The organization “Stehekin Heritage” was born out of concern for the future of the Stehekin Community. Vital aspects of community life are being challenged: private land ownership, the operation of private businesses, the historical significance of the private sector, cultural heritage, and the recognition that the community of Stehekin is of value to the visiting public.

Even though our numbers are few, the sense of community is strong in Stehekin and  extends to many who live beyond our valley walls. Many share love and respect for the community and atmosphere of  Stehekin.

However, our voice is small in the face of larger causes such as wilderness management, which aims to minimize human impact and enlarge holdings of land.  The future appears to hold serious challenges for Stehekin if we continue to be unrecognized as a justified, worthy presence in the Stehekin Valley.

Private lands are crucial to the Stehekin community. Private land is the basis of our families, businesses, creativity and culture.

Stehekin private lands were set aside in the enabling legislation, when the Lake Chelan Recreation Area was formed. The community was recognized as a gateway to the mountains that would provide services to the visitor.  Pilots, fishermen, hunters and valley in-holders, senators and congressmen, all fought to keep private land in private hands.

The federal government, quietly and insidiously, continues to acquire private lands in the Stehekin valley, in spite of this acquisition being cited as abuse of original legislation. Acquisition directly affects our community. Each piece of land represents an opportunity for a family, a business, a positive life experience for children and strength added to our community, which also adds to visitor quality experience.

The Stehekin Community is one of a kind. If you wish to help it survive into the future, please join us in facing these issues and helping us be heard.

By joining Stehekin Heritage, you join the Stehekin Community in standing for a place we all love.

Our current projects:

• Reestablish access to campgrounds and trails along the primitive Upper Stehekin Valley Road. Our goal is to work with others to reopen the road to Cottonwood Camp enabling visitors of all ages and physical capabilities to visit the heart of the North Cascades.
• Require the National Park Service to abstain from continued land acquisition in the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area. Continued land acquisition undermines the potential for maintaining viable community life in the valley. Land acquisition must cease until the effects of continued land acquisition upon the Stehekin community are examined.
• Publish and distribute The Stehekin Valley Guide Book as a way to support Stehekin’s private businesses, inform the visitor of this grand area of recreational activities, places to stay and dine, and give insight into Stehekin life.
• Stehekin Heritage website update and collaboration with SunGraphic.com in order to reach out to our membership and the general public, informing of current issues that affect our lifestyle, living, and future.
• Reprinting of  Glimpses of the Past by Carol Stone, a fascinating compilation of the early history of Stehekin settlement.