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands and administrator of the state Department of Natural Resources (DNR). “It was clear that for Meadow Springs we needed to find a solution that worked for the school trust and for the people of Richland and the surrounding area. It took some time, but by working together, we did it.”

“It’s exciting to see a united effort of different groups of people working together–the city, the state, our association and the citizens–to add open–space recreational opportunities and protect threatened wildlife and plant habitat,” said Scott Woodward, president of Tapteal Greenway Association, a non-profit group that promotes habitat preservation in the Columbia Basin area.

Nina Carter of Audubon Washington, a statewide field office for National Audubon Society, said “We are pleased that our local chapter and the Tapteal Greenway could work together with DNR and the city of Richland to preserve this site because it is attractive habitat for birds and bird watchers throughout the state. This site may be an interesting addition for our Great Washington Birding Trail that offers opportunities for nature tourism and watchable wildlife.”

DNR, which manages state school trust lands, originally planned to sell the parcel at public auction in 2003, but postponed the effort after local residents expressed strong support for keeping the land as open space. DNR has worked with the city of Richland since 2003 to bring about the transfer.

OLYMPIA -- Supporters of preserving the Amon Basin area are wasting little time putting a new $100,000 grant toward adding more land to the wetland and shrub-steppe preserve in south Richland.

The state's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council last week approved the money, and supporters on Monday mailed a new offer on land that would connect the existing preserve on the west fork of Amon Creek north to Claybell Park.

Scott Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway Association, said the boost "gives us some bargaining power" to buy a coveted piece of land "that would give us some connectivity" to other areas already in public ownership.

"Obviously, we're very pleased," he said.

For several years, the group has been trying to acquire land in the basin to spare it from development. A Yakima River tributary, Amon Creek is home to spawning salmon, beavers and more than 100 species of birds.

A big chunk of the money used to buy land has come from the siting council, which is responsible for issuing permits for power plants in Washington. In 2005 the agency gave more than $1 million to the project under an effort to disperse money offered by Energy Northwest as mitigation for not completely restoring the sites of two never-finished nuclear power plants in southern Hanford.

Under the law, more than half the $3.5 million Energy Northwest put up had to be spent in Benton County. So the council spent 51 percent of it -- virtually the bare minimum -- in Benton County while giving the rest to projects in Kittitas and Walla Walla counties. And it heard complaints about it from Tri-City interests.

"That doesn't meet their definition of majority," council Chairman Jim Luce told colleagues last week.

So when the council was informed that supporters of a project to improve fish passage at Hofer Dam in Walla Walla County were returning $100,000 of its EFSEC grant, Luce wanted to ensure that money ended up in Benton County.

"We had an obligation," he said. "We're just cresting the hill in terms of the majority."

Supporters for a project to acquire habitat for elk and sage grouse in Kittitas County, which the council already granted $1.3 million to, and the Hanford Reach Interpretive Center also applied to get the leftover money. The council favored the Amon Creek project over the interpretive center, believing it needed the money more.

RICHLAND — A community gathered to celebrate the Amon Basin Project Saturday, successfully preserving the wetlands after years of fighting off developers.

Tapteal Greenway Association worked for three years to save the Amon Basin from developers, eager to build over the brush with houses, condominiums and roads. But the mission to protect the wetlands pushed forward.

"To help bring that to fruition, I just applaud all of you for your efforts," said Catherine Reed, Washington State Department of Ecology. The City of Richland recently decided to protect 60 acres surrounding the little creek that flows through south Richland. The creek is home to salmon, beavers, coyotes, deer and hundreds of birds.

"People realized what a commodity this area is," said Reed.

The group pulled together a patchwork of grants, donations and city money to purchase the land. The Tapteal Greenway Association raised more than a million dollars but fell just short of the final cost. That's when the city of Richland agreed to front $120,000 to buy the land for good.

"It's a very noble cause and I think the true value of this project will be realized by our future generations," said Ed Revell, Richland City Council member.

At just ten years old, Alyx Powell helped make the Amon Basin Project a reality. Instead of receiving gifts for her birthday she asked for donations to the Tapteal Greenway Association. She raised nearly $200.

"I feel like I really accomplished something," she said. "Like I could really save this place."

With the agreements signed and land protected, the real work begins. The groups are responsible for maintaining the land as well as raise money to pay back the city. But friends and neighbors said, it was worth it.

"I would be happy to give nature a second chance," said Powell. "For it to move up in line. This place should be somewhere where nature is nice, where houses aren't supreme, where we're not supreme, where nature actually rules."

Sixty acres surrounding the little creek that flows through south Richland is to become a public wildlands park by the end of the month.

The Amon Creek area has been targeted for development. But at least a portion of the Amon Basin will be saved for hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders to enjoy the creek and nearby sagebrush and watch for birds, beaver, deer and coyotes.

Tapteal Greenway Association has been working for three years to save the Amon Basin from being covered with houses, condominiums and roads as building booms in south Richland.

"A group of citizens saw something really valuable," said Scott Woodward, president of Tapteal Greenway Association.

The group pulled together a patchwork of grants, donations and city money to purchase the land. Last week, five agencies involved in the deal signed agreements to proceed with the sale.

The land that will be purchased is just east of Leslie Road along the west Fork of Amon Creek, and extends from the Lorayne J. Boulevard area on the south to the Center Boulevard area in the Willowbrook neighborhood to the north.

The creek, a tributary of the Yakima River, is home to salmon that return to spawn and beavers that have built dams along its length. Whitetailed and mule deer occasionally pass through, and the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society has identified more than 100 species of birds in the area.

The Washington State Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council provided a little more than $1 million for the purchase. The state Department of Transportation gave $75,000 to replace wetlands destroyed by the Highway 240 expansion, and Tapteal Greenway Association raised $40,000 in donations.

That left $180,000 needed for the purchase, with the city of Richland planning to pay for $60,000 of that. The city agreed to take the remaining $120,000 out of the general fund to allow the purchase to proceed while Tapteal Greenway Association attempts to raise the remainder to repay the city. Some state Washington Wildlife Recreation Program money also may be available.

With the financial agreements signed and the purchase days away, the real work begins, Woodward said. Tasks range from restoration and public education about use of the land to continuing to raise money and working to expand access to the area and the size of the wildlands park.

The city will own the 60 acres, with Tapteal Greenway Association helping maintain and manage the land, said Bill King, Richland deputy city manager.

A master plan will be created for restoration, likely with some roads replanted and others narrowed into a trail system.

The Trust for Public Land, which negotiated the option to buy the land, will donate $10,000 and the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council will provide $13,500 for management and stewardship of the site. In addition, REI has donated $5,000 for signs and benches.

The more difficult task may be educating the public about the land, Woodward said. The Amon Basin has been plagued by illegal dumping. The wildlands park also will be closed to motorized vehicles, including the dirt bikes that buzz through the area.

