Fundraiser for Goldmark Family Ranch fire

On Monday morning, September 7, the Cold Springs/Pearl Hill Fire whipped across the Columbia plateau and burned most of the Goldmark family ranch, which Chuck and Kayla manage and operate. Carried by incredibly strong Northerly winds, with gusts over 50 mph the fire moved north to south with a speed no one there has experienced before. The fire devastated almost the entire ranch — some 50 miles of fence, haystacks, pasture, crop ground, and forested areas. Structures burned to the ground — the family house, the water pump house, the granary and other buildings. Miraculously, no one was harmed or in the house when it burned. The little house, where Chuck and Kayla are now living, survived, along with the barn and shop. Fortunately, the majority of the cow herd found a green lake and somehow made it through. The horses are a little singed and are recovering.

The top priority for recovery is fencing, rebuilding needs to start now. Fencing is essential for the operation of the ranch, and to continue growing crops and raising cattle. Fences will also allow the native grasslands and very fragile ecosystems to regenerate over an extended period of time. 

Rebuilding all the fences across the ranch could cost about five hundred thousand dollars. In the near term we are trying to raise $75,000 to rebuild the most critical fences.

Please consider contributing to this fund to begin the rebuilding process. We are all so appreciative of the outpouring of support we’ve received from so many of you. Our hearts also ache for our neighbors, many of whom lost everything in this devastating fire. 

This fundraiser is organized on behalf of Chuck, Kayla, and the Goldmark Family.