Environment

Chelan County is one of the most beautiful areas in the United States. Its landscape is characterized by snow-covered mountains, glacier-fed lakes and rivers, expansive forests, and sagebrush-covered hills. The county encompasses 2,994 square miles, 73 of which are water.

The vast majority of the land in the county is publicly owned (87%) by an assortment of federal, state, and local agencies. The biggest portion of this public land is part of the Wenatchee National Forest. Other federal parks and recreation areas include: the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, the North Cascades National Park, and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Additionally, there are state and local parks.

With this amount of protected land, it is not surprising that Chelan County has a wealth of animal species (both terrestrial and aquatic) as well as extensive areas characterized by native plant species.

The public lands of Chelan County are highly valued by both residents and tourists alike. But the ecosystems which are integral to these public lands are increasingly threatened by overuse by people, wildfire, invasion by non-native species, adjacent land development, and the impacts of climate change.

RC3 is committed to preservation of these ecosystems by advocating for programs, code changes, plan updates, and community-based solutions that help to mitigate both natural and human-caused impacts to the environment.