The Dishman Hills Natural Area is known for its extensive trail system, and many have had the experience of getting a bit confused (or lost!). They wonder which way is which after too many trail junctions. Well, the Dishman Hills Conservancy is currently reconsidering our trail plan to see what can be improved. This was initiated by DNR (Department of Natural Resources) announcing that they are prepared to spend $60K to do a comprehensive update to our trail signs for the Natural Area. This amount should cover a new set of signs with a few interpretive installations thrown in for environmental education. The “ball is now in our court”, and we want to present to DNR an improved trail plan. No one is sure where all the trails came from. One would assume that years of human use created the paths we see today and there is only a few trail segments that were actually designed and built. Here are some of our trail considerations:

•1)      No trail should terminate at a private property boundary

•2)      There should be trail loops where possible to circulate hikers through and within the Natural Area. Exceptions would be trails to important ecological sites or viewpoints.

•3)      Eliminate redundant trails that are shortcuts, duplicates, or Dead-ends.

•4)      Limit trails in areas of sensitive ecology.

We must remember that our goal here is first to protect the natural and native ecology. Secondly, we want to provide public access to experience what we are conserving. We do not want to design a recreational or sports area which would slowly consume the very thing that draws people here in the first place, a fine piece of northwest forest in our backyard. The conservancy has felt for some time now that supporting a trail that leads onto private property is not right. We realize that a hiker trekking down a trail might pay little attention to where the path goes from public to private. Part of this project will be to design and build new trail segments that complete loops in the existing trail system, so hikers will not face the dilemma or having to stop and turn around at a private property boundary. Another important goal will be to decommission trail segments with a program of trail and environmental restoration. Sounds like a lot of work? It is, but we can break it down into several smaller campaigns of work t get the job done. Sometime in the next year you will find new signs, new trails, and restored trail paths. Please respect trail closure signs, so the forest can heal itself and the paths can disappear, naturally.

The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association Board has changed the name of the organization to Dishman Hills Conservancy to reflect the significant conservation land owned and stewardship activities outside of the Natural Area. DHC still focuses on the Dishman Hills including the Natural Resource Conservation Area to the north and Rocks of Sharon on the south side, but will as well be helping with the new Dishman Hills Conservation Area, Iller Creek Conservation Area and lots of other projects.

For those that have been with the DHNAA for many ... many years, this will be a name that you recognize. Those that have joined in the last decade or less, this may not be a name that you know.

Besides being the founder of what is the Dishman Hills Natural Area Association, be was a man that dedicated himself to maintaining a portion of Spokane in its native state. While trying to learn more about him myself, I came across an article published in Aug 1995 that I would like to share.

Thomas H. Rogers:

A lifetime of achievement

by Warren Hall

 

Tom Rogers has had a long and noteworthy career both as an educator and as a concerned naturalist, one who recognized years ago that to save wildlife it is necessary to conserve habitat.

 

Tom moved from Montana to Washington and began teaching at Libby Mountain High School, where I first made contact with him through his editorship of Audubon Field Notes. His name became synonymous with the Northern Rocky Mountain- Intermountain Region, for which he served as editor for nearly 20 years (volumes 25 through 43).

 

After coming to Spokane in 1957, he taught at University High School until his retirement. I got to know him personally when he joined the Spokane Bird Club (predecessor of the Spokane Audubon Society). He has been an active member, leading field trips and coordinating a section of the Christmas Bird Count circle, among other services.

 

Tom has worked on Breeding Bird Surveys in eastern Washington, contributes to Washington and Montana Bird Atlas programs, and continues his lati-long studies of bird distribution. He is a member of the National Audubon Society, the Washington Ornithological Society, the Washington Native Plant Society, and perhaps most significantly, The Nature Conservancy.

 

Tom worked diligently with the Conservancy, the Spokane County Parks Department, and the Dishman Hills Association to set aside a significant portion of native habitat, now known as the Dishman Hills Natural Area, adjacent to a rapidly developing metropolitan area. Protection of Dishman Hills began in 1966 when 80 acres were purchased with the help of The Nature Conservancy. The original loan has since been fully repaid by private donations, while an additional 210 acres have been added. Protection of another 225 acres of the Dishman Hills is in the works.

