Save Hicks Lake Forest

My name is Alan and I'm fundraising to save 10 acres of forest and wetlands from being destroyed to build large apartment complexes.

In Lacey, Washington, you can find Hicks Lake, a beautiful ecosystem that's home to hundreds of animals including Bald Eagles, otters, osprey, deer, and many more. On the west shores of the lake is Wanscher's Park, 16 acres large, and on the south side of the lake is the 23 acre Gwinwood Retreat, a historical place in the area.

Situated between the park and the retreat are two 5 acres lots, both recently aquired by big developers, and both with plans submitted to the city for 4-story apartment complexes, the northern plot for 200 units and the southern plot for 132 units. We could safely say that of the 332 units, there would be 600 residents, and over 500 vehicles. This is three times as many lake residents that currently live on Hicks Lake. There is one road leading into the proposed area, so the road infrastructure is not there to accommodate such a massive influx of people.

Most importantly, the land is classified as wetlands, with a plethora of plants and trees. Every day, deer trek from the Wanschers park, through the 10 acres of proposed development, south into the Gwinwood Retreat. Every day, Bald Eagles hunt mice and rabbits in those woods and fish in the lake, only to nest in the trees on those 10 acres. The plans include the removal of 95% of the trees, dramatically affecting the environment, the soil structure, the habitat of all the animals, all to be replaced with big ugly buildings, and hot black asphalt parking lot for all the cars.

Please help and donate what you can to stop this from happening. As a community, we are hiring Deschutes Law Group to help us preserve the forest and the community. There are multiple costs that need to be covered, such as engineers, environmental assessments and surveys, and many hearings and documents to the city. We also need some funds to help with raising awareness. We would be so grateful for any donation. And please share with everyone on this. 

Let's work together on saving this forest and making a difference in preserving our planet!