Tapteal Greenway Association - Ridges to Rivers

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Help Needed
The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network needs help in writing and producing the Ridges to Rivers Master Plan, please contact Scott at 627-3621.

Ridges to Rivers Survey
Please take a moment to review the results of the Ridges to Rivers Questionnaire, as of 3/6/2009 by clicking here. Check back soon to see the current results.

Yokes eScrip Community Card

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Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network

After nearly two years of work the RROSN is now settled into writing the Ridges to Rivers Open Space plan. Several drafts have been discussed and edited by the RROSN Steering Committee. A Jurisdictional Council (JC) has been formed to evaluate and comment on parts of the plan as they become available. The JC is composed of elected officials from Benton City, Kennewick, Pasco, West Richland, Richland and the two counties. They will report back to their councils and commissions on the progress of the RROSN plan and offer their suggestions for edits to the plan. Monthly meetings of the JC will determine the finalizing of the plan for adoption by the jurisdictions.

A special working group from the steering committee known as the Development Group is taking on the bulk of the work at this point. Executive officers have been elected to the RROSN Board of Directors;

President – Scott Woodward

Vice President – Tom Page

Secretary – Debbie Berkowitz

Treasurer – Mike Lilga

Board member at-large – Brooke Dubois

Board member at-large – Len Pavelka

The Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network will become a non-profit in its own right, acting as an umbrella organization for other conservation and recreation groups and as the go-to organization dealing with open space and trails. The RROSN will be the primary passageway for discussion with jurisdictions relating to planning, open space and trails. The completion of the plan is anticipated before the end of the year. At that point the finished product will be submitted to the jurisdictions for adoption.

In 2007, the Tapteal Greenway Association, with support from local government and non-profit organizations, requested assistance from the National Park Service to facilitate public open space planning through their Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) Program. The request was approved and the planning process is underway.
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The Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, also known as the Rivers & Trails Program, or RTCA, is the community assistance arm of the National Parks Service. This program provides assistance to community and government entities so they can conserve rivers, preserve open space, and develop trails and greenways. The RTCA program implements the natural resource conservation and outdoor recreation mission of the National Park Service.
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The “Ridges to Rivers Open Space Network of the Mid Columbia Region” is a partnership of organizations and governmental agencies representing a broad spectrum of entities who advocate coordination of regional open space planning. Participants to date are listed below. We are working to obtain full endorsement of this regional planning process from each of these and possibly additional organizations.

RIDGES TO RIVERS OPEN SPACE STEERING COMMITTEE

Benton City
Benton County
Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance
Benton Franklin Council of Governments
City of Kennewick
City of Pasco
City of Richland
City of West Richland
Franklin County
Friends of Badger Mountain
Fun Fit and over Fifty
Intermountain Alpine Club
Lake Lewis Chapter, Ice Age Floods Institute
Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society
National Park Service
Open Space Coalition of Benton and Franklin Counties
Tapteal Greenway Association
Tri Cities Visitor and Convention Bureau
Washington Health Foundation
Washington Native Plant Society Columbia Basin Chapter

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Our Vision Is

A network of natural features and open spaces that complements residential and commercial development in the Mid-Columbia Region and:

enhances our ability to attract and retain people and businesses that sustain our economy
provides access and connections for recreation, education, and health
preserves natural and aesthetic values

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Goals

Preserve…
Preserve the unique regional identity that our ridges, rivers and other natural areas define for our community sense of place.
Promote…
Promote a Mid-Columbia Open Space Network to boost economic development in the region.
Enjoy…
Increase enjoyment and use of the Mid-Columbia Open Space Network.
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Mission

The mission of the Ridges to Rivers Open Space Steering Committee is to produce and implement a plan for a region-wide network of open space based on citizen involvement, city and county planning policies, and regional recommendations.
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