Has your once-peaceful town been overrun by trophy
homes, off-leash dogs and transplanted neighbors that just don’t
seem to care? In eastern Washington, the Methow Conservancy is
taking steps to prevent these sorts of unintended excesses. They’ve
published the Good Neighbor Handbook: A Guide for
Landowners in the Methow Valley. Authored by former
HCN intern Katherine Bill, the
Handbook provides a nuts-and-bolts approach to
problems faced by new homeowners, covering everything from wildfire
protection to noxious weed removal to energy conservation. It even
gives tips on building homes that won’t outrage the
neighbors.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of
the Good Neighbor Handbook is its lists of
local, state and national resources. Landowners can find numbers
and Web addresses for recycled building material suppliers, local
planning agencies and even a Methow Valley botanist. The free
handbooks are now available throughout the valley – even in the
county office, right next to applications for building
permits.
Inspired by the Good Neighbor
Handbook, similar guides are popping up like New West
housing developments. Christine Egan, who works for the Columbia
Basin Land Trust, is starting to put together a landowner’s
handbook for the Columbia River Gorge. “Landowners will do the
right thing if motivated and informed,” she
says.
To order the Good Neighbor
Handbook, call 509/996-2870. The guide can also be viewed
on the Web at www.methowconservancy.org.
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Good Neighbor Handbook.
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