The impacts of the proposed development
The development proposed by Tamarack LLC adds many impacts to the landscape and community that will degrade the environment and quality of life. The impacts range from fire, public safety, wastewater, wildlife, traffic, and more.
Read below to learn about some of these impacts.
Glossary
The following terms are used by us and by the expansion proposal in different ways. Our use of the terms follows:
Mission Ridge
Tamarack Saddle LLC
Ski Area
the Expansion
Mission Ridge is the mountain that rises from the Columbia River and stretches to the top of Mission Peak (6,876ft).
The Mission Ridge Ski Area
Tamarack Saddle LLC owns Section 19 near Mission Ridge. The owner of Tamarack Saddle also happens to own Mission Ridge Ski Area and Section 13, from Beehive Road to Devil's Spur TH.
Expansion is one of the terms Tamarack Saddle uses to describe the proposed development.
Wildfire Safety
Increased Risk of Fire Starts
The expansion area is surrounded by public lands consisting of dry forest–rated as the most extreme fire danger potential in most recent surveys. Given that over 80 percent of all wildfires are human caused, adding thousands of people living year-round increases fire risks for everyone. Currently, most of the human use in this landscape is during the winter, not during the hottest, driest months of the wildfire season.
Only ONE Egress/Ingress Route
Without two developed access roads, an emerging summer wildfire engulfing Mission Ridge Road could potentially leave village occupants with no means of escape. There are many examples of towns and developments across the West, that have fallen victims to wildfires. One of the issues that makes a wildfire even more dangerous to a community, is having a limited number of escape routes. A tragic example of this is the wildfire that burned through Paradise, CA during the Fall of 2018. Eighty eight people were killed, many as they tried to escape the town, resulting in America's deadliest wildfire in 100 years. Paradise also had only one main evacuation route. We should learn from tragedies that have happened in other communities, and not build a town with potentially thousands of people, in the middle of the forest, with only one way in and one way out.
Waste
On-Site Septic Systems Input Untreated Human Waste Directly into the Ground at the Head of the Squilchuck Drainage
The developer indicates in their SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) checklist and also in their project narrative, that wastewater strategy will include on-site septic systems and large on-site septic systems. Further analysis is required to verify the ability of the site to support these septic systems without adverse impact to the watershed. Squilchuck Creek already has a fecal coliform bacterial impairment as listed on the department of ecology's water quality atlas. You can review the DOE map here (you will have to click "add/remove map data" and select "Assessed Water/Sediment", and then zoom in on Squilchuck Creek). You can view the bacteria listing here. How do we justify septic waste from thousands of people into the ground at the head of the Squilchuck drainage?
Ecosystem
Impacts on Colockum Elk Herd
During the 2020 comment period, WDFW (Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife) wrote to Chelan County stating their many concerns regarding the development, including the impact it could have on elk that inhabit the project area, as well as the surrounding public and private lands. Following is an excerpt from their comment letter: "WDFW has concerns regarding the potential cumulative effects of year-round recreation on elk use in the Stemilt-Squilchuck subbasins, and how/if these impacts can be adequately avoided, minimized, or mitigated. As an example, it is well documented in scientific literature {sources can be found listed in WDFW comment letter on Chelan County Planning webpage} that elk presence and use of the landscape is negatively impacted by recreational use. Based on the scientific literature, WDFW believes that it is reasonable to conclude that elk currently using Stemilt and Squilchcuk subbasins, both on-site and off-site the project site, will be affected by an increase in year-round recreational use of these areas; the extent of the effect is currently unknown."
Impacts on all Native Fauna
The following is another excerpt from the WDFW comment letter, written by biologists: "Project expansion will introduce significant noise and activity into a relatively undisturbed area that is currently forested and provides valuable habitat for wildlife. Construction noise will have an impact on fish and wildlife resources within the affected area. An increase in noise and activity will result from the residential and commercial developments and from year-round use of the facilities and developed recreational opportunities. Increased disturbance will be introduced into the area by an increase in traffic, hikers, biking, dogs, music, outdoor events, large gatherings, motorized bikes, and other mechanized equipment like e-bikes. As an example, noise disturbance can affect ungulates by causing them to alter their movements (e.g. bedding down/hiding instead of foraging, attempting to avoid noise by venturing farther away or to potentially poorer quality habitat to forage, etc.). WDFW is concerned that this project as proposed will cause additional impacts at those times of year when nutritional stress and and vulnerability to predation are at their highest."
