Sam Hill--Making progress, but need more!

[Andy Fitz]

The good news:

As of the end of the day Thursday, March 24, the Trust for Public Land had gotten in $2,120 from climbers for Sam Hill. So, we're about a quarter of the way toward our minimum goal ($8,500) after just seven days!

The bad news:

We still have to raise $6,380 before the end of April. Plus, the $2,120 has come from just 17 gifts or pledges. That's not many people giving it up! Please chip in whatever you can afford--$10, $25, $50, whatever--to help. We can do this!

[Andy Fitz]

As of today, we're up to $2,955 in gifts and pledges for Sam Hill, from 33 donors. We've fallen off last week's pace. Please help out!

$5,545 to go by April 28!

[Andy Fitz]

We're halfway toward our goal. Please help in raising the last $4,000 to buy a Leavenworth climbing area.

For the past month, the Washington Climbers Coalition (WCC) has been working to help purchase 40 acres on which Sam Hill, Trundle Dome, and the Fridge boulder are located in Icicle Creek Canyon. The Trust for Public Land (TPL) has been working for some time to buy the parcel. TPL intends to transfer the land to the Chelan-Douglas Land Trust. Climbing access will be preserved.

Through grants, TPL gained $216,000 toward the $226,000 purchase price, and the Land Trust gained $14,000 toward the $20,000 it needs as "stewardship money" to cover long-term taxes, insurance, and monitoring costs. That left a $16,000 gap to fill. That's where climbers come in.

TPL has submitted a $7500 grant request to the Access Fund. In addition, last month the WCC kicked off an effort to raise the remaining $8500.

To date, we've raised about half the $8500. We have approximately two weeks (until the end of the month) to raise the rest of the money! So, we need your help!

Please do two things:

1) If you haven't already, please contribute to the fundraising effort. Any amount will help: $25, $50, or more. You can send a check to:

The Trust for Public Land
Attn: Rebecca Lavigne - Sam Hill Project
1011 Western Ave., Suite 605
Seattle, WA 98104

Please make your check out to "TPL--Sam Hill project." Or, you can download a donor form from this site to donate by credit card.

2) Please help reach out to other climbers. Forward this message onto other folks. Make sure your local gyms and shops have a flyer about the project, which you can download from this site.

This is a good project and we are very close to success! We hope you will help out.

Andy Fitz
Washington Climbers Coalition

[Matt Perkins]

Sam Hill Purchase Clarification:

An April 27, 2005 Seattle Post Intelligencer article suggests that the Icicle Fund paid the entire purchase price for a recent purchase of forty acres of land in Icicle Creek, near Leavenworth ("Conservation Group to Buy Climbing Area"), but does not report the fact that the total package price was $246,000.00 when you consider that the Chelan Douglas Land Trust, which is to take ownership of the property that is being purchased by the Trust for Public Lands needed an additional $20,000.00 endowment which would allow them to pay for ongoing ownership and management expenses associated with taking ownership (things like taxes and insurance) before they could sign any deed. Further, just eight weeks ago the Icicle Fund was only proposing to put up $216,000.00 of the $226,000.00 purchase price, and climbers were asked to raise the rest of that money to close this deal.

The entire story is somewhat complicated, and there was some card-trading along the way, but the bottom line is that the grass-roots efforts of climbers have significantly contributed to the success of this purchase. The Washington Climbers Coalition, a group of local rock climbers, spearheaded a fund-raising effort that has netted over $10,000.00.

There is no question that the generous funding from the Icicle Fund has really carried the day here, but the efforts of activists and the generous donations from individuals who do not have the means to make large donations should also be recognized. We are very please to have been able to contribute to the preservation of forty acres of undeveloped land and access to some great climbing opportunities in the gem that is the Icicle Creek canyon.

Matt Perkins,
Washington Climbers Coalition

[Andy Fitz]

As of today, we've raised $11,647!

We started out shooting to raise $8500 of the $16,000 needed to make the whole project happen. TPL put in a grant request to the Access Fund for the remaining $7500. Surpassing our $8500 goal is great because for every dollar beyond that we raise, we need to ask for a dollar less from the Access Fund.

I second Matt's BIG THANKS to everyone who's helped!

Andy Fitz
WCC