The Chelan Basin Conservancy is a grass-roots coalition of residents focusing right now on four different areas, including increasing public access to Lake Chelan, preventing aquatic invasive species from getting into the lake, preventing public exposure to lead and arsenic contamination, and preserving the Chelan Butte, a project that has wide support, according to Conservancy President Brian Patterson:
Patterson says more than 19-hundred people have signed a petition to preserve the butte – but preserve it from what? Development is the short answer, says Conservancy Treasurer Tony Crosetto:
There is a developer in the mix with some plans, Patterson says there have been conversations with them. He says the next step is hopefully getting some money from the state legislature to study the best process for preserving the Butte, and proceeding from there. More information is at the conservancy website, www.chelanbasinconservancy.org.