The goal is to make it a nature preserve and save habitat, said Nicole Hill, project manager for The Trust for Public Land.

Tapteal Greenway Association had planned to buy land closer to Claybell Park in the Meadow Springs area off Broadmoor Street, but could not meet the asking price of a Seattle-area developer who owns some of the land. However, Tapteal plans to link the 60 acres with Claybell Park either by easements or eventually purchasing more land.

Richland also plans to buy more land near Claybell Park. Some would be saved for eventual development for recreation, such as ball fields, and some left as wildlands. Both potential expansions might get money from the state's Washington Wildlife Recreation Program.

RICHLAND -- Even in the rain, they came to pick up debris in the creek, and shovel dirt to smooth the grounds. "Trying to restore an area that has been pretty disturbed by a variety of activities to its more natural state," Richard Romanelli, funding coordinator.

The Tapteal Greenway Association has about 325 to 350-members, all dedicated to preserving the Amon Basin, an urban wilderness they consider endangered and fragile -- a scenic wetland with fish and wildlife.

"Protect and enhance as best we can, the natural resources that deal with the Yakima River in our area, and this particular area is the main tributary to the Yakima River."

The group has put their muscle and their money behind their cause.

They've raised thousands of dollars, and finalizing the purchase of a sixty acre plot of land they'll maintain, but donate to the city of Richland.

The group wants to build Amon basin park, a community project with trails for hiking, horse riding and bicycling.

"Actually, I don't do this very often, so I feel a little sore right now, but it's worth it, in my opinion, because with efforts to the Tapteal Greenway and its cooperating agencies, we can make this a beautiful area that the people of Richland will enjoy for many generations to come."

Acquisition of Amon Creek property and expansion of Claybell Park in Richland would receive at least partial funding under Gov. Chris Gregoire's proposed budget, which provides $70 million for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program.

The budget proposal fell short of supporters' request for $100 million for the grant program, however, and while they say the governor's budget goes a long way toward helping parks, they believe more money is needed to take advantage of land-purchase opportunities.

"WWRP is a great idea and wonderful for all the communities in Washington, but ... they have not had an increase and the demand (for parks) has really increased," said Scott Woodward, president of Tapteal Greenway in Richland. "It really is time to fund that properly."

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Coalition, which promotes funding for the program to develop recreation and wildlife areas, said it will try to convince the Legislature to increase funding by another $30 million for the grant program.

Joanna Grist, the coalition's director, said she hopes the grant program's funding will catch up with other portions of the capital budget that have increased every biennium since the wildlife and recreation program was created in 1990.

"Gov. Gregoire's proposed budget for the WWRP will go far towards improving our quality of life, which is so important to keeping our economy strong," Grist said. "But additional funding is essential because many of these projects may soon be out of reach as real estate prices and other costs increase."

Woodward, who has worked on Amon Creek protection for about three years, said Richland's two projects face exactly that sort of threat -- particularly as the land becomes more appealing to developers.

A recent land appraisal for 60 acres along the west leg of Amon Creek was higher than expected when it came in at $1.5 million, but two landowners agreed to donate some of the property to bring down the price.

The Richland Parks & Recreation Department applied for a $404,780 grant. Along with a $739,500 match provided by the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council, Woodward said the money would be enough to buy the sensitive habitat, which includes a salmon spawning tributary feeding into the Yakima River.

Phil Pinard, planning and capital projects manager for the Richland Parks and Recreation Department, said Amon Creek and Claybell Park represent portions of the Tri-Cities that are unique and irreplaceable, making them worthwhile to save for future generations.

"You've got an environment you just don't find anywhere else in the Tri-Cities," he said. "It's more of a regional benefit. I think it's going to be a draw for both (Richland and Kennewick)."

The project's goal is to protect the property from residential development and to preserve the land while developing trails and interpretive signs to educate hikers about the habitat, fish and wildlife of the area.

"We don't have much space left," Woodward said. "The threat of development is still very real. If we lose those opportunities, there's not much left we can grab."

Richland also applied for a grant to buy nearly 25 acres from the Department of Natural Resources for expansion of Claybell Park. The city asked for a $195,960 grant, which requires a match of $272,000.

With $70 million, the wildlife and recreation program will provide 25 percent of the funding for the project. At the $100 million level, the purchase is fully funded.

Pinard said the Richland City Council already agreed to pay for the Claybell Park expansion regardless of state funding, but the grant would help to reallocate money to other city needs.

Ideally, Woodward said Claybell Park expansion would connect to Amon Park and create a corridor of natural trails for hikers. Woodward said money won't immediately allow for the project to be built out that way, but he is holding out hope future expansions will connect the two projects.

Claybell Park is built on 11 acres and consists of two tennis courts, a basketball court and a ball field. With the additional land, the city could develop 10 to 12 more acres with parking, restrooms, turf for two soccer fields, picnic shelters and paved pathways. The remaining acreage would be left in a natural state.

The interagency committee that oversees WWRP grants has recommended funding 133 park, trail, habitat areas and working farm preservation projects across the state.

Funding for the Bombing Range Sports Complex in West Richland and the Benton City Aquatic Park are alternate projects that have not been approved for immediate funding.

Two Richland sisters have big birthday wishes -- to save the beavers of Amon Creek.

When Kyla Powell turned 8 earlier this month, she sent invitations to her birthday party with a request for no presents. Instead, she asked guests to make a donation to save the Amon Basin as a wildland park.

Her sister, Alyx, plans to do the same when she turns 10 in February.

Tonight, the Richland City Council will consider whether the city will authorize the final money needed to purchase 60 acres of wetlands along the west fork of Amon Creek in south Richland for a park.

But instead of being seeded with grass and dotted with play and recreation equipment, it would serve as an urban wilderness and wildlife corridor.

The Tapteal Greenway Association, which has put together a patchwork of grants and donations to purchase the land, envisions a place where hikers can look for wildlife and native plants and schoolchildren can learn about the Mid-Columbia environment.

The cost of the 60 acres is $1.52 million, with the property owner agreeing to a gift of $200,000 in land value. Most of the cost would be covered by grants from the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council and the Washington State Department of Transportation.

But an additional $220,000 is needed to complete the purchase.

Tapteal Greenway Association has raised about $40,000 in donations and the city is considering whether to cover the remaining $180,000.

The city's staff is proposing that $60,000 be authorized for a right of way to eventually build an extension of Center Parkway through south Richland and across Amon Basin. The city also would secure a loan for the remaining $120,000.

Tapteal Greenway Association would continue to seek grants and raise donations. But any part of the $120,000 it cannot raise within five years would have to be repaid with interest from the city's parks reserve fund.

The proposal would allow the purchase to proceed at the present negotiated price.

Kyla Powell is doing her part with a donation of $70.94 raised at her Dec. 2 birthday party. "I don't feel like humans are the only ones needed on earth," she said.

