Richland adopts Parks, Recreation and Open Space Plan; Friends of Badger Mountain seek RCO grant for new trailhead

The Richland City Council voted unanimously July 21 to adopt the Parks, Recreation and Open Space Comprehensive Plan, a six-year roadmap that prioritizes reinvestment in the city’s 2,800 acres of parks and 64 sites.

Parks Director Chris Wade and MIG planner Lauren Scott presented the draft plan, which identifies 38 capital-improvement projects and 10 priority projects for the next two years. The plan emphasizes protecting natural resources, improving equity of access and connectivity, and using a mix of funding tools — including the general fund, lodging tax revenue, parks reserve funds, real estate excise tax and grant programs — to support projects, Wade said. Staff emphasized the plan is a policy roadmap rather than an immediate commitment to build every project on the list.

Earlier in the meeting, Friends of Badger Mountain board member David Comstock described a major project that would provide a trailhead and parking to improve public access to Little Badger Mountain. Comstock said the group has completed 60% design and estimated construction at about $1,300,000. He said the city has applied for a Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) grant of roughly $1,000,000 to fund construction and land acquisition as matching leverage for a land donation from Friends of Badger Mountain.

Comstock also said the approved final plat reduced a previously planned 100-foot corridor to a 10-foot trail corridor in one section, which forces a steeper north-face alignment if the trail is to continue to the ridge; he called that a significant challenge for the north-face trail (section D). He described the group’s long-term “ridges-to-rivers” vision, which would ultimately link ridge trails to the Yakima River through partnerships with nearby jurisdictions and nonprofit river-trail groups.

Council members asked about volunteer partnerships, maintenance and ways to expand community engagement. Wade said volunteerism and partnerships are recurring recommendations of the plan and that the department already partners with groups including Friends of Badger Mountain for stewardship and maintenance.

Action: Council adopted resolution 2026-104 to approve the Comprehensive Plan and instructed staff to use the plan to guide future capital programming, grant applications and budgeting. Wade said the plan’s priorities will help target limited funding to repairs and strategic investments.

Next steps: staff will use the adopted plan to support future grant applications and implementation of the prioritized capital list.