Eastside Shoreline

Our Shoreline’s Future: An opportunity to do it right

Chelan-Douglas Land Trust convenes group to develop recommendations for threatened Eastside Riverfront
Wenatchee, WA: The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust has initiated an effort to develop a proposal for the Apple Capital Loop Trail and adjacent lands on the Eastside riverfront of East Wenatchee and Douglas County. These lands are currently owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation, which may be required to surplus and sell the land surrounding the trail if the community does not come up with a recommendation. Retired physician Eliot Scull is working on behalf of the Land Trust and has convened a group of East Wenatchee citizens of diverse views to help the County and City develop a plan that preserves the unique character of the trail and surrounding lands and reflects the community’s desires for this critical piece of property. They will include recommendations for the amount and location of appropriate developments, conservation of lands that should be kept in open space, and preservation of the trail and its surrounding natural areas.

Mike Scott, orchardist and winery owner in East Wenatchee will co-chair the group with Scull. Mike has a long history of interest in the trail and the corridor lands, with regards to future management, funding, and possible private investment.
This effort will build on the extensive community input of the last year, as well as the very significant efforts of many citizens over the past decades in establishing the Loop Trail and the open space that surrounds it. The Land Trust is well aware of the commitment and passion of the larger community related to the trail and it’s surrounding natural areas.
The newly convened group is calling itself “Our Shoreline’s Future: an opportunity to do it right”. Co-chair Eliot Scull said “I’m very excited to be part of this process. It is critical to the future of the trail and the adjoining land, and is an unparalleled opportunity for the community to shape the future of this important front door to East Wenatchee. I have high hopes that we can come up with a diverse and unified proposal that will be acceptable to the City of East Wenatchee, Douglas County, Washington State DOT, and the local community.”

Eliot Scull has a long history both with the Land Trust and with the development of the trail, and has had considerable experience dealing with conservation and trail issues in the Wenatchee/East Wenatchee area for many years. He is a State Park Commissioner, a former founding Board member of the Land Trust and has been active across the state on park and recreation issues.

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust is a local non-profit working to conserve our land, our water, and our way of life through voluntary land agreements, education, partnerships, stewardship, and well planned growth. The Land Trust works collaboratively with local landowners and communities to identify and protect the region’s most important natural landscapes forever.