Briefing with Larsen Staff

Jim Davis (L) and Marc Bardsley of N3C briefed Jill McKinnie, the district director for congressman Rick Larsen on the American Alps Initiative earlier today. Democracy at its best!

NCNP 101 - A History Lesson: Thunder DAM??

Just imagine... the canyon of Thunder Creek where it met the Skagit had already been drowned under the Diablo reservoir, creating "Thunder Arm" and forever silencing the namesake thunder of the creek. Then in the early 60s, City Light and others were actively planning to raise Ross Dam and further flood the upper Skagit valley, drowning Big Beaver's ancient forest (more on that in a future post).

AND plans were underway to build a new dam on Thunder Creek, just upstream of where it meets the Diablo reservoir, drowning Thunder's ancient forest! In fact, it wasn't just going to be submerged, it would have been logged before the dam was built! (Brilliant, eh? "Cut and sell the trees, then dam up the valley!" Where have we heard this one before?)

Note the original photo caption below refers to it as "1,500 acres of commercial timberland." (Click photo for enlarged view.) This was the same treatment given to the upper Skagit for Ross Dam/Lake: "Cut it down, dam it up!"

The artist's conception published in the Federal Study Report of 1965 (left) shows what this disaster would have looked like. Thanks to N3C, this project, as well as High Ross, were stopped in their tracks.
Photo issustration above: The North Cascades Study Report, 1965, USGPO

BUT - look at the map below... the blue color of the National Park at Thunder Creek today (circled) still has a big "dip" where Ross Lake NRA is shown in purple, going around this phantom reservoir (and all of Ruby Mountain, too*)! Why is that boundary bump still there today? Does it matter? Well, you bet it does: NRA is NOT the same as National Park, and the ancient forest of Thunder Creek deserves National Park protection now as much as it ever did!

(Click the maps above for a closer look.)
Lower map courtesy DeLorme TopoUSA

American Alps will bring permanent National Park protection to lower Thunder Creek's ancient forest. Join us!

*Ruby Mountain was to have had an aerial tramway built on it, in the original, more developed National Park plan.

American Alps photos coming!

Hi Folks,
Be aware there'll be more action on this site now that Phil has shown me how to easily get photos and words on this space. Stay tuned for some photo galleries on areas of the American Alps proposal. I'm sure you'll be surprised and stunned to find many spectacular areas are not protected in any formal sense. I know the USFS folks administering areas in question take issue with the characterization the lands are "unprotected", but the fact is, administrative protections such as "Inventoried Roadless" can be swept away with the single stroke of a pen by an unaware president or some such, and then these same good people are compelled to dig mines, or build roads in places they don't really belong (see Azurite mine).

Lots more photos, keyed to a map of proposed additions to NCNP, are now available for viewing on the Photo Gallery page of the American Alps website!

URGENT! Send an email TODAY to save Washington State’s Reiter Forest!

Please take a minute to send an email TODAY to save Washington State’s Reiter Forest from off-road vehicle (ORV) damage. Reiter is located on the west side of the North Cascades north of US 2 near the town of Index (click here for a map).

We understand that ORV users are flooding the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) with email comments, and we need to counter that with emails from many individual non-motorized recreationists and conservationists.

Example of a "user created ORV route" and damage caused by 4x4 “tube buggies” that have killed many trees at Reiter by stripping the bark off the trunks as they squeeze through the Reiter forest. For background, see "Reiter Forest: DNR's ORV Problems," The Wild Cascades, Summer 09, p. 14

DNR is taking public comments on its Draft Recreation Plan for Reiter Forest.  The comment deadline is TOMORROW (Friday Dec.4) at 5:00 PM Pacific time.

We like DNR’s plan because it significantly REDUCES the acreage open to ORVs, for good reason.  A year ago ORVers expected the entire Forest would be designated as an ORV sportspark, so they are upset about the proposed limits.  They are also upset because a month ago, DNR temporarily closed the entire Forest to any ORV use, to allow for restoration this winter and spring to repair ORV-caused damage (the first time Reiter has ever been entirely closed to ORVs).

We also like DNR’s plan because it helps protect adjacent wildlands from ORV trespass – the new Wild Sky Wilderness, Wallace Falls State Park, and Forks of the Sky State Park are all adjacent to Reiter Forest, and trespass and vandalism does occur.  We like the designation of non-motorized areas within Reiter Forest, to protect the land and wildlife and provide year-round, lower-elevation non-motorized recreation.  We need to support DNR’s efforts to protect public resources, even while we urge them to conduct a full EIS.

DNR’s Reiter Forest plan documents can be viewed HERE.

See below for talking points, and THANKS for helping us to protect Reiter Forest!

