Download - Cascade Land Conservancy

FORTERRA ENTERPRISES BOARD
/// chair’s perspective /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
As Board Chair, I fill many roles
at Forterra. Often that role
is to provide strategic guidance
for the organization’s business
operations. Other times it is to help
raise funds. One of my favorite
roles I get to fill is supporting
Forterra’s programmatic work
through outreach. Recently, I’ve had
the opportunity to gather support
from a broad group of stakeholders
around the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway project.
The Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway is Washington’s first
designated scenic byway. For those of you who haven’t had the
opportunity to visit, it is truly one of the State’s natural treasures.
The river winds through steep canyon walls, surrounded by
central Washington’s famous shrub-steppe grasslands. Outdoor
enthusiasts come from all around to experience the Canyon’s
world-class blue ribbon fishing, as well as river rafting, biking,
hunting and more.
Forterra has been working with partners to update the corridor
management plan, a blueprint for the Byway that was never
implemented. Currently, we are working to conserve the Bighorn
Umtanum property, 700 acres in the heart of the Canyon. The
Umtanum property is critical for securing public access and
preserving the Canyon’s natural habitat.
Over the summer I hosted a convening of stakeholders
interested in advancing our Scenic Byway efforts. We discussed
strategies for raising the funds necessary to conserve property
around the Byway as well as ways to build on the energy of fly
fisherman and other recreationalists who already treasure the
River Canyon.
The effort to conserve and improve the Yakima River Canyon
Scenic Byway is an impressive undertaking by Forterra. But—
and this is one of things that’s always attracted me to Forterra—
it is just one of many important and potentially transformative
projects underway at this organization. As you read in this issue,
Forterra’s Communities Policy Team is working with several
communities on the Olympic Peninsula and around the Puget
Sound Region to improve economies, walkability, quality of life
and more. Forterra successfully conserved a working farm in
Kittitas County that’s been in the same family for over 80 years.
They’re doing cutting-edge research on the value and impact of
urban forestland. Even that is just a glimpse at Forterra’s total
body of work. And that’s exciting.
Looking ahead, there will still be plenty of challenges and
hurdles for the Yakima River Canyon Scenic Byway project and
others. But I’m confident that Forterra will prevail and I, along
with my fellow board members, will continue providing the
support necessary to help get that work done.
Steve Ohlenkamp, President, The Communications Group
Rod Brown, Cascadia Law Group PLLC
Jim Greenfield, Davis Wright Tremaine
Jim Reinhardsen, Heartland LLC
Gary Young, Polygon Northwest Company
Trustees
KING COUNTY
Thomas O’Keefe, Chair
Brooke Alford
Mark Boyar
Crystal Carter
Wally Costello
Nona Ganz
Jim Greenfield
Carolyn Hope
Craig Krueger
Doug McClelland
Harry Morgan
Dave Russell
Chuck Wolfe
Janet Wall
KITTITAS COUNTY
Jim Armstrong
Jim Briggs
Deborah Essman
Kirk Holmes
Jim Huckabay
Jeff Jones
Kelly Larimer
Jason Smith
Tami Walton
PIERCE COUNTY
Aaron Toso, Chair
Bruce Beckett
Katrina Bloemsma
Ione Clagett
Tom Galdabini
Ron Hendry
Lara Herrmann
Kris Kauffman
Nancy Pearson
Monty Smith
Herb Stumpf
Derek Young
Allen Zulauf
SNOHOMISH COUNTY
Nicole Faghin, Chair
Jay Goodwin
Stephanie Hansen
Linda Neunzig
Allison Raduziner
Scott Schreffler
Reid Shockey
DJ Wilson
Allen Zulauf
MASON COUNTY
Patti Case, Chair
Jean Farmer
Emily Garlich
Bob Hager
Tom Hamilton
Terri Jeffreys
Brian McGinnis
Dan O’Neal
David Overton
Dawn Pannell
Bob Simmons
Bill Taylor
Peter Orser
WINTER 2011