The Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department manages this conservation area, which is protected by a coalition of public and non-profit organizations (including the Spokane County Parks and Recreation Department, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy, and the Dishman Hills Conservancy).
Volcanic magma flowing up through the Earth’s crust and then cooling caused the granite outcroppings, which make up the majority of the area, to form 70 million years ago. With its craggy, potholed look and deep gullies, the protected Dishman Hills Natural Resources Conservation Area was developed as a result of the Missoula Floods and represents one of Washington state’s most ecologically diversified places, where forests, grasslands, and shrublands merge. It is surrounded by the Cascade Mountains and lies within two ecoregions, the Okanagan and Northern Rockies.
Its hills are made up of little ravines, ponds, and massive slabs of granite that support a ponderosa pine-dominated eco-system that also includes over 300 different floral plants (including Indian Camas) and 73 different types of mushrooms, among other things.
Coyotes, marmots, white-tailed deer, pheasants, and hundreds of types of butterflies, as well as a variety of other animals, can all be found in the area. The Dishman Hills are formed immediately south of the Dishman section of the City of Spokane Valley. The height continues to rise as one drives south out of the park until reaching the Rocks of Sharon and the Iller Creek Conservation Area, which are located at the peak of Krell Mountain.
The Valley View Fire, which started around 3:30 p.m. local time on Thursday, July 10, 2008, in the Dishman Hills neighborhood, was brought under control. As of Friday morning, 1,200 acres of land had been destroyed, with 11 homes damaged. Governor Chris Gregoire of Washington State has proclaimed a state of emergency in Spokane County, beginning immediately. In and around Spokane Valley, a mandatory evacuation order has been issued, and two shelters have been established.
A smoldering fire set by a resident on South Eastern Lane, who was evacuated, sparked the event. The smoldering fire had been started many days before the Dishman Hills Fire and had been neglected inside of an old tree stump until it was re-ignited by strong winds on Thursday afternoon, July 11, when it was discovered.
Exceptional wind speeds and an availability of natural fuel in the Dishman Hills area, among other reasons, led to the fire’s spread.
Visit Manito Park – Spokane WA
