Spokane County Conservation Futures Ranking

Popular Inland Northwest Land Conservancy preserve properties earn top spots in ranking

Two of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy’s public preserves achieve top ranking to move into Spokane County ownership and management. These two properties, Rimrock to Riverside on Spokane’s west side, and Saltese Uplands expansion area between Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake, currently under the management of Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, have been awarded first and second place rankings, respectively, in the 2021 Conservation Futures evaluation process. This means that soon the County will purchase and take over ownership and management of them.

Assets raised by the Conservancy to protect these properties will return to the organization’s revolving Conservation Opportunity Fund to be utilized in the near future for the protection of more land vital to the health and enjoyment of our community.

Through the Conservation Opportunity Fund, the Conservancy works to augment programs like County Conservation Futures with rapid and agile responses to community need and opportunity. Because of the financial support of members, the Conservancy is able to purchase and hold land as a “bridge owner” until such time as public land management agencies such as Spokane County can take over that ownership and management.

Community investment in the Conservation Opportunity Fund through Rimrock to Riverside or Saltese donations not only ensured the protection of that area in perpetuity. It will also continue to pay out as the Conservancy protects other lands in our region, permanently, for the public to enjoy for decades to come!

To learn more about our Conservation Opportunity Fund, our work in public land conservation, or the Olmsted 2.0 parks planning vision for Spokane County, visit InlandNWLand.org today.