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DIRECTORS LETTER

First and foremost, I want to express gratitude to our local and state firefighters. Your courage, quick response, and tireless work under dangerous and challenging circumstances are deeply appreciated.

 

I took on the role of Executive Director of the Yakima Greenway just over a year ago. Since day one, safety and security have been at the heart of every decision guiding the future of the Greenway. That commitment means replacing aging infrastructure, repairing and resurfacing worn, cracked and tired pathways, maintaining visibility along high-traffic areas by clearing brush and deadfall, and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for camping and encampments on Greenway property. These efforts are ongoing and often difficult, but we continue to make meaningful progress every day.

 

The Yakima Greenway has always been powered by community. The vision began in the 1950s, and thanks to the dedication of passionate community members, the Greenway became a private nonprofit organization in 1980.. After all these years, our mission remains the same: to preserve and enhance the Yakima river, its tributaries and the surrounding landscape for the purposes of recreation, conservation and education.

 

We are a small nonprofit team supported by incredible volunteers and community members. Within the river corridor known as the Greenway, we serve many roles, but first and foremost, we are stewards of the river. This river sustains our community, supports wildlife, and nourishes the crops that grow in our valley. Without a healthy river ecosystem, Yakima would be a fundamentally different and diminished place. 

 

It’s important to understand that the Greenway Foundation is only one of many landowners in this corridor. The land that makes up the Greenway is a patchwork of private, local, state, tribal and federal ownership. The real challenge and opportunity before us is to bring those pieces together and care for the entire corridor as a unified whole.

 

We must look beyond boundaries and work as one community to preserve the river, protect water quality, support healthy ecosystems, and ensure everyone can safely and respectfully access our parks, pathways, and natural spaces.

 

We care deeply about this place, and we’re committed to moving forward every single day.

I invite every member of our community to stand with us and affirm that our Greenway matters. That healthy rivers, safe access to recreation and our natural spaces matter.  Together, we can protect and preserve these places for generations to come.

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Thank you, see you on the Greenway

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Konner Hopkins

Executive Director

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