Impacts on Native Flora
We believe the Mission Ridge expansion proposal does not adequately provide information or mitigations for the potential negative impact on native plants. There are at least two sensitive/endemic species that do inhabit the project area include Tweedy's Lewisia (Cistanthe tweedyi) and Whitebark Pine (Pines albicaulis). The Whitebark Pine in particular is sensitive to fire suppression, white pine blister rust, and habitat loss due to climate change. The Mission Ridge area contains a population of Whitebark Pines that have been identified by the Forest Service as blister rust resistant, and are extremely important to the vitality of the species in the Wenatchee Mountains. Recent pine beetle infestations are killing Whitebark Pine in and around the project area.
Rural Character of Squilchuck Basin
Increased Traffic
The following is an excerpt from the "Traffic" section of the 2022 project narrative: "The Mission Ridge development has been analyzed to generate 9,468 average daily trips with 833 new PM peak-hour trips. The distribution of development trips is based on scoping discussions with the City of Wenatchee and Chelan County." FOMR is concerned that the increased road traffic from new residents and visitors will destroy the rural atmosphere of the entire basin, and potentially make driving times longer for both residents and visitors.
Light Pollution
The development at Mission Ridge, with hundreds of townhomes, condos, and homes, will result in year-round light pollution in this rural area, with untold impacts on local residents, up valley views, and wildlife. In the summer, people drive up to Squilchuck State Park, Devil's Spur TH, and Lake Clara TH to view nights skies free from light pollution. These experiences of auroras, the Milky Way, and other astronomical events may not be possible in those areas with a town-sized light pollution source on our skyline.
Higher Year-Round Use of the Squilchuck Basin and Environs
The Squilchuck Basin area offers incredible, uncrowded year round recreation, including the areas of Lake Clara, Squilchuck State Park, Beehive Reservoir, Devil's Gulch, and many more. These public lands provide opportunity for hiking, trail running, snowshoeing, backcountry skiing, hunting, fishing, and both motorized and non-motorized two-wheel use. Many of the trailheads in this area don't have restroom facilities, and have very little parking. Regulation enforcement in this area is minimal, and there are already issues with dumping, off-trail motorized use, and illegal campfires during the summer. If successful, the Tamarack Saddle Development would add many additional year round residents and visitors to this recreational area.
Community
No More "Small Town" Home Mountain Feel
Imagine a Mission Ridge with homes, condos, duplexes, wineries, barber shops, theaters, grocery stores, gas stations and galleries. This village would forever change the character of the ski area we all love.
Project Does Not Align With Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Vision Report
Chelan County organized and created the Stemilt Partnership in 2007 to prevent urban development in sections 16, 22, 20, and 28 in the Upper Stemilt Basin. The County again expressed its commitment to preventing development in Stemilt Basin when it purchased 2,500 acres of land in the basin in 2012. In 2008 the Stemilt Partnership drafted a Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Vision report. This report considered the effects of development in Upper Stemilt Basin and voiced three major concerns: increased demand on water resources, losing access to public land, and increased habitat fragmentation and pressure. The report concluded that resource lands in the upper watershed cannot support urban-level development. The Tamarack Saddle proposal seems to be in direct conflict with much of what the Stemilt-Squilchuck community is trying to accomplish.
Character Change of Wenatchee
The over-tourism and growth that accompanies on-mountain, four-season resorts changes communities for the long haul. Former residents of Bend, Tahoe, Park City, McCall, Whitefish, Whistler, and a dozen towns in Colorado would tell you they wished they could get a ‘do-over’ on how they played their resort card. This development will not just change the character of Mission Ridge and the Squilchuck Basin, but The Greater Wenatchee Valley as well.
There are many more issues, but we hope this gives you an idea of the impact of this proposed development.
A "solution" that creates a dozen more problems, is not a solution.
