October 1, 2008

For Immediate Release:

Gladmar Research and Education Park: Public Access to Be Restored Soon!

Last year Central Washington University and Kittitas County entered into an interagency agreement to manage the former county park known as Gladmar. In 1996, the flooding Yakima River washed away the parking are picnic areas in Gladmar and created a new river channel where the road once was. Since that time public access to the park, now an island, has been limited to wading when the river is low.

Central Washington University (CWU), in partnership with Cascade Land Conservancy (CLC), established an advisory committee to oversee reestablishing public access to the park and reopening it for public access and for use as an outdoor research facility for university students. 

The goals of the advisory committee (with members from the county, local non-profits and interested citizens) are to provide access for learners of all ages to a dynamic and naturally evolving outdoor education site that will encourage long-term interdisciplinary research opportunities thereby promoting understanding, conservation, and stewardship of the natural world.

The committee is working on securing grants to fund the park improvements and will work with CLC to establish a restricted fund for groups and individuals who would like to financially support the research park. The fund would be used to help pay transportation costs for school groups to the park, for trail creation and interpretive signage at the site.

Recently, CWU has been utilizing the engineering expertise of their construction management classes to draft plans for an expanded parking area and a new footbridge to span the river channel. Many obstacles have to be overcome, not the least of which is the reality that the river will undoubtedly flood again and the footbridge will need to be of flexible design to withstand that impact.

One critical component of reopening the park to public access is to ensure the safety of the visiting public. CWU has a no firearms policy and that has now been extended to Gladmar. Signs have now been installed on the property with the appropriate safety warnings. CWU police will be monitoring the park to ensure the safety of their students and staff and the general public.