PUBLIC LANDS -- Long-term recreation and land-use planning for Steptoe Butte and Steptoe Battlefield state park heritage sites in Whitman County is beginning with a public workshop next week.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has set the meeting for 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 7, at the Whitman County Library, 102 S. Main St., Colfax.

This first workshop will include a presentation from Parks’ staff describing the planning process and providing background information on the two parks. Following the presentation, attendees will have an opportunity to discuss the project with state park staff and provide comment.

More detailed information about the planning project is available at http://bit.ly/SteptoePlan.

The public may also provide comment or ask questions about the planning effort by contacting Randy Kline, Parks Planner, at (360) 902-8632 or randy.kline@parks.wa.gov.

Planning for both Steptoe Butte and Steptoe Battlefield will involve three main objectives:

• Classify park lands to determine the appropriate level of recreational use.
• Delineate a long-term park boundary to identify lands with shared management objectives or that may be appropriate for transfer.
• Prepare a park management plan for each park.

Washington State Parks has completed land-use plans for almost 100 parks around the state, through its Classification and Management Plan (CAMP) process. The CAMP process will address recreational and trail use, day-use opportunities, natural and cultural resources and other topics of interest to the community. 

Steptoe Butte is a 150-acre day-use park located high above the Palouse Hills on the southeastern edge of Washington. The cone-shaped peak rises from the Palouse and is prized by photographers for the unparalleled views it offers of a unique landscape. The butte contains some of the oldest rock in the Pacific Northwest, and it marks the border of the original North American Continent. Steptoe has, over time, included a wagon road, a hotel site and an observatory. In addition to inspiring vistas, the 3,612-foot summit displays several interpretive panels that pay homage to its distinctive geology.

Info: http://parks.state.wa.us/592/Steptoe-Butte
 

Steptoe Battlefield State Park Heritage Site is a 4-acre day-use park in Rosalia. The site commemorates a battle between U.S. Army forces led by Colonel Edward Steptoe and several Native American tribes from eastern Washington that occurred in 1858.

Info: http://parks.state.wa.us/591/Steptoe-Battlefield