This is the second year that the Powell girls, the daughters of Mike and Chris Powell, have agreed to forego gifts from friends at their birthday parties and accept donations instead. They're both animal lovers and last year Kyla donated to the Benton and Franklin Humane Society and Alyx donated to the World Wildlife Federation.

Alyx knows exactly what she's trying to save after she toured the area this spring on a family hike sponsored by the Tapteal Greenway Association.

"There are a lot of pretty things and bubbling water," she said. "We saw the beaver slide."

A spring bubbles up from underground into the west fork of the creek and the beavers slide through the mud to the water.

This winter state biologists discovered about 50 salmon spawning beds in Amon Creek and are hoping it can be established as a permanent spawning area for coho. The beds are down the creek from the proposed park land, but the young salmon would likely move up to the west fork of the creek as the heat rises in summer during the year before they're large enough to migrate.

Alyx said she wants to donate money to create a park "so it doesn't become a place for homes and they do not bulldoze it."

The city council is expected to vote on the project at its meeting from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at city hall, 505 Swift Boulevard.

Biologists have found a surprise in Amon Creek, the small stream that runs through south Richland.

The creek is dotted with redds, or gravel beds where salmon have laid their eggs. By mid- to late-winter, hundreds of tiny salmon should start emerging from the rocks.

Paul Hoffarth, a biologist for the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, recently surveyed the creek, which runs from above the Meadow Springs Golf Course down through the canyon along Leslie Road to the Yakima River.

Salmon have been spotted before in the creek, including at the golf course.

But there's been limited evidence of them spawning in Amon Creek in the past, and the state had not previously tried to document spawning.

"I was expecting to find a handful of adults, a couple of redds," Hoffarth said. "This is phenomenal."

He counted 47 redds in the lower portion of the creek and a couple other that may or may not be viable.

The female salmon uses her tail to dig out a nest 6 to 18 inches deep in the gravel for her eggs. Her work leaves a wide mound of rocks that have been turned over and shine brighter in the water than surrounding rocks.

Areas of Amon Creek as it flows through Leslie Canyon provide perfect sites for redds -- "fast water moving over cobble," said Paul LaRiviere, another state biologist. The habitat is enhanced by the periodic flush of irrigation water that comes down the stream, scouring out gravel and breaking beaver dams to distribute wood and cobble throughout the stream as a natural flood would.

Hoffarth and LaRiviere believe these are coho redds, which can have 3,000 to 4,000 eggs each.

This year, 4,054 coho have been counted passing through the Prosser Dam in the Yakima River. That's up from 2,828 last year and compared with a low of 475 in 2002.

There's no way to know if the redds were created by wild or hatchery salmon. But the increase in coho returning up the Yakima and its tributaries could be the result of both the Yakama Nation's hatchery efforts and a natural cycle, Hoffarth said.

Coho tend to like smaller tributaries. Once hatched, the juveniles spend a year and occasionally two before migrating.

As they grow they may tend to move up the creek to where the water will be cooler this summer. When water gets to 72 or 74 degrees, it can be lethal, Hoffarth said.

In August 2005, he took temperature readings in Amon Creek and found maximum temperatures in the lower creek reaching about 74 degrees. But in the west fork of the creek above the golf course, the maximum readings were a few degrees below 70.

"In all likelihood there's been some limited spawning in Amon before," Hoffarth said.

But its a myth that salmon always return to the same stream to spawn, he said. Because irrigation releases of water from higher up the Yakima River run down Amon Creek, it may smell like home to the salmon, he said.

The high redd count "validates what we have been saying all along -- that Amon Creek is a viable salmon stream," said Scott Woodward of The Tapteal Greenway Association.

The association is raising money and support to save as much of the Amon Creek area from development as possible and turn it into an urban wilderness where people can go to hike and see wildlife and school children can learn about the environment.

Now, parts of the area are too often used for illegal dumping of trash, and three-wheelers create mud bogs in the east fork, sending sediment downstream that salmon don't like.

"This is what we're hoping for -- salmon spawning right here at the culvert," said LaRiviere as he pointed out a redd on the lower end of the creek. "Kids can come and ooh and aah."

Part of Amon Basin could become an urban wilderness park next year, although a few hitches in the purchase plan still need to be overcome.

A determined effort by the Tapteal Greenway Association has pulled together a patchwork of grants, public land and donations to start the project.

The group's initial target is 60 acres of wetlands along the west fork of Amon Creek just east of Leslie Road in south Richland.

The creek, a tributary to the Yakima River, serves as a wildlife corridor where beavers build dams and whitetailed and mule deer occasionally pass through. Salmon return to spawn in the creek and more than 100 species of birds have been spotted in the wetlands and bordering shrub-steppe land, according to the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society.

The Tapteal group envisions a wildlands park within city limits for education and recreation, rather than continued development of houses, condominiums and roads around the creek. School children could visit to learn about ecosystems of the Mid-Columbia and families could view wildlife and walk, ride horses and bike on trails in the park.

Tapteal Greenway Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the rustic character of the lower Yakima River and its tributaries in Benton County, has pulled in $1.3 million in grants for the project and raised $55,000 in donations.

Group members are looking at using that money to buy 60 acres along the west fork from near where Lorayne J Boulevard intersects Leslie Boulevard north to the Center Boulevard area of the Willowbrook neighborhood.

However, Richland has planned to put an east-west road across the west fork at Rachel Road, extending Center Parkway to Steptoe Street and Leslie Road. It likely will be needed as the only major east-west road between Clearwater Avenue and the already heavily traveled Gage Boulevard, said Deputy City Manager Bill King.

The city is proposing a bridge over the wetlands with a pedestrian path beneath, he said.

But the long-term roads plan is causing a problem with some of the grant money planned to be used to buy the first parcel of Amon Basin land.

The Washington State Department of Transportation has proposed donating wetlands mitigation money to the project. In effect, the money would replace wetlands destroyed by the Highway 240 expansion by preserving wetlands in south Richland.

But because of the proposed road across Amon Creek, the Washington State Department of Ecology would allow just $100,000 in mitigation credit to be used there, said Tapteal Greenway member Scott Woodward, who has led the drive to save the Amon Basin.

That, and the high appraised value of the land, leaves the project about $200,000 short and facing a Dec. 6 expiration of an option to buy the land.

The plan has been for the city to purchase the land and Tapteal Greenway to maintain it.

If the nonprofit group instead buys the land, that might allow up to $300,000 in state mitigation money to be spent on the project, Woodward said. The land would not be a city park then, but the Tapteal Greenway would buy it for public use, he said.

The Trust for Public Land, which is in charge of the proposed purchase, is negotiating to get the option to purchase the land extended at least long enough for the Richland City Council to meet in the second week of December to discuss options, King said.

"We've all come so far in this, no one wants to see it tank now," he said. "I'm optimistic we will find some sort of solution. We just don't know what it is."

The city already is investing more money in the project than it expected, in part because of restrictions on the use of state wetlands mitigation money.

