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Winner of 2009 Smart Communities Award!

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Sacagawea Heritage Trail Project is recognized by Gov. Chris Gregoire as a winner of the 2009 Smart Communities Awards for creating livable communities. The awards honor 9 communities across the state from among 21 outstanding nominees for outstanding achievements in growth management.

The Sacagawea Heritage Trail received the “Smart Partnerships Award”. “The leadership of these award winners helps to make Washington a great state in which to live and do business,” said Gregoire.

The completion of the trail was a monumental task which included establishing seamless communication between multiple governing bodies; securing long term land leases from the United States Corps of Engineers; lowering miles of levees by up to six feet, all while maintaining ecological and cultural compliance required to meet state and federal standards. “The completion of the Sacagawea Heritage Trail is a prime example of cooperation between multiple jurisdictions and the ability to work collectively to reach a common goal without the benefit of a formal reporting structure” stated Gary Crutchfield, Chairman of the Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council and Pasco City Manager.

The Tri-Cities Rivershore Enhancement Council is comprised of Pasco, Richland and Kennewick in partnership with Benton and Franklin Counties, Port of Benton, Port of Kennewick, Port of Pasco, and is a program of the Tri-Cities Visitor & Convention Bureau sponsored by Bechtel National, Inc.

“The Smart Communities Award winners reflect the wide variety of efforts and collaborations…,” said Rogers Weed, director of the Washington State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development (CTED). “Communities can move forward economically when good, collaborative work like this is being accomplished.”

Many of the projects included collaborations between government and the private sector. The Smart Communities Award winners were showcased at the Association of Washington Cities annual conference June 25 in Spokane.