In January, Scott Sax, president of Washington Closure Hanford, presented a check for $300,761 to the Friends of Badger Mountain. The funds are earmarked to improve the network of ridgeline trails overlooking the Tri-Cities and connect Little Badger Mountain with Badger Mountain. Friends of Badger Mountain aim to use the donation to purchase three parcels of land in Westcliffe Heights, a hilltop subdivision now under construction. Badger Mountain is one of a series of basalt ridges in south central Washington, and the mountain sees roughly 200,000 visitors per year since the trails opened in 2005. The gift honors the employees of the former Hanford contractor for their significant achievements to clean up the nuclear reservation along the Columbia River. With a little luck, the new trails should be open in the fall of 2020. //
