The City of Redmond was recently presented with the Cascade Agenda Leadership Award from the Cascade Land Conservancy.

The city received this award in partnership with the Cascade Water Alliance, King County, Port of Seattle, Puget Sound Energy and Sound Transit for their efforts to secure the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) rail corridor for future use.

The city has planned for the acquisition of the corridor for nearly a decade. During the 2002 Transportation Master Planning process, the acquisition of the corridor was ranked highly by community members. In 2004, the city adopted comprehensive planning policies to support the many possible uses of the corridor.

These include:

• Develop regional trail and open space

• Improve its aesthetic appeal through park and art amenities

• Celebrate the history of the railroad

• Link the north and south parts of the Downtown for vehicles and pedestrians

• High-capacity transit/light rail

• Utility needs

“The Cascade Agenda Leadership Award celebrates the role community leaders play in linking together great communities, a healthy environment and a strong economy,” stated Redmond Mayor John Marchione. “Through this partnership, we will preserve a wonderful asset that will link east and west Redmond with a green corridor designed to improve the environment and the economy. This is really a win for our community.”

The Cascade Land Conservancy is the largest independent land conservation, stewardship and community-building organization in the state. Its work stretches from the shrub steppe hills above the Columbia River to the wind-swept beaches of the Pacific Ocean.

For more information on the Cascade Land Conservancy, visit www.cascadeland.org.