 

Many people have aided his efforts over the years, but Tom has always been the prime motivator. He has led many field trips into the Hills to familiarize local youth and the community at large with the diversity of plant and animal life in one small piece of native habitat. Tom believes that amateur naturalists can gain an intimate knowledge of an area, then work to protect it; he has set an example.

 

For his determination to maintain a portion of Spokane in its native state, for his lifetime commitment to the education of youth, and for his long-term involvement with the birds and birders of Washington and beyond, Tom has earned the first Washington Ornithological Society Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Reference:

WOS News 38, (Aug 1995) by Warren Hall,  Retrieved from http://www.wos.org/issue38.pdf

Thank you to the 540+ volunteers that joined us yesterday in the Dishman Hills Natural Area to celebrate Earth Day. We were able to remove noxious weeds, clean debris, trail repair/corrections, clear obstructed paths, planted over 2,000 native plants, thin overgrown forest regions and had an overall good time providing stewardship to our community.

 

Thank you also to all of our event partners who made this happen:

Avista, B Radicals, Dishman Hills Natural Area Association (DHNAA), Earthworks Recycling, Embroidered Sportswear, Inc., Gonzaga University, Inland Empire Back Country Horsemen, Inland Northwest Trails Coalition, The Lands Council, Pizza Rita, REI, Spokane County Parks & Recreation, Spokane Mountaineers, Spokane Sierra Club Inner City Outings, Virtual Vortex, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington Trails Association and Zip2Water

 

Click here to see event phots

Come visit our booth at Earth Day on Main St. downtown.  We will have brochures, pictures and handouts of upcoming events.  We are celebrating our achievement in purchasing land that was added to the conservation futures program.  Our participation made it happen- opening up new prime hiking and wildlife territory in the Dishman Hills.  We have big plans for completing the Dream Trail and we need your help in doing it.

The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association has acquired a key piece of conservation land in the Dishman Hills at a cost of $258,000. The land will be donated to the County Conservation Futures program and is a required part of the acquisition of a new 269-acre conservation area. The new conservation area is accessible from Glenrose and is part of the Dream Trail connection between the Dishman Hills Natural Area and the Iller Creek Conservation Area. The Dishman Hills Natural Area Association plans to connect the two conservation areas in order to provide a wildlife corridor and recreation trails extending about ten miles.

Thanks to the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife for this information.

 

Do's and Don'ts in Cougar Country While recreating in cougar habitat, you should:

1.     Hike in small groups and make enough noise to avoid surprising a cougar.

2.     Keep your camp clean and store food and garbage in double plastic bags.

3.     Keep small children close to the group, preferably in plain sight just ahead of you.

4.     Do not approach dead animals, especially deer or elk; they could have been cougar prey left for a later meal.

 

If you encounter a cougar:

1.     Stop, stand tall and don't run. Pick up small children. Don't run. A cougar's instinct is to chase.

2.     Do not approach the animal, especially if it is near a kill or with kittens.

3.     Try to appear larger than the cougar. Never take your eyes off the animal or turn your back. Do not crouch down or try to hide.

4.     If the animal displays aggressive behavior, shout, wave your arms and throw rocks. The idea is to convince the cougar that you are not prey, but a potential danger.

5.     If the cougar attacks, fight back aggressively and try to stay on your feet. Cougars have been driven away by people who have fought back.

 

The Department of Fish and Wildlife responds to cougar and bear sightings when there is a threat to public safety or property. If it is an emergency, dial 911. If you experience a cougar or black bear problem, and it is not an emergency, contact the nearest regional Department of Fish and Wildlife office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. In King County, the number to call is (425)775-1311. If you need to report a non-emergency problem when Department of Fish and Wildlife offices are closed, contact the Washington State Patrol or nearest law enforcement agency

 

You can find a downloadable version of this information via the following link:

 

Living with Wildlife - Cougars (Mountain Lions)

On April 22nd we will be celebrating "Earth Day" in the Dishman Hills Natural Area. This event is an opportunity to provide the Stewardship back to the area we enjoy. Last year 340 volunteers join us and we are looking for this year's event to be just as successful.

