Conservation Advocates Continue Campaign for Thorpe
WA Wild coordinated a letter signed by 38 elected officials, local businesses, land trusts, and conservation groups supporting Spokane Parks and Recreation’s application to include the 200-acre Thorpe Property in the Washington Department of Natural Resources’ Trust Land Transfer (TLT) program. The letter submitted to DNR urges decision makers to strongly consider funding Thorpe as a TLT project in the upcoming 2026 capital budget.
Photo: Thorpe Property, Nicole White
How Thorpe Became a Flashpoint in Spokane
Initially approved for the TLT program to become a public park and nature center, the Thorpe property was unexpectedly slated for sale to developer Blue Fern LLC in late 2024. This triggered swift public outcry and widespread criticism from local elected officials and conservation groups. Despite this, the Board of Natural Resources approved the sale in January 2025, involving a land swap and payment that raised concerns over transparency and valuation.
WA Wild then discovered a 90-day termination clause in the deal and pushed the DNR Board to reconsider. Although the Board initially refused to revisit the decision, continued public pressure and advocacy ultimately paid off when Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove announced the sale’s cancelation in July 2025. DNR also established a two-year window to find a solution for Thorpe.
TLT is a Win-Win-Win Solution, Ideal for Places Like Thorpe
An excellent example of public policy, TLT works by transferring state trust land that is ecologically valuable but economically underperforming to entities that can manage lands more effectively for conservation and/or recreation. As one of the few tools available to expand the size of state trusts, it increases revenue for trust beneficiaries—such as K-12 public schools, libraries, EMS, and ports—while increasing recreational access, safeguarding critical wildlife habitat, and gives the public a say in the future of their public lands.
Why Thorpe Matters
Adjacent to the Fish Lake Trail, which connects to the Turnbull Wildlife Refuge, the property provides a vital wildlife corridor and one of the last intact ponderosa pine–bunchgrass habitats and seasonal wetlands within city limits. It also supports critical wildlife, including the Lincoln-Spokane mule deer herd, state-endangered sand hill cranes, and state candidate species like northern goshawks, golden eagles, and white-breasted nuthatches.
Identified as a conservation priority in the 2022 Spokane Parks and Natural Lands Master Plan and supported by 95% of surveyed residents, the area aligns with the city’s sustainability goals. The proposed TLT project would establish a park with a nature center and trailhead, offering mental health, educational, and fitness benefits—particularly for underserved communities and nearby schools like Westwood Middle School, where over half the students come from low-income households.
