Ridge Preservation & Trail Campaign
The Ridge Preservation and Trail Campaign defines a shared community vision of creating a connecting system of trails across four of our local ridges – Little Badger, Badger, Candy, and Red Mountain. Now we have the opportunity to realize a critical step toward achieving this vision by acquiring a significant portion of Candy Mountain. Download the flyer for more information and to pass along to friends, coworkers, and fellow hikers.
With a goal of $1.5M, the campaign was launched in early 2014 to acquire 205 acres on Candy Mountain to create a new Preserve and another link in our planned 20-mile long connecting trail across Little Badger, Badger, Candy and Red mountains.
As of December 1, 2015, FOBM has raised $1,475,000 towards our $1.5M goal, putting us now just $25,000 short! Help put us over the top! FOBM is an all volunteer, non-profit organization. All monies raised are going towards creating the new Preserve on Candy Mountain and building a trail linking Badger Mountain to the summit of Candy. This is a community-wide effort. Thank you for being a part of it.
Candy Mountain will Extend Our Trails
With this acquisition, we will build a gentle trail to the mountain’s summit, which will wind through lovely shrub-steppe and bunch-grass habitat, with expansive views of our community and rural landscapes. As a multi-use trail, it will give hikers, bikers, and horseback riders an alternative to the popular and heavily used trails on Badger Mountain. Candy is one of our most beautiful ridges, undulating softly between Badger and Red Mountain. With several nearby wineries, Candy easily lends itself to special events. Preservation of Candy Mountain will give momentum to the remaining trail segments we want to complete. These trails across our four local ridges will preserve our iconic ridge viewscape, while substantially benefiting our community’s economic growth and quality of life. Scenes of Candy Mountain are shown below.
- A wintry Candy Mt as seen from the Skyline Trail on Badger Mt. That’s Rattlesnake Mt beyond.
- Candy Mt as seen from Red Mountain
- A view of Candy Mt from Goose Ridge Winery
- Again on Badger’s Skyline Trail, looking west toward Candy Mt
How You can Help
Contribute! We have agreements from landowners on Candy Mountain for 205 acres, giving us an opportunity to create another ridge preserve and summit trail. This trail will connect to Badger Mt and is a critical link in our vision for a continuous trail across our four local ridges. To acquire the land we need to raise $1.5M by the end of 2015. The land is in Benton County and we partnered with them for a grant from the WA St Recreation & Conservation Office for $695k of the total. We certified to the County that we had the capacity to match the grant request, and now we have only $25,000 left to raise.
You can help by making a donation, either online to our account at Network for Good or by mail. To send a donation by mail, download our donor form, print it, fill it out, and mail it with your check. The Friends of Badger Mountain is an all-volunteer organization with 501(c)3 tax-exempt status. In whatever ways you can contribute your help, we thank you!
Network! Talk to friends and colleagues. People care about this effort as the way to protect the ridgeline view, preserve special native habitat, and create a unique system of over 20 miles of connecting trails.
Stay informed! Write or Email! Raising the full $1.5M will only be possible with strong community support. Your letters to the Tri-City Herald, city councils, and the Benton County Commissioners will provide critical momentum to this effort. To get news about our progress and the links to write letters, check back here or Like us on Facebook.
Join a hike on Candy! Get introduced to this special addition to our ridge preservation efforts. Check back here or on our Facebook page for listings on upcoming hikes and special events, such as our popular “Hike Wine Dine” events.
Give now. Your gift will last forever!
Help Us Reach Our GoalThe Ridge Preservation and Trail Campaign defines a shared community vision of creating a connecting system of trails across four of our local ridges – Little Badger, Badger, Candy, and Red Mountain. Now we have the opportunity to realize a critical step toward achieving this vision by acquiring 205 acres of Candy Mountain.
Campaign Progress, in the News
August, 2015 – Grant awarded. Benton County and FOBM were awarded $695,000 by the RCO to acquire acreage on Candy Mountain and build a new trail link from the west end of Badger to the summit of Candy.
February 12, 2014 – NPR story on the Candy campaign. A story by Anna King highlights the importance of the campaign to preserve the ridgeline of Candy Mountain. You can read or listen to the story here.
February 11, 2014 – Grant application partner. Good news! Benton County Commissioners have APPROVED a partnership with Friends of Badger Mountain for a matching grant application to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO). Benton County will apply for a $750,000 matching grant in May of 2014 to help create a new Candy Mountain Preserve You can read the FoBM announcement here (PDF), and there’s also an article about the news in the Tri-City Herald.
June 26, 2014 – KNDU TV reports on the Candy campaign debut – Campaign Underway to Build New Trails on Badger Mountain in Richland. Includes an interview with Sharon Grant and Bob Bass of Friends of Badger Mt, and John Fulton, president of CH2M Hill, who explains how that company’s $500,000 donation came about.
June 26, 2014 – Tri-City Herald reports on the Candy campaign debut – CH2M Hill gives Badger Mountain group $500,000 for trails. Yes, that’s correct, a contribution of $500,000, to be paid in annual installments of $100,000. A huge jump-start to the campaign.
On 6/26/14, Bob Bass and Sharon Grant, of Friends of Badger Mt, accept a very generous check from John Fulton of the Hanford contractor CH2M Hill. The donation was directed to the Friends of Badger campaign by employees of the company.