Camp Waskowitz, the longest-running outdoor education facility in Washington state — located across Interstate 90 from Twin Falls Middle School in North Bend — was placed under a conservation easement.
The easement protects the camp and the 345 acres of surrounding forest from development in perpetuity, according to a June 28 Trust for Public Land announcement.
“Access to the outdoors can have a profound impact on young people’s health and their understanding of the world around them,” said Trust for Public Land’s Northwest Director Mitsu Iwasaki. “Ensuring preservation of Waskowitz as an outdoor education center will enrich the lives of current and future generations.”
In exchange for the easement placed by King County Parks, the camp will receive a $7 million trust in county funds to maintain the camp, fund scholarships and expand public access to miles of scenic trails. The camp is owned and operated by Highline Public Schools.
“Community members can now hike trails constructed by Waskowitz Outdoor Education Center, explore the Mountains to Sound Greenway National Heritage Area and connect to the Snoqualmie Valley Trail,” according to the June 28 announcement “The conservation easement also ensures that Waskowitz’s vast forest land remains healthy and an asset to combat climate change, capturing and storing carbon to benefit future generations.”
Laurie Benson, the Washington state conservation director for the Trust for Public Land, wrote that the public is welcome to use the trails south of the South Fork Snoqualmie River during weekends, holidays and throughout July and August.
Waskowitz, constructed initially as “Camp North Bend,” was a Civilian Conservation Corps camp during the Great Depression in the 1930s, according to the Trust for Public Land. It now hosts around 3,000 students per year for four-to five-day outdoor education sessions.
Since 1947, Waskowitz has taught students from Puget Sound about the beauty of the area through river and forest ecology classes while fostering bonds between students from different schools, according to the camp’s website.
“We’re proud to secure Waskowitz as a green space for future generations,” said Highline Superintendent Ivan Duran. “This will ensure that all Highline students have the opportunity to participate in outdoor education as part of their learning experience, now and in the future.”
Gov. Jay Inslee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Chris Reykdal, State Sen. Mark Mullet and former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell are a few of Waskowitz’s notable alums.
“Attending Camp Waskowitz over 50 years ago as a child in the Renton public schools was a memorable experience for me and my classmates,” Jewell said. “With this investment, new generations will have an opportunity to appreciate the work of the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) and become outdoor stewards and enthusiasts themselves, enjoying the remarkable natural landscapes of the Mountains to Sound Greenway.”
King County Parks and Waskowitz are working to place signage at the entrances to the property on the Snoqualmie Valley Trail.
Bicycles and horses are not allowed on the trails.
