A meeting in Salkum later this month will give members of the public a chance to weigh in on the future of local state parks ranging from an old growth forest to a hidden river bank.

    The Sept. 22 meeting in Salkum will focus on Upper Cowlitz area state parks, from the venerable 620 acres of Lewis and Clark State Park to the unimproved 175 acres near Packwood known informally as Skate Creek State Park.

    The workshop will also touch on the John R. Jackson House, Matilda Jackson State Park and the Ike Kinswa State Park properties.

    Information and alternatives formulated from previous meetings will be presented as preliminary recommendations at this workshop, including ideas on overnight facility improvements, enhancing water access and interpretive facility improvements.

    The state is creating land-use plans for all 120 state parks in the system. So far 62 parks have complete plans in place.

Parks Workshop Set For Sept. 22

    The Upper Cowlitz Area State Parks public workshop will be held Tuesday, Sept. 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Salkum Fire Hall, 2495 U.S. Highway 12.

    The focus of the workshop will be on Jackson House, Lewis and Clark, and Ike Kinswa state parks, as well as the Packwood Property.

    Another meeting on Sept. 21 will focus on the Mount St. Helens-Silver Lake Visitor Center and Seaquest State Park. That meeting will be held at the Mount St. Helens–Silver Lake Visitor Center, 3029 Spirit Lake Highway, near Castle Rock

    More information is available online at www.parks.wa.gov/plans/uppercowlitz/ or by contacting Parks Planner Ryan Karlson at (360) 902-8650.