The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has approved an update to the long-term park boundaries of Pearrygin Lake State Park. That means the park could someday surround the lake, if property owners sell land or a trail easement to the state.
Our friends at the Methow Valley News report the commission unanimously backed the change at a meeting October 19th at Sun Mountain Lodge.
There are three parcels on the north end of the lake that are not part of the park. Two are private parcels, and the third is owned by the State Department of Fish and Wildlife, which has a boat launch that’s already used by the public.
Acquiring land or an easement could allow the park to create a complete loop trail around the lake. Some people already do a loop, connecting existing trails by walking on Bear Creek Road.
One of the private property owners has approached State Parks with interest in selling their land, about 24 acres that could otherwise be developed as homesites.
The other private landowner is the Silverline Lakeside Resort. The former owners of Silverline had asked State Parks if they’d be interested in acquiring the land, but the Parks department wasn’t able to act on the offer because it wasn’t included in the boundaries. Those owners sold Silverline to new private owners in November 2022.
With the new boundaries, State Parks can apply for funding, most likely for a grant from the state Recreation and Conservation Office. Parks could potentially partner with a land-conservation organization to temporarily hold the property until they have the money to purchase it.
The owners of the undeveloped land are apparently eager to sell. The property hasn’t been appraised yet, but the estimated value is between $1.5 and $1.8 million.
The commission is also awaiting a response from the Colville Tribes about Parks’ interest in acquiring the land. If you want to know more, go to methowvalleynews-dot-com.