Proposed Mission Ridge Master Planned Resort
In 2007, in response to increasing development pressures in the upper Stemilt and Squilchuck Basins, Chelan County established the Stemilt Partnership (Partnership). Its goal was to devise and implement a solution that would protect the upper Basin’s natural landscapes and wildlife for the long-term benefit of the region and recreating public. The process, which played out over the next decade, involved a broad mix of interests including wildlife, recreation, conservation and agriculture. It ultimately accomplished the vast majority of what it set out to do, with its signature achievement being establishment of the Stemilt-Squilchuck Community Forest. NCWAS was directly involved in the process from beginning to end. For more detailed information on the Stemilt Process, please refer to coverage of the issue in our conservation archives.
With the goals of the Partnership essentially achieved, a new development that would be sited near the Mission Ridge Ski Area in the upper basin has been proposed. If fully realized, it would result in the establishment of a 4,000-pillow community in the heart of the upper basin. Our concern is that the natural habitats and values the Stemilt Process succeeded in protecting would be seriously compromised.
Recently, Chelan County released its Draft Mission Ridge Master Planned Resort Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed project. On October 20, 2025, NCWAS submitted comments regarding it. We’ll provide updates as this issue plays out.
The full Mission Ridge Master Planned Resort DEIS can be accessed at https://www.co.chelan.wa.us/community-development/pages/current-planning.
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Our Conservation Program operates under a set of guidelines approved by NCWAS Board. The guidelines (read them here) govern every aspect of our work, with the goal of promoting a sound decision-making structure and establishing the vision around which our Conservation Program is built and managed. The guidelines are intended to ensure that our efforts deliver meaningful work that is targeted at our mission.
Current Issues
We are engaged in the following issues. Click on the link below to learn about the issue.
- The Horan Natural Area
- Rock Island Ponds
- Nason Ridge Community Forest
- Enloe Dam
- Upper Wenatchee Watershed Project
- Community Science projects
- Shrub-steppe Conservation Project
- Icicle Creek Water Management Strategy
- The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Coastal Plain
- Global Warming
- Issue Archives updated November 2023
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