INDEX — They’re having a hoedown here. And the proceeds will go toward building trails and expanding outdoor recreation in east Snohomish County.
Heybrook Ridge County Park sits on 130 acres between the north and south forks of the Skykomish River near Index. A nonprofit successfully saved the area from clear-cutting, preserving the ridge, which serves as the town’s backdrop. Now, the Friends of Heybrook Ridge has new projects that add to that effort.
The group is holding its annual fundraiser in Index this weekend. It is expecting up to 120 people at its Heybrook Hoedown, which includes bluegrass music, dancing, food and auctions. That’s a big party for town with a population of less than 200.
Susan Cross, a Heybrook board member who lives in Index, said the amount of support represents a shift in the Sky Valley. The area is moving from an economy based on industries that take natural resources, such as mining and logging, to one that’s dependant on outdoor recreation, she said.
“It’s what we have to offer in this part of the world,” Cross said. “It’s stunningly beautiful.”
It started in 2006, when a notice appeared on the Index general store’s bulletin board. It stated that clear-cut logging was planned on Heybrook Ridge. Cross gathered a small group of people around her kitchen table to figure out how to stop the timber company.
“We were understandably pretty distressed about it,” said Cross, who works in a Sultan physical therapy office.
Cross said the timber company, WB Foresters Inc., offered the group a year to buy the land. That meant it had to come up with $1.3 million, and “Nobody had a nickel to spare,” Cross said.
By 2007, the group had organized into the 501c3 nonprofit. Friends of Heybrook Ridge went to work raising money. Other groups, such as the Cascade Land Conservancy, now called Forterra, offered support.
The Heybrook nonprofit raised about $100,000 in the first year, falling short of its goal. But just before the fundraising deadline, it received an anonymous donation of $500,000.
“That was a total game-changer,” Cross said.
Then, the Snohomish County parks department stepped in. It helped the group apply for grant money from the county’s Conservation Futures program. The nonprofit wound up receiving $640,000 from the program.
Meanwhile, the timber company agreed to allow the Heybrook group more time and lowered the price to $1.2 million.
After collecting donations and grant money, the group sealed the deal in July 2008, preserving the park. Since then, the group has continued to raise money and apply for grants for improvements to the ridge.
Earlier this month, a spot was purchased for a trailhead just south of Index. Friends of Heybrook Ridge has raised about $30,000 to build trails in the park, Cross said.
This year’s hoedown is expected to bring an additional $10,000, which would meet the financial goal for the trail project. The event is scheduled for 4 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the River House in Index. Admission is $25 for adults. Children younger than 12 are free.
Eventually, Cross said, the group wants to connect the park’s trails to those of the U.S. Forest Service. The hope is for a trail system connecting Gold Bar to Index and continuing north to the Wild Sky Wilderness. The group has been working with the Washington Trails Association on planning the system.
Friends of Heybrook Ridge also has its sights set on future projects, including building an outdoor education center in the park.
“This effort is part of a larger movement to promote outdoor recreation in east Snohomish County,” Cross said. “That really is our future.”
Amy Nile: 425-339-3192; anile@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @AmyNileReports.
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