At the north end of the proposed wildlands park is the city's Claybell Park on Broadmoor Street in the Meadow Springs area.

The city has agreed to buy state Department of Natural Resources land at Claybell Park that stretches to the other fork of Amon Creek, which is used as an irrigation wasteway. The land includes about 24 acres of dry shrub-steppe and 13.5 acres around the east fork of the creek that could cost about $400,000.

Some of the lands would be left wild and some could eventually be used to expand Claybell Park's grassy area if there is a demand for more sports fields there.

Tapteal Greenway Association is targeting the southern end of the basin for the initial purchase because it has been priced out of the market for one parcel closer to Claybell Park. A Seattle-area developer is asking $1 million for his acreage there, Woodward said, although the association still is considering other property owned by a second Seattle-area developer near Claybell Park.

Although some public access to the west fork wetlands would be limited, trails are still planned from Claybell Park to the rest of the west fork wetlands and developers would not be allowed to build in the wetlands area.

Tapteal Greenway Association is continuing to work toward a mid-March deed transfer for the purchase of the first parcel, Woodward said. It also is continuing to raise donations.

Another group with foresight is fighting to save undeveloped land in the Tri-Cities and preserve it for generations to come.

The Friends of Amon Basin has its sights set on 100 acres near Meadow Springs. The group wants to make the land a natural park and save the habitat of beavers, deer and coyotes from yet another development for well-to-do housing and condominium dwellers.

Wetlands and shrub-steppe -- that's basically sagebrush and grasses in areas with little rainfall -- dominate the wedge of land that surrounds Amon Creek. Organizers envision a "muscle-driven" park: horses, bicycles, walking trails. That means no ATVs or motorcycles.

The park would also include an educational element with informative signs and be a potential destination for school field trips.

The Friends of Amon Basin has taken on a mighty challenge: raising $1.8 million to buy property that is owned by a mix of private, federal and state entities. Only $23,000 has been raised, but the group says it has commitments for $1.4 million from the state and city.

And while preserving some open spaces in our rapidly developing region may seem like a no-brainer, not everyone agrees. Richland is willing to provide up to $100,000 in matching grant money for Amon Basin, but it will commit to saving only 50 or so acres.

The city is struggling with that age old tightrope walk for rapidly growing cities: balancing land preservation with the economics of development.

Cities usually end up in one of two camps when it comes to parkland: Either they see the importance of open space or they don't. If they don't, they eventually will. The public will demand it, or the city will lose its character and become a mass of urban sprawl in a sea of buildings.

By then, it's usually too late to save land in the middle of developing areas, and cities end up tacking on parks on the outskirts or in the suburbs.

We don't want that to happen here. The Friends of Amon Basin should be encouraged by the success of another group: the Friends of Badger Mountain. That group worked for two years to save 574 acres of mountaintop and succeeded.

The Benton County commissioners voted last summer to preserve the mountain's "recreational, ecological and aesthetic" values. Richland contributed $100,000 to saving that land as well. A new trail was built on the mountain by volunteers in October.

While Badger Mountain's prominence makes it easy to appreciate, even from a distance, Amon Basin is a bit more obscure. But on Saturday, you'll have a chance to see the beauty of Amon Basin for yourself. Take a walk and make up your own mind about the need to preserve this land.

Students from WSU's environmental science department, state Fish and Wildlife staff and volunteers from the Tapteal Greenway Association will lead hikes beginning at 10 a.m. Family hikes are scheduled for 1 p.m. Bring your sturdy shoes and binoculars, but leave your pets at home. Hikes start at Claybell Park (take Leslie to Broadmoor Street to get to the park).

The decisions made today about green spaces and nature preserves will have an indelible impact on the future of the Mid-Columbia. Become part of the process and have a hand in preserving our lands for future generations to enjoy.

For more information, go to www.tapteal.org.

The Friends of Amon Basin want to show Tri-City residents what the group is trying to save.

In south Richland, just south of Claybell Park, are 213 acres of wetlands and shrub-steppe land near Amon Creek that are rapidly being surrounded by development.

The group is working to save 100 acres as a natural park and preserve before it's lost to homes, condos and roads.

Members, who are associated with the nonprofit Tapteal Greenway Association, envision a pocket of land within the city where children can learn about the Mid-Columbia environment. Where people can walk, bicycle, ride horses and watch wildlife.

Environmental science students from Washington State University, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and Tapteal volunteers will lead hikes Saturday through the area's desert shrub steppe and hidden wetlands.

More than 100 species of birds have been identified in the Amon Basin. Beavers build ponds in Amon Creek. Coyotes have been seen in the sage between the two branches of the creek. Whitetail and mule deer sometimes cross the corridor, moving down from the Horse Heaven ridges.

The Tapteal Greenway Association has set a goal of raising $1.8 million to buy property in the Amon Basin to be turned over to Richland as parkland.

It has tentative commitments for about $1.4 million, and is trying to raise the rest from private donations. About $23,000 has been raised to date.

The group has publicized the project on its Web site at www.tapteal.org and also has hung flyers on doors in south Richland neighborhoods.

Most of the $1.025 million tentatively raised for the project would come from Washington's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. It is dividing $3.5 million to compensate for allowing demolition work to be delayed on two uncompleted nuclear power plants at Energy Northwest's nuclear site north of Richland.

The Tapteal Greenway believes the state Department of Transportation will contribute money intended to be used to replace wetland destroyed as Highway 240 is expanded.

Richland also agreed to provide up to $100,000 in matching grant money for the project in November.

However, the city has committed to accepting only about 50 acres of the Amon Basin as park land. The Tapteal Greenway Association is asking the city to consider additional acreage.

The city council has been concerned about balancing the benefits of preserving land with the pressure to provide space and services for projected city growth at reasonable cost to taxpayers. The land is centrally located and near a sewer lift station and an electrical substation.

But significant portions of the Amon Basin area cannot be developed because it is wetland, said Scott Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway.

The group is interested in preserving much of the west fork of Amon Creek and a smaller portion of the east fork of the creek near Claybell Park where the two forks are closest together. The east fork is used as an irrigation waste way. Shrub-steppe also would be included in the proposed purchase.

Now the land belongs to a patchwork of private, state and federal owners. Some of it has been plotted for development.

The Saturday hikes are intended to educate the public about the Amon Basin before more of it goes under the bulldozer. If the weather is bad, the hikes will be postponed until Sunday. Binoculars are recommended and hikers are asked to leave their dogs at home.

The group also plans a community cleanup day for the basin this spring.

"This stuff is disappearing so fast in the Tri-Cities, it is hard to keep up," Woodward said.

OLYMPIA -- Washington's Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council tentatively approved $1.3 million Thursday for three environmental projects in Benton County.

Under the plan, $1.025 million will go to buy land threatened by development along Amon Creek in south Richland and $250,000 would go to the Hanford Reach National Monument Heritage and Visitor Center.

