News & Press

1/13/2026

As we celebrate the end of 2025 and the start of a new year, CDLT staff are wrapping up an important annual task: property monitoring. This work is a core part of our commitment to stewarding both the lands we own and the lands protected through conservation easements.

Each year, staff visit all 42 properties owned by CDLT, as well as the 19 properties protected by conservation easements. During these visits, we document any changes on the land and, for conservation easements, ensure that all conditions remain within the terms of the easement.

11/18/2025

We are grateful to local artist Allison Lewis, owner of TealPatrickArt, for generously donating this year’s Annual Campaign thank-you card artwork. Her piece, Sage Hills Spring, is a beautiful watercolor and mixed-media painting inspired by the landscapes we all cherish.

Allison’s creativity and connection to the natural world shine through in every brushstroke, and we are honored to share her work with our supporters. Thank you, Allison, for helping us celebrate the lands that bring our community together.

Field Work Party - Volunteer Series

Help restore trails and habitat in our community! Join the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust for a series of hands-on work parties this October. Volunteers will:

• plant native species
• mulch and water young plants
• prepare sites for restoration
• help with general trail maintenance

CDLT will provide: All tools, gloves, gear, water, and snacks. 

A new StoryWalk® book has been installed at Jacobson Preserve in Wenatchee! Walk the beginning of the trail to read "Dias y Dias Days and Days" by Ginger Foglesong Guy. To make it even more fun, we’re giving away free kids’ goodie bags—pick one up at our downtown office (18 N. Wenatchee Ave) after your StoryWalk® adventure!

About the book: Explore the four seasons in Spanish and English with this brightly illustrated bilingual picture book from Ginger Foglesong Guy and René King Moreno.

Construction projects by Chelan County PUD will affect access to two popular trailheads in the Wenatchee Foothills this September. Please plan ahead if you are visiting Kenzie’s Landing or Saddle Rock Natural Area.

Kenzie’s Landing

The Maiden Lane Extension (gravel road to Kenzie’s Landing) will be fully closed September 8–19, 2025, while Chelan County PUD replaces the water main. Trail remains open to pedestrians-you may walk in to access the trail. 

Tiny Weevils, Big Impact: Biocontrol at Spiva Butte and Lower Sleepy Hollow

This summer, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) teamed up with some remarkable little helpers to protect native habitat at Lower Sleepy Hollow and Spiva Butte: Larinus minutus and Bangasternus fausti—two species of seed head weevils that specialize in battling diffuse knapweed.

Exciting changes are coming to our local trail system! The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) is working on two major trail improvement projects in the Wenatchee Foothills:

1. Saddle Rock East Trail Project – in partnership with the City of Wenatchee and an anonymous donor
2. Homewater Trail Project – in partnership with Chelan County PUD

CDLT will be contracting Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance to assist with the trail maintenance and construction efforts.

Saddle Rock East Trail Project

Curious Wenatchee area residents and visitors can use a newly published brochure to guide identification of locally common native plants and animals. The Wenatchee Area Field Guide is lightweight, waterproof, and costs $10 (includes tax). Users are introduced to over 100 native trees, shrubs, wildflowers, insects, birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Color illustrations accompany descriptive texts, helping the observer to identify species quickly. This folding pocket naturalist guide is available for purchase at the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. 

Horse Lake Trailhead Reopens with Improved Access and New Amenities

We’re excited to share that the Horse Lake Trailhead is now open to the public! With expanded parking, upgraded paths, and enhanced accessibility features, the popular gateway to the Horse Lake Reserve is now more welcoming than ever.

A new StoryWalk® book has been installed at Jacobson Preserve in Wenatchee! Walk the beginning of the trail to read "The Mighty Pollinators" by Helen Frost.

About the book: "When you are outside on a summer's day, have you ever seen fine powder on a flower or floating on the breeze? That's pollen, almost invisible, waiting for the only thing it needs -- a ride on the wind, or a wing, or a feather. And it's the pollinators, small and mighty, who hold the world together with their work." -- Provided by publisher.

3/26/2025

CDLT Addresses Unofficial Chopper Peak Route:

The Chelan-Douglas Land Trust (CDLT) has installed a sign at Castle Rock - the base of Chopper Peak/1:2 Divide - to alert hikers that the existing route is unauthorized, unmaintained, and hazardous. Continued use of this path is causing significant erosion, vegetation loss, and safety concerns.

CDLT Needs a New Neighbor in the Entiat River Valley

3/14/2025