As the community’s go-to organization for conservation advocacy, MVCC has been monitoring legal ads for decades. Buried in these seemingly boring weekly ads, we have learned about, and acted on, development proposals that would impact land, water and rural character in the Methow – often just in time to get the word out and take action.  

The Legal Ads are the best place to find out about impending projects that may affect your neighborhood. New developments and land use proposals, as well as changes to regulations that require public input can all be found, along with important information about public comment opportunities and deadlines. The more hawk-eyes we have watching, the better our ability to participate in determining the future of the valley – or preventing the erosion of protections – one proposal at a time. We are encouraging our members to adopt the civic habit of checking Legals and giving us a heads-up if you see something of concern.  

We have a small in-house team to monitor the ads and act on those that are most concerning. However, we aren’t able to track and follow up on every legal notice. That’s where you come in! Each week we sift through the legal notices and find those most pertinent to land use and water issues in the Methow Valley. We need you, our community who lives throughout the valley, to look over this curated list and see if any development or construction projects raise red flags. If you are concerned about a project and don’t know what to do next, let our Programs Director, Lorah Super, know. The next step is to request more information from Okanogan County Planning, the Town of Winthrop or the Town of Twisp, depending on where the project is. The next, most important step – check the deadline for public comment, because it is often the only opportunity to engage, and is required in the event you want to appeal later. Citizen involvement is crucial in this process! Thank you in advance for your legal ad perusal!