Among organizations supporting protection for Reiter Forest are:

Alpine Lakes Protection Society
Conservation Northwest
Friends of Wild Sky

The Mountaineers
North Cascades Conservation Council
Pilchuck Audubon Society
Sierra Club
Washington Trails Association
Washington Wilderness Coalition

Send your email comments to: sepacenter@dnr.wa.gov

Subject line:  Draft Reiter Foothills Forest Recreation Plan -- File 09-111001

Key points to make:

Support DNR’s plan to limit ORV use to 1,100 acres of the 10,000-acre Reiter Forest, due to extensive past damage caused by ORVs, to prevent future damage throughout Reiter Forest, and to prevent ORV trespass into the adjacent Wild Sky Wilderness, Wallace Falls State Park, and Forks of the Sky State Park.

Support DNR’s plan to restore and repair the horrendous damage caused by ORVs.

Support DNR’s current temporary closure to ORV use, to allow for restoration this winter and spring.  When Reiter is re-opened, DNR should not allow 4x4 “tube buggies” that have killed many trees at Reiter by stripping the bark off the trunks as they squeeze through the forest.

Support DNR’s plan to provide non-motorized recreation at Reiter, in areas separate from those open to ORVs.

Ask DNR to develop non-motorized trails to Lake Isabel in Wild Sky Wilderness, along the May Creek waterfalls, along “Vertigo Rim” atop the Index Town Wall, and to the east side of Wallace Falls.  These trails will provide year-round, lower-elevation recreation to many people.  The State’s surveys have always shown that non-motorized trail recreationists are the majority, and greatly outnumber ORV recreationists.

Ask DNR to study the merits of creating a Wild Wallace Natural Resource Conservation Area (NRCA) in the portion of Reiter Forest between May Creek and Wallace Falls.

Ask DNR to prepare a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze site-specific ORV impacts, past practices, and the restoration, mitigation, usage limits, enforcement and funding that are needed in the future. 

National Park Expansion as "Stimulus:" Local Economic Benefit Study begins

North Cascades National Park expansion will clearly benefit conservation in North Cascades ecosystems, especially biodiversity protection.

But a bigger, more complete park will not just preserve wild places, we also anticipate that the new national and international attention this brings to the area will deliver some big economic benefits to local gateway communities.

The American Alps Legacy Project is assessing these economic benefits of national park expansion. In particular, we expect more visible park gateways and new visitor centers in the Methow and upper Skagit Valleys to directly improve the economies of gateway communities such as Marblemount, Rockport, Concrete, Mazama, Winthrop, and Twisp.

Here are some ways an expanded park will offer potential economic benefits:

    Increased Park Service Expenditures
    -    Jobs associated with new visitor centers*
    -    Jobs associated with recreation resource development and maintenance (trails, campgrounds)
    -    Jobs associated with interpretation, enforcement, and management
    -    Local Park Service expenditures (e.g., building supplies, office supplies, etc.)

    Economic Impact on Gateway Communities
    -    Direct benefits associated with increased visitation (sales, jobs, wage increases)
    -    travel
    -    lodging
    -    food
    -    goods
    -    services
    -    Indirect benefits of expenditures rippling through local economies

    Economic Growth Benefits in Gateway Communities
    -    Individuals and businesses attracted to parks (population, employment, per capita income)
    -    Knowledge-based businesses that want good communication and transportation infrastructure
    -    Retirees bringing investment based income

In fact, we expect the residents of the Skagit and Methow valleys to be some of our biggest supporters! Help us collect information, make contacts and gauge the situation "on the ground" in these areas - contact Jim Davis at jimdavis@northcascades.org.

*Here's the only real Visitor Center that exists today, some 10 minutes off of Hwy 20 near Newhalem  -->

We could sure use ones lower-down, and on the highway, on both sides of the passes!

Look, down at your feet - it's... geology!

From pegmatite to transform faults to strike and dip, geology can seem like another language. But what you're looking at when you look down, and when you gaze up at spectacular North Cascades scenery, is what geology concerns itself with, of course. So even if the terminology's a bit daunting, it is interesting to see a map where the boundaries aren't the arbitrary lines of politics, but instead define what's exposed at the surface.

We have the pleasure to announce a new masterpiece of geologic maps of our favorite place has been released, by none other than our longtime associate Rowland Tabor of USGS. Here's a thumbnail of his latest geologic map of the North Cascades. You can download the full version from USGS (but allow some time, it's 35MB).


