Spokane County looks to acquire 78 acres of ponderosa pine forest for free

North of Boulder Beach and east of the Spokane city limits sits a ponderosa-covered hill called the Fancher property.

The 78-acre rectangle is a peaceful woodland, surrounded by subdivisions and big, single-family lots.

It’s beloved by hikers. White-tail deer visit in winter; raptors prowl for rodents among the pines. In spring, thousands of arrowleaf balsamroot flowers turn the forest floor canary-yellow.

Those who live near the Fancher property want it to remain a public getaway spot. But its future preservation as an undeveloped oasis isn’t guaranteed. The land is owned by the state Department of Natural Resources, and the agency could always decide to sell it.

“DNR has lands they’re trying to dispose of all across the state,” said Mark Heinicke, the real estate manager for Spokane County’s parks, recreation and golf department.

Spokane County officials want to preserve the Fancher property and protect it from development. In order to do that, they’ll have to own it. And in order to own it, they’re going to ask DNR to give it to them – for free.

The Spokane County Commission last week gave staff permission to ask the Department of Natural Resources for the Fancher property. The county will make the request through a formal process and, if DNR and the state Legislature are OK with letting the land go, Spokane County will receive the 78 acres without paying a dime.

“Free’s good,” Spokane County CEO Scott Simmons said. “I don’t think there’s any catch.”

The property is worth an estimated $1 million to $1.5 million. Staff told the commissioners that DNR will likely give Spokane County the parcel, although the transfer may not happen especially quickly.

Spokane County planners hope to one day secure easements that allow people to walk from the Fancher property to Beacon Hill, a larger and better-known recreation area half a mile south.

County Commissioner Chris Jordan said access to areas like the Fancher property is part of why he loves living in Spokane.

“Our proximity to nature here in Spokane is part of what makes this a great place to live,” he said. “We’ve got our lakes, we’ve got our hiking, we’ve got our skiing, we’ve got our river. I see all of that as protecting the quality of life.”