Fianna Dickson, City of Spokane Parks & Recreation, Communications Manager, No Phone Number Available
Thursday, May 29, 2025 at 1:39 p.m.
It may be spring, but preventing wildfires is a year-round job.
In April, crews treated 5 acres of Edwidge Woldson park in the Cliff/Cannon neighborhood for fire mitigation. Much of Woldson, on Spokane’s south hill near the Corbin Art Center, is natural land – unmanicured park spaces with natural vegetation. The site is one of many ‘fuels reduction’ projects lead by Spokane Fire in partnership with Spokane Parks & Recreation, aimed at reducing wildfire risk at key locations across the city.
The fuels reduction work is funded by a $1.5 million Community Wildfire Defense Grant, administered by the Department of Natural Resources from the US Department of Agriculture. That $1.5 million targets about 750 acres over 5 years.
It’s costly work upfront, but maintaining the work every 10-15 years is more affordable – about 5-10% of the original mitigation costs. That maintenance work would be covered under the Parks levy if approved by voters.
At Woldson, crews removed the skinny trees and overgrown bushes, using a woodchipper. What remains is a healthier stand of mature trees and a layer of mulch that helps feed the landscape with moisture and nutrients.
“Now, if there was a fire here, it would be a fast-moving grass fire, at worst, and we have the ability to catch it prior to that,” said Nick Jeffries, wildland resource planner for the Spokane Fire Department, told KXLY.
This work also provides clearer sight lines, reducing illicit activity and supporting Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). The park’s beautiful basalt columns and historic steps have also been revealed through the work.
“The Corbin Art Center is one of our largest growing youth program locations in our recreation department, and we have a lot of youth that are utilizing this facility,” Parks director Garrett Jones told The Spokesman Review. “So not only does this work help us in creating a healthier forest, it also reduces that negative activity that’s happening.”
If voters approve the Parks levy, the location would see significant trail improvements, part of safe routes to schools. It would build a new paved access trail from Cliff Drive through Edwidge Woldson to 7th Ave. to provide an ADA-accessible trail connection and alternative to the historic Tiger Trail.
Building upon a 2016 plan, the site would also include a small restroom, improved bike and pedestrian connectivity, new ADA parking, and a garden plaza with interpretive signage and viewpoints. The City may fund street improvements that compliment these upgrades and provide a more ‘park drive’ feel.
The levy at least doubles our Special Commission Park Ranger team, to actively patrol neighborhood parks across the entire city. (They are currently based at Riverfront Park.) If both the Park levy and School bond pass, the team would quadruple, serving school grounds after hours in addition to parks. Having an increased Park Ranger presence can make a significant difference in reducing illegal activity in our green spaces.
In the meantime, Fire crews have more fuels mitigation work planned for 2025 under the current grant, including about 280 acres at Beacon Hill Park, 220 acres at Palisades Park, and about 80 acres at Qualchan Park.
For more information about the 200+ projects included in Together Spokane, and to calculate what it would cost property owners, please visit www.TogetherSpokane.org.
For more information about the Wildfire Prevention program through Spokane Fire, please visit their Wildfire Prevention site.