Washington State University Tri-Cities and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation would get $25,000 to help develop a nursery project where they would grow native shrub-steppe species in a greenhouse.

The council, primarily responsible for permitting power plants in Washington, also approved a $1.3 million project to buy up state land deemed as critical habitat for elk and sage grouse in Kittitas County.

The money comes out of a $3.5 million pot dedicated to compensate for allowing demolition work to be delayed on two never-finished nuclear power plants at Energy Northwest's nuclear site north of Richland.

The council first spent $485,000 to help buy 574 acres atop Badger Mountain. The $1.3 million for the Skookumchuck Conservation Project was the second domino to fall.

Pledges for the three Richland projects, plus a pledge of up to $400,000 to improve fish passage at Hofer Dam on the Touchet River in Walla Walla County, would wipe out the fund. Money for those projects remains contingent on things such as land sale agreements and local supporters' ability to attract matching money.

"I think we've done what I would call a very good job for the citizens of Benton County and surrounding areas," council Chairman Jim Luce said.

How the money would be spent for the Amon Creek project is somewhat in flux depending on which parcels of land can be bought. The Richland City Council has offered $100,000 and the state Department of Transportation $210,000 to compensate for destroying wetlands as Highway 240 is expanded. The nonprofit Tapteal Greenway is seeking other donations.

"We'll mix and match ... and we'll get the best overall protection we can do," Luce said.

Tapteal Greenway President Scott Woodward said the council money will boost its own fund-raising efforts, which will include going door to door in south Richland beginning next week, and allows supporters to begin approaching land owners.

The council acknowledged the grant to the $49 million Hanford Reach project at Columbia Point won't go very far.

Luce said he hopes Energy Northwest will agree to contribute to the project to satisfy its site certificate requirement for an operating visitors center.

Energy Northwest closed its visitors center at the Columbia Generating Station, the only one of three plants it finished in southern Hanford, following the 9/11 attacks.

The rumble of heavy equipment mixes with the singing of birds along the Amon Creek beaver ponds in south Richland this fall.

As a boy, Scott Woodward spent some long summer days exploring the creek with a friend who lived nearby. Now as houses are going up near both branches of the creek in the Meadow Springs area, he's working to save what's become an urban wilderness and oasis for wildlife.

"This is the only place left in the Tri-Cities with highly valued wetlands and neighboring shrub-steppe," said Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving the rustic character of the lower Yakima River and its tributaries in Benton County.

Between the east and west branch of Amon Creek stand old-growth sagebrush. Beavers build ponds, sometimes turning to nearby landscaped yards for trees to gnaw down. Both white-tail and mule deer cross the corridor, moving down from the Horse Heaven ridges.

Saving all or part of the land from bulldozers or development will take a complicated patchwork of financing. But the Tapteal Greenway has a plan.

About 213 acres of land owned by the state and developers stretches from Claybell Park on Bellerive Drive just east of Leslie Road south toward the railroad. Undeveloped land also includes some additional Bureau of Land Management and Bonneville Power Administration acreage unlikely to be developed.

Some of the private land has been plotted for development.

"It's definitely an endangered spot," Woodward said.

But the Tapteal Greenway won an important ally when the Richland City Council last week agreed to support part of the project.

Council members said they would support retaining most of 52.8 acres next to Claybell Park as wild land, if money can be found for the project.

"We believe that establishing an open space preserve to broaden the managed protection of the Amon Creek wetland and riparian area is an important undertaking as the two branches of Amon Creek serve as a wildlife migration corridor from the southeastern Hills to the Yakima and Columbia rivers," the city wrote in a first draft of a letter.

It was a tough issue for the council as it balanced the benefits of preserving land with the pressure to provide space and services for projected city growth. The land is centrally located and near a sewer lift station and an electrical substation.

Today the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council is expected to decide in Olympia how to spend up to $1.3 million on environmental protection and restoration projects in Benton County. The money remains uncommitted from the $3.5 million the Bonneville Power Administration paid the state to delay major demolition work at two never-finished nuclear power plants north of Richland.

The Richland council has made clear that its first choice for the money would be for the Hanford Reach National Monument Heritage and Visitors Center.

But the council also supports buying the Amon Basin acreage and providing matching money up to $100,000, council members agreed.

In addition, The Tapteal Greenway has persuaded the Washington State Department of Transportation to contribute as much as $210,000 in mitigation money. In effect, the money would be used to replace wetland destroyed as Highway 240 is expanded by preserving wetland in south Richland.

The Tapteal Greenway has launched a fund-raising drive to come up with at least $50,000 and is hoping the interest of Ducks Unlimited in preserving Amon Creek will translate into a matching grant that will triple private contributions. More information can be found at www.tapteal.org.

The undeveloped land near the two branches of the creek now are being carved up by off-road vehicles and trash, including a refrigerator, that have been dumped on the banks of the west branch of the creek.

"We're going to create an environment that is safer and cleaner," Woodward said. "More people will use it."

Cindy Rutherford, who's building a home in the Willowbrook subdivision overlooking the west branch of the creek, said she already sees many walkers who use the land south of Claybell Park. She'd hate to have planned condominiums go up to the west of the wetland, she said.

The Tapteal Greenway is proposing a wild land park for "muscle-powered recreation." That would include activities from walks to view wildlife to horseback riding. It also plans interpretive trails that would be used by schoolchildren, among others, learning about the Mid-Columbia's environment.

"Salmon are once again returning to Amon to spawn and thus provide an opportunity for the public to witness this great spectacle first-hand," Charlotte Reep, president of the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society, wrote in a letter requesting the city's support to preserve Amon basin.

More than 100 species of birds have been observed there, she wrote.

As a pocket of remaining shrub steppe the land is more important than the sum of its acres, she wrote.

"All wildlife habitat is precious, but habitat which serves to link scattered enclaves of shrub-steppe are particularly important and multiply the productivity of the areas they connect," she wrote.

The Tapteal Greenway and the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network are the focus of a Tuesday talk and slide show in Kennewick.

The Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute is organizing the talk by Scott Woodward, president of the greenway association and the ridges to rivers network.

The event is at 7 p.m. at the Benton Public Utility District Auditorium at Highway 395 and 10th Avenue, and is free and open to the public.

For more information, call George Last at 946-8050.

Everywhere he looks, Bob Spaulding sees the big picture for open spaces.

That picture is in the canyons, on the hillsides, atop the ridges and along the rivers. It includes the community's tree-canopied parks and pockets of hard-to-build-on properties hemmed in by development.

But the picture is getting smaller.

Spaulding, who is chairman of the Kennewick Planning Commission, is not alone in sensing urgency about saving Tri-Cities open space.

About 40 people met this week in Richland for a workshop held by the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network of the Mid-Columbia to brainstorm ways to protect and connect open spaces.

"We want to preserve, promote and enjoy what we have," said Scott Woodward, a workshop organizer.

Tyler Heibeck came to the workshop as a relative newcomer to the Tri-Cities.

"There is a lot of pride among the people here in the rivers and landscape," he said.

Having moved from Boston two years ago, he appreciates the need to save open areas. Bostonians had the foresight 100 years ago to place large tracts of land into public trust, and today those acres are cherished open spaces, he said.

Growth will continue and open spaces will be further reduced, Spaulding said. He's seen that in Arizona and San Diego, where he worked as a city planner, and in Seattle, where he grew up watching new homes inch up the slopes.

"One of my missions is to raise community awareness about the issue," Spaulding said while giving a driving tour to show what is happening to Tri-Cities open spaces.

"We need the community to stand up and express their thoughts about what they value. The community can help decide what is important," he said.

Spaulding is passionate about open space, but he's also respectful of private property. He recognizes that landowners shouldn't be forced to surrender their right to develop without receiving benefit.

The key is in how developers go about their business.

Open space lacking

As Spaulding steered along residential streets in Kennewick, he noted how some neighborhoods have a feel of open space that others lack.

A road that meanders and dips as it follows the contour of the landscape gives a comfortable feel and visual experience not found a few blocks away. There, a wide street shoots a flat, straight line bordered by sidewalks and faced by garage doors at equal distance from the street.

It is neat, but predictable, Spaulding said -- exactly what builders, bankers and real estate agents like because they are easy to build and to sell. But the design also is unimaginative and lacks a feel of openness.

A few blocks later, Spaulding swung into a subdivision where the road flows around homes that were placed purposefully to save a wetland with tall trees. "This gives a sense of community," he said.

A few miles west, Spaulding drove the gentle curves of Creekstone Drive. Curbs and sidewalks are incorporated into a pathway along an irrigation canal. Ridgetops above Panoramic Heights appear closer than they are, and the pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly design is enhanced by trees, shrubs and grass that soften the look of the street, fencing and buildings, he said.

But the true open spaces -- the hillsides, ridges and canyons -- are a challenge for planners like Spaulding. One site is at the west end of West 26th Avenue in Panoramic Heights, where about 40 acres of untouched sloping shrub-steppe may soon be homes.

The landowner could place the lots evenly over the property, building on steeper portions, or he could group the homes on flatter land, leaving steeper areas open. Spaulding said the developer would spend less on earth-moving if he left the slopes untouched, but each lot would be smaller. And that could reduce the developer's potential profit.

Spaulding said city staff can't dictate the developer's choice.

"We have various concepts and rules and statements (about encouraging open spaces and natural features of the land), but we haven't gone the extra step to incorporate them into a legal document that would give staff the ability to implement those vision statements," he said.

Richland spaces lost

What Kennewick is facing on its hillsides, Richland has already seen.

Spaulding points to areas leveled by bulldozers on Little Badger Mountain, where homes stair-step up the slope. He said hillside development that follows the contours and uses flat spots, with roads going around instead of over the top of a ridge, respects open spaces and saves having to carve out benches and build massive retaining walls.

"We need to create a sense of place by building while respecting the natural setting," Spaulding said.

"It's not about hurting a private property owner, but looking at what the choices are and what we value," he added.

But Lane Carrier, a Kennewick Parks and Recreation Commission member, is uneasy about pushing the open space concept on private property owners. "We can't dictate to the private individual as to what they have to do," he said.

Instead, he would rather finish the ball fields at Southridge.

"I'm more concerned about what we are going to do with the spaces we already have," he said.

Open space, even privately owned, is important to Donna Lucas of West Richland. She said a neighbor's orchard allows her to "get away from the noise and all the people."

Lucas talked at Thursday's workshop about the need for trails connecting open spaces. "West Richland isn't connected to anything," she said, citing the Tapteal Greenway Trail along the Yakima River and Horn Rapids Park.

Most of those who attended the Richland workshop said trails and open space development should include unique sites with natural habitats, that are easy to get to and connect to other features.

An online survey by the Open Space Network over the past three months showed more than 80 percent of the 360 people who responded use natural areas, parks and the rivers. The top five recreation activities listed were walking, wildlife watching, studying native plants, touring and cycling. Canoeing and kayaking also were favorites.

Priorities listed

The survey showed Red Mountain, Little Badger and Candy Mountain were highly rated to be saved as open space and Badger Mountain Preserve, Tapteal Greenway, Leslie Groves North Natural Area and Sacajawea State Park are the most frequently used open space areas.

Respondents said the top open space priority should be expanding trails, followed by preserving important habitats and scenic views.

Dick Rasp, a 20-year-resident of Kennewick who has been a planning commissioner for 51/2 years, said, "I'm not as passionate as Bob (Spaulding) for maintaining ridges, canyons and hillsides. I'm more interested in people using the parks we have."

Rasp said Kennewick's smaller parks, known as pocket parks, seem underutilized. "We need to publicize them and find a way to connect them," he said, adding walking and bicycle paths could do that.

"Our trail system (in Kennewick) is near to nothing except for Zintel Canyon," said Rasp, who also served 111/2 years on the city's Parks and Recreation Commission. "We need more connectivity."

The Playground of Dreams and Columbia Park have become jewels for the city, Rasp said, but more needs to be done elsewhere.

"What we have in this area are a lot of interesting things but we take them for granted. Once they are built on it will be gone," he said.

WEST RICHLAND -- Barbara Clarke likes to watch birds in the Yakima River Delta, and her husband, Tom, enjoys taking pictures of wildlife near their home on Red Mountain.

The Clarkes and about 80 other people shared their love of favorite places in the Tri-Cities on Thursday evening during a workshop in West Richland about creating a network of open spaces, from ridges to rivers.

Others like kayaking on the Columbia and Yakima rivers, strolling up Badger Mountain, bicycling the Sacagawea Heritage Trail or just discovering neighborhood parks.

The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network workshop is the first of two being held in the Tri-Cities.

The next will be Nov. 20 at the Franklin Public Utilities offices on Clark Street in Kennewick.

Scott Woodward, president of the Tapteal Greenway Association and one of the originators of the open space network concept, told the audience regional open space planning is a concept that can't be put off.

"It's time to ask the question," Woodward said.

"We have to see what people want for open space connectivity. Then we have to develop a strategy on how to get it," he said.

Merle Johnson, a West Richland city council member who worked on the open space network committee, said the turnout was greater than expected.

Participants were placed in five discussion groups and asked what they wanted for open space in Franklin and Benton counties. With maps posted on walls and facilitators prodding for public input, the workshop elicited dozens of ideas.

Wider bike trails was among the replies. An access trail connecting Richland to the Horn Rapids area is what Michelle Gilbert of Richland suggested.

"There's no way to get there on Highway 240 now," Gilbert said.

Bill King, assistant city manager in Richland, noted that planning for open space is "one of the most important things we can do" for creating and maintaining a desirable quality of life for communities.

In addition to offering comments, participants were asked to fill out an open space survey.

