Ginkgo Petrified Forest State park

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park
Wanapum Recreation Area

Thank you for your interest in the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Classification and Management Planning (CAMP) process. 

State Parks started the CAMP process in January 2019. Stage 1 - Issues Identification – included outreach to interested parties and a public meeting on February 13, 2020. Materials and comments are posted below. 

Stage 2 – Explore Alternative Approaches-- continued through December 2021. A virtual public meeting was held on December 8 to hear questions and comments about three different themes for the future management and development of Ginkgo. Click here for a recording of the meeting.  Meeting materials and comments are posted below, along with additional information requested at the meeting. 

State Parks will review the feedback and develop a preliminary recommendation in the next month or so. Another public meeting will be scheduled for feedback before a final recommendation is developed for consideration by the Washington Parks and Recreation Commission.  

You can provide comments by clicking the Comment button below.

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CONTACT US

Melinda Posner, Parks Planner
Project Lead
P.O. Box 42650
Olympia, WA 98504

Phone: (360) 902-8671

Email:

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park and Wanapum Recreation Area are located near Vantage, Washington, about 30 miles east of Ellensburg, with direct access from Interstate 90. Boating, swimming, fishing, camping, hiking, bird watching and sightseeing are popular recreation activities. The area also includes the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Heritage Area, which includes an interpretive center on a bluff above the Columbia River and the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Natural Area, which includes a historic stone house with interpretive information and walking trail with viewing points of petrified logs.

For more information about these areas, please visit https://parks.state.wa.us/288/Ginkgo-Petrified-Forest

STAGE ONE - IDENTIFY ISSUES AND CONCERNS

The purpose of this stage is to understand what is important to the park community, what to change or save in the state park. This helps get a sense of the range and type of issues that need to be considered through the planning process.

Stage One Documents

  1. 01-Public Meeting Flyer
  2. 02-State Parks Land Classification System 2019
  3. 03-February 13 2020 Public Meeting Comments
  4. 04-Public Comments Jan to Mar 2020
  5. 05- Update Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park Interested Parties

STAGE TWO – EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES

At this stage, the planning team suggests potential alternative approaches to address the various issues and concerns raised by people in stage one. No preferred alternative is established; rather this is an opportunity to understand the range of possibilities.

Stage Two Documents

  1. 01-Stage 2 - CAMP Alternative Approaches with Maps
  2. 02-Attachment 1 - Violations
  3. 03-Attachment 2 - Ginkgo Permit Data
  4. 04-Attachment 3 - Wanapum - SiteOccupancyReport-June - October 2020 Wanapum

Public Comments

  1. 01 - Public Comments 2020 - Public Meeting
  2. 02 - Public Comments 2020 Part 1
  3. 03 - Public Comments 2020 Part 2

STAGE THREE – PREPARING PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS

The best ideas from the alternative approaches developed in stage two are combined into a preliminary plan in this stage. The plan includes recommendations for use and development of land, changes to property boundaries and ways to address issues raised during the planning process. Another important document completed at this stage is the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) checklist that describes environmental impacts of the recommendations.

Stage Three Documents

STAGE FOUR – PREPARING FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS

At stage four, final adjustments are made to recommendations and submitted to the seven-member Parks and Recreation Commission for approval. The public is encouraged to attend the Commission meeting and provide testimony or to provide written comment.

Stage Four Documents

Miscellaneous Documents

  1. CAMPing in Washington
  2. CAMP Land Classification System Matrix matrix 2019
  3. Ginkgo National Natural Landmark Brief