Easement at Wallowa Lake Lodge to be dedicated July 21
Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, July 13, 2022
- Wallowa Lake Lodge sits on a 9.22-acre parcel at the head of Wallowa Lake. A portion of that property will be dedicated as a conservation easement Thursday, July 21, 2022, to the Nez Perce Tribe. A public ceremony begins at 10 a.m.
WALLOWA LAKE — A conservation easement to the Nez Perce Tribe from Wallowa Lake Lodge will be dedicated Thursday, July 21, according to a press release.
The public ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the lodge.
Since time immemorial, Wallowa Lake has served as the cultural heart of the local Nez Perce Wal’wama Band, according to the release. The easement encompasses the 9.22-acre Lodge property, including its open ground, towering old-growth trees and riparian wetlands at the confluence of the Upper Wallowa River and Wallowa Lake.
The Cayuse-Nez Perce word for this special place is Waala’amkt, “where the braided stream disappears beneath the water.”
The easement, acquired in late 2020 and today held in perpetuity by the tribe, will ensure protection of fisheries habitat and cultural resources by precluding or restricting additional development, especially in the Aquatic Zone A. It allows use of the property for a variety of activities, but does not allow permanent structures in protected areas (Zones A & B). Limited construction is permitted in two modest building envelopes (Zone C).
The tribe and the lodge welcome the public to attend this long-awaited dedication. Tribal Chairman Sam Penney will lead the celebration to officially dedicate the easement. Others will comment on its cultural and scientific significance and the implications for future management of the Wallowa Lake Basin.
Eastern Oregon Legacy Lands (Wallowology) and Oregon State Parks worked closely with the tribe and the lodge to help bring this unique partnership to fruition.
Funding for the $1M project includes grants from the Collins Foundation, the Healy Foundation, the Oregon Community Foundation, the Murdock Charitable Trust, the Meyer Memorial Trust and the Pacific Power Foundation. As well, Craft3, a bank based in Astoria, and the Bank of Eastern Oregon, played critical roles.
A private lunch will follow the celebration.
For more information, contact Madeline Lau, Wallowa Lake Lodge general manager, at 541-432-9821, or Ann McCormack, Nez Perce Tribe, at 208-621-3710.