Woodward said after the next workshop is held, the Ridges to Rivers Committee will incorporate the information into planning maps to let the public have a second look at possibilities.

The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network planning committee has participants from every city, both counties and a dozen other community groups, including the National Park Service. The goal is to preserve regional identity through ensuring public access to ridges, rivers and natural features, Woodward said.

Do you think the Mid-Columbia is one of the best places to live in the United States?

In 2007, Money magazine chose Middleton, Wis., as its best place. A strong economy, safe streets and good schools all were important considerations. But figuring prominently were its extensive parks, trails and green spaces. Although a town of just 17,400 residents, it boasts 20 parks and eight conservancy areas. In all, 25 percent of its land area is dedicated to open spaces.

Such places with national appeal do not happen by accident. A vision and a great deal of planning and commitment are needed to create this kind of community. Many individuals, groups and public officials in the Mid-Columbia believe it's time to start a public discussion about open spaces and trails in our area to create a local vision and plan for our future.

This public-private partnership, called the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network, is looking on a regional level to see how we best can use our natural assets to benefit our economy, provide access for recreation, education and health, and preserve natural and aesthetic values.

The result could be a regional network of natural and developed open spaces with trail loops connecting people to our ridges, rivers and communities. Open spaces can be defined differently depending on who you're talking to, but typically they include undeveloped lands that provide recreational opportunities, have scenic values and contain natural and wildlife resources.

Such areas are the Chamna Natural Preserve and Badger Mountain Preserve. Some people include developed open space in their definition, meaning golf courses, agricultural lands and developed parks like Columbia Park and Chiawana Park.

Open spaces are significant to Money magazine because of their importance to building and sustaining livable communities and economies.

In a 1995 National Park Service study, corporate CEOs and small-business owners indicated that one of the top three priorities for choosing a business location was quality of life, including parks and open space.

Other studies show that home and property values are higher near open spaces and trails. Homes along the Burke Gilman trail in Seattle sold for 6 percent more than other homes of comparable size. A similar benefit was found near open spaces in Spokane.

Perhaps the biggest boost to local economies is through increased tourism. Outdoor recreation is one of the fastest growing segments of the U.S. economy. Much of this recreation is supported by parks and open spaces.

There also are intangible benefits that are hard to put a value on, but are important to our physical, spiritual and emotional well-being. Opportunities to escape the pressures of everyday life are essential.

Our natural features help create our community identity and define that feeling of "home." They are places to go to connect with yourself and to something larger than yourself.

Natural areas are places of discovery and imagination that stimulate the heart and mind in surprising ways if you let them.

Our rapid and continuing growth over the past several years has resulted in many spaces being developed with loss of recreational access.

The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network believes it is time to act before more opportunities vanish. Cooperative solutions that protect property rights and community interests are needed.

These solutions must complement residential and commercial development while preserving our unique identity and capitalizing on the broad benefits these areas afford the community.

Two meetings are planned to learn what you and others think. The first is at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Sandberg Event Center, 41st Avenue and Van Giesen Street, West Richland. The second is at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Franklin PUD auditorium, 14th Avenue and Clark Street, Pasco (next to the library).

In addition, you can fill out a survey online and find out more about the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network at www.tapteal.org.

Tell us how to make this the best place to live.

* Mike Lilga is a board member and past president of the Tapteal Greenway Association. Kris Watkins is president and CEO of the Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau.

Community activists and government officials trying to preserve open spaces in the Mid-Columbia have pushed the limits of their piecemeal approach.

Now, a collaborative public-private partnership has been formed to look at preservation on a regional level, rather than each entity focusing on its own piece of the pie.

That's a smart approach. The more groups that buy into a common plan, the greater the likelihood of success and the grander the fundraising power.

Preservation can come with a big price tag, especially when private citizens own property coveted by others who want to safeguard it from development.

Property owners have a right to get a fair price for land they've held onto, sometimes for years or decades before a raw parcel is ripe for development.

Owners sometimes get a bad rap, but in the grand old United States, property rights rank high on the list of important freedoms.

With a careful and collaborative approach, individual rights and community interests don't have to be mutually exclusive.

The new Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network is spearheaded by Scott Woodward, a lifelong resident of the Tri-Cities who believes time is critical in the race to preserve land for flora and fauna and nature lovers.

Woodward helped form the Tapteal Greenway Association, which has seen great success on the preservation front with its triumph creating the Amon Creek Natural Basin in Richland.

And while some groups in the past have expressed grand visions of creating a continuous trail that would loop throughout the Tri-Cities, taking in many of its major geographic points of interest, the Ridges to Rivers group is thinking more realistically.

Its vision still is to have a network of natural features and open spaces, but it also sees the need to complement residential and commercial development as well. That's a big step for a preservation-minded group.

Ridges to Rivers partners read like a who's who of parks, preservation and tourism groups, as well as city governments: Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton and Franklin counties, the National Park Service, Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, Tapteal Greenway Association, Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society and Friends of Badger Mountain.

And that's just for starters. Other groups have joined in, and presentations are still to be made to parks staff in the quad cities.

This group wants to forge ahead with a common vision. That's a smart move in the tricky business of preservation in the Mid-Columbia.

Projects often cross city boundaries, public and private lands, and come with a host of other complicating factors.

The group wants to hear from local governments and hold public meetings to identify the community's priorities.

Does this all sound too good to be true?

The success of recent efforts to preserve open spaces increases our confidence in the Ridges to Rivers group's ability to follow its mission and make the Mid-Columbia a better place for all.

A new private-public partnership wants to help preserve the ridges and rivers of the Tri-Cities.

"I'm a lifelong resident. There's great urgency. Just look around and see what's left," said Scott Woodward, who helped found the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network six months ago.

The group's vision is to have a network of natural features and open spaces that complement residential and commercial development, he said.

"We need common ideas, maps and vision," said Woodward, whose passion about saving natural features also led to the creation of the nonprofit Tapteal Greenway Association a decade ago and the recent preservation of the Amon Creek Natural Basin in Richland.

"We need a regional plan," Woodward said.

That might not mean a continuous trail system looping around the through the Tri-Cities to include major features such as Badger Mountain, the Chamna Natural Preserve and bike and walking trails that loop out to Sacagawea Park. But it does mean creating public awareness about the importance of open space, he said.

"We want people to see a lot of things in a natural state," Woodward said.

The group is a partnership of private and government agencies involving the cities of Pasco, Richland, West Richland, Benton and Franklin counties, the National Park Service, Tri-Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau, Tapteal Greenway Association, Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society and Friends of Badger Mountain. Other entities include the Community Health Alliance, Fun Fit and over Fifty, Open Space Coalition of Benton and Franklin counties and the Columbia Basin chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society.

Woodward hopes to add Kennewick and the Benton Franklin Council of Governments by the end of September after making presentations to those governing bodies.

"We want to make this a regionwide idea. This is the time to ask the questions," Woodward said.