If you would like to join us, REI has opened their registration website for this event and can be reached via the following link.

http://www.rei.com/event/32772/session/41035/04302012

We are also still looking for volunteer leaders that can assist with the days events. If you are interested is helping with the planning of this event, please watch the Events Page for the next Spring Service Day Planning Meeting. As of the date of this posting, the next meeting is scheduled for February 15th at 6:30 PM in the REI Conference Room.

We are also accepting in-kind and financial donations to obtain supplies and plants for projects desired during the event.

If you would like to look back at photos from last years event, you can view them in our digital photo album.

Thank you for support and hope to see you at either a planning meeting or the service day.

The DHNAA Annual Meeting was held on January 17th in the Moran Prairie Library 6004 S. Regal Street Spokane, WA 99223. During this meeting, the DHNAA 2012 Board of Directors were elected and are as follow:

 

Michael Hamilton, President

Jeff Lambert, Vice President
Bea Lackaff, Secretary
Kris Wolbach, Treasurer
Andrew Ashmore
Suzy Dix
Bruce Erickson
Paul Flanary
Bob Hamacher
Chris Kopczynski
Dave Lill

Robert Ordner

Chris Polito
David Schaub

Mary Weathers

Big news: After many years of work, patience, and perseverance, we have reached a deal with Spokane County to transfer our Big Rock 80 acres to their Conservation land holdings. As part of this deal we will also be providing a public trailhead and parking on the south side of the Iller Creek Conservation Area (CA). This is a major step in establishing access to some very impressive natural spaces and outdoor recreational opportunities. To really appreciate this, a little history of this deal is appropriate. We started our efforts under the direction of Tom Rogers, our founder, in 1994, with the purchase of 170 acres on Tower Mountain. It was a traumatic event since we tasked ourselves with big debt. We depended on the people of the community that shared our vision to help us with the resources to payoff this debt, and we were not disappointed. This project was Tom Roger’s “Swan Song” and those of us working with him pledged to see it through. Big Rock and the land around it were soon nominated for the new Conservation Futures Program, since we realized their importance to the community. The ball was rolling and as the century came to a close Spokane County, Washington State, and the Association had all pitched in to create new conservation lands on Tower Mountain that were pushing 1,000 acres in total! But the job was not done. Big Rock was the centerpiece of the new conservation area and it was still not part of it. It was not until 2009 that we obtained the Big Rock lands through a complicated and innovative land swap. Once again the backing of many good people made this step possible. Now, with Big Rock’s inclusion into Iller Crk. CA, and parking and public access to the southern flanks of Tower Mtn., what was once a dream, a wild idea bantered over the table at board meetings, has become a reality. Tom we

have done it.

The Deal: We will be transferring our Big Rock 80 acres into County holdings for a compensation of $439K, but before you gasp over the sum, lets go over the rest of the deal. Much of these funds will have a very short residency time in our pockets. As part of the agreement we will pay out immediately $130K for the land for parking, $108K for parking lot construction, $30K for road improvements, and probably several $k’s for closing incidentals. When the smoke clears, all the above will be in County ownership, and the Association will be walking away (happy) with approximately $170K. Please do not look at this as profit since the costs of the land swapped for Big Rock and the costs for the swap process were significant. But, all of this is very good. The real winners will be the Spokane community. The story goes on. Our next land deal with our latest Conservation Futures Nominations is coming to completion soon and we have pledged to cover $257K (1/2 of total) of the purchase cost if the deal can be completed. Those in command of basic math skills can see the net here is a minus $87K. That puts us back to raising the funds in a new campaign for public support (see below).

The dream: There is no doubt that those working with the Dishman Hills Association are serial dreamers. This deal is also part of our current dream to connect the conservation lands that are scattered along the Dishman Ridge and Tower Mtn areas in order to support ecological health, while providing better recreational opportunities. With the Big Rock transfer we have assured its’ roll in the Iller Crk. CA, while providing new public access and additional funds to take the

next step in obtaining more lands to connect the Dishman Hills Natural Area with the Iller Crk. CA. The Dream Trail would run through the connector lands, and supply an outstanding recreational experience as it climbs from the valley floor to the mountain top. This next project

will also take many years, and we invite all to participate.

 

CALL FOR SUPPORT OF OUR LAND FUND

We are heading for a new land acquisition,

the Stone Nomination,

160 acres south of the Natural Area.

We need funds by the end of November

Please consider helping us