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Crow Butte Park was initially developed by the Corps of Engineers and then transferred to the State of Washington. The state managed the facility for several years, but was unable to continue operation when budgets became strained. After the state closed the park, local farmers formed an organization and ran Crow Butte for the next four years. The farmers were having difficulty sustaining the maintenance of the park and asked the Corps of Engineers to lease the park to the Port of Benton effective August 1, 2007.
The Port’s decision to invest in the park followed meetings with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and officials of Benton and Klickitat Counties. The two counties have supported and will continue to support the Port financially. This support has made the upgrades at the park possible. The Port developed a master plan which has led to recent upgrades in the park. The Port will continue to make improvements to the park over the next several years. The Port believes that this area of its district will continue to grow in economic importance as a result of wine and agri-tourism. The island on which the park is located is culturally significant to the tribes, leading to a ceremony on August 28th, 2007 in which the tribes formally blessed the park. |
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