Woodward also said the Ridges to Rivers group will present its vision and goals at a joint meeting of Benton and Franklin counties and parks staffs from Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and West Richland on Sept. 11.

Once all of the public agencies and government officials have been informed about what the Ridges to Rivers group wants, the next step will be a series of meetings to obtain public input. No dates have been set for those meetings.

Woodward said the public comments will help shape the comprehensive plan for open spaces in the Tri-Cities.

"This is pretty ambitious. It's the biggest thing we've ever attempted," Woodward said.

RICHLAND – ConAgra Lamb Weston has received the Sustainable Marketing Award from ConAgra Foods and has given the $5,000 grant to the Tapteal Greenway Association, said the company.

Lamb Weston earned the award for publicizing its farm-to-plant-to-market sustainability program, as well as buying renewable energy credits.

When Scott Woodward looks at the Tri-City area, he sees a vision of what could be.

It's a vision of scenic shrub-steppe habitat, canyons and hiking trails following the rolling ridge tops. It's a vision of a future that Woodward and others say can be sold as an attraction -- but only if it's preserved.

"To create a community that's going to attract and compete, these are the types of things we've found people are looking for -- outdoor recreational opportunities," he said. "We look at it as a development opportunity that's going to improve and enhance the Tri-Cities as a whole."

The "we" Woodward refers to is a coalition of Tri-City conservation groups that share a common desire to identify and preserve open spaces. Woodward is president of the new Ridges to River Open Space Coalition, as well as the 12-year-old Tapteal Greenway Association.

The coalition wants a consultant hired to identify and inventory the ridges, canyons and shoreline that cross political boundaries to identify those with potential to be preserved. To do that, they're seeking letters of support from local governments and other conservation groups for a grant application they've sent to the National Park Service to hire a consultant.

Ideally, they'd also like planning groups across the cities to establish regulations that are consistent and protect those lands.

"We need to look at the issue of open space in a comprehensive way," said Bob Spaulding, a member of Kennewick Planning Commission and the coalition. "Each community has features that are unique but if you look at these features they can run into other communities."

Coalition members say allowing urban development to creep onto the natural geographic features that surround the Tri-Cities affects everyone.

"It diminishes the value of everything around the entire community," Woodward said. "We need to look at the whole picture, the whole story of the Tri-Cities."

But coalition members will have to prove to developers and city leaders that preserving open space is good business. That may be difficult as not everyone agrees that development of ridge tops and canyons detracts from values of nearby property.

Jeff Losey, executive director of the Home Builders Association, said he wouldn't take a position on the issue. But he said if developable land is taken for community use the Home Builders would argue for compensation.

"The builders in general, we are for property rights. We don't believe that property should just be arbitrarily taken from people," Losey said. "There has to be some compensation for that."

Dani Gilchrist, president of the Tri-City Association of Realtors, was more decisive about setting aside more open space. "Would I like to see it in the Tri-Cities? No," she said. "That's our draw. We have land available."

Gilchrist said keeping a ring of undeveloped land around the Tri-Cities would increase property values of existing developments, but only because the developed properties would become landlocked. She said that would be contrary to what the Tri-Cities can offer -- ample land that can be developed at a lower cost.

"Where does the community start and stop? Where do you draw the line?" she said.

Coalition members say they're not trying to stop development or leave property owners uncompensated.

In the long term, though, Woodward would like to see a network of open space and trails traveling along Candy, Red, Rattlesnake and the Badger mountains, then down into the Amon Creek system, back into the Chamna Natural Preserve in Richland, and finally to the Army Corps of Engineer's Yakima River delta unit.

Woodward said open space doesn't necessarily mean an area that has been totally undisturbed. Amon Creek, for example, has been altered by irrigation.

"Open space itself, it's an area where there is native vegetation and it has a significant wildlife and bird population," he said. "We have a short list of areas."

It's not clear how much open space -- or how much it's worth -- remains around the Tri-Cities. That's what the group wants a consultant to determine.

The grant would not require a financial match from the communities but Spaulding and Woodward said the coalition may need in-kind support, such as use of an office for the consultant.

Woodward said the group hopes to encourage urban planning that includes preservation and enhancement. "There is way to build and build successfully but at the same time build environmentally. I don't think it's a radical adjustment," he said.

In Kennewick, the city council has had numerous discussions about preserving ridges and canyons. The issue has come up at planning commission workshops, and Mayor Jim Beaver has directed city staff to begin an inventory of open space.

But the city has not made any ruling or issued new regulations preventing development of hills or canyons and city staff isn't recommending Kennewick join forces with the open space group.

"We feel we're at more of an implementation stage than a planning stage so we haven't recommended to the council that we immerse ourselves in this," said City Manager Bob Hammond. "We are supportive of what their principles are and what they're doing. But it will be interesting to see how they run into property rights groups."

In Richland, the issue seems poised to come to a head with the proposed development of condominiums on Little Badger Mountain. The project has drawn some initial opposition but has been on hold while traffic issues are studied.

Meanwhile, the open space coalition has formed. Its partners now include the Three Rivers Community Roundtable, Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance, Friends of Badger Mountain, Tapteal Greenway Association, Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society and Lake Lewis Chapter of the Ice Age Floods Institute.

RICHLAND – A brush fire broke out near homes on Piper Street in Richland, Sunday, after kids lit a roman candle in the grass.

Even though the latest fire didn't hurt any people or homes, neighbors said it's the latest offense in a long line of abuses at the Tapteal Greenway.

They find trash on the ground on a daily basis.

So after the weekends' fire, homeowners had enough.

The blaze fueled the fire to make a change.

"It needs to be safe and clean and with all the abuse going on, I wouldn't consider it safe and clean," Tapteal Greenway Association President Scott Woodward said.

The brush fire that broke Sunday is actually the neighborhood's second brush fire.

"My first reaction was nausea," Woodward said. "It's the same things that happens to me when I'm walking around here and I see the big piles of trash or illegal dumping."

Trash and beer bottles litter the 60 acres of protected wetlands, While off-road vehicles endanger lands and cared-for critters.

Woodward even found a car in the Greenway just two weeks ago.

"There's a car in the water!" Woodward said. "Apparently someone had too much to drink, got confused and couldn't find a way out. That's nausea."

It's gotten so bad, Tapteal reps started keeping track of the trouble.

"It's a small group that, this is what they've always done and they do it because they've gotten away with it," the Tapteal President said.

Right now there are no patrols, no barriers, not even a single sign to stop trespassers.

And at least a half-dozen owners have a stake in the land so it's a hassle trying to get everyone on board to support Tapteal protection.

"What we need is a plan that is going to be efficient and educate everyone so people don't abuse it," Woodward.

Tapteal Greenway Association members met Monday night to work on a plan.

Part of the plan is to make more homeowners aware so they can be on the look out for troublemakers.

Homeowners said education is key to protecting the area.

They're trying to put more signs out and pin-point barriers out there.

The Greenway Association is also considering ways to pay for patrols.