Haugerud, Ralph A., and Tabor, Rowland W., 2009, Geologic map of the North Cascade Range, Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2940

The USGS website Rowland created around this map features an interactive version with photos that identify the various rock types at vista points you may be familiar with. It's like an anatomy lesson on this patch of hallowed ground. Here's just one spectacular example:

One particularly "cool" map shows how far the ice sheets got during the maximum advance of the last ice age! Here's a thumbnail. CLICK HERE for a full-sized image, and just imagine! The take-away is that the extreme beauty of the peaks of the North Cascades is due in large part to massive glacial action, deepening valleys and sharpening peaks (like the "horn" in the picture above). Glaciers gave the "Pickets" their points!

And don't miss Rowland's classic hiking guide to the North Cascades for those with an interest in geology, now online! Routes and Rocks in the Mt. Challenger Quadrangle You'll find a link to it on the American Alps website's "Field Guide" page.

Irate Birdwatcher DVD now on sale!

Our friends at Crest Pictures just released their latest film The Irate Birdwatcher. It's all about wilderness preservation as told in the words of Harvey Manning, the legendary Northwest conservationist, co-founder of N3C, and prolific author (famous for the 100 Hikes series and the mountaineering bible Freedom of the Hills).

Tom Hammond says:

We had a great turnout at both screenings of the Birdwatcher .. and lots of folks wanted to buy the DVD right there on the spot. Unfortunately, we didn't have it to sell yet. But, we do now and need to reach all those people again who were interested in purchasing it .. plus anyone else!

The movie is most inspiring ... following the man through decades as he unveils the beauty of Washington's wildest places, and discovers the need to stand up and fight for their survival. This DVD would make a perfect gift for any outdoor enthusiast and nature lover.


Here's a video of some excerpts:



If you'd like to buy a copy (or more) you can shop for it here: http://www.crestpictures.com/store.html

Read more about the film at: http://www.crestpictures.com/irate_birdwatcher/

Field Guide on AmAlps website updated

The American Alps "Field Guide" web page is newly updated with a collection of web links for park visitors to orient themselves for a visit. Also the text was edited a bit. See what you think!
http://www.americanalps.org/fieldguide/index.htm
Scroll down the page for the list of links...

Send us the links to North Cascades websites you like, and we'll add them to the list! Use the "Comments" function here or email them to:
ideas@americanalps.org

Giving Thanks for Wild Places

We could certainly think of a few places to add to this list, but The Wilderness Society's blog had a great entry yesterday they call "Giving Thanks for Special Places." It's worth a read. And feel free to enter your comments below on wild places you're thankful for in the North Cascades!


http://wilderness.org/content/giving-thanks

NCNP 101 - A History Lesson

Original Park Proposal Map Shows Founders Intended More Complete Protection

The Sierra Club published The Wild Cascades: Forgotten Parkland in 1964 (text by Harvey Manning, a lifetime member of N3C). It was an advocacy piece for the establishment of North Cascades National Park (NCNP), one of those large "exhibit format" books that Sierra Club published over the years, seen on many a coffee table.

In the back was a map supplement showing the proposed boundaries of the new Park. Here's a portion of that map, showing what became the area covered by the current National Park and National Recreation Areas:

(Click this thumbnail to see a larger image of it in a new window. Click your browser's BACK button to return here.)

There was no Ross Lake NRA in the proposal, so the protected Park boundaries go to the shore of Ross Lake. The protected area does open up below Diablo, presumably due to City Light's Skagit Hydro Project. At the time, City Light was looking at flooding more of the Skagit and its tributaries, but this is no longer the case, so the Park will come down to Ross Lake on the west side as part of American Alps.

Further south, the original Lake Chelan NRA proposal included a big buffer area up the east side of what is now NCNP's South Unit, and highway SR20 and the Granite Creek valley were inside the Park, up to the passes. The north end of Baker Lake and its eastern shore were entirely within the proposed protected area. All of these are in accordance with American Alps.

So you can see how many of the areas now proposed by the American Alps initiative to "expand" the Park and associated Wildnerness were really part of the original proposal. All the more reason to complete the Park, more in accordance with the vision of the founders!

For a detailed story of all the twists and turns on the road to NCNP, pick up a copy of Wilderness Alps: Conservation and Conflict in Washington's North Cascades by Harvey Manning, at the N3C Web Store.

Holden Mine Cleanup update

Norman Day, the the Holden Mine Remedial Project Manager for the USFS in Wenatchee, wrote recently that the current proposal by Intalco (the mining company currently held responsible) known as Alternative 13M will be released when the full Proposed Cleanup Plan is released, in "early 2010." When it's released, the public will only have 30-60 days of open comment period, during which time 4 public meetings will be held, Day said. He referred to the USFS website on the cleanup, but admitted it hadn't been updated since this summer.

• We will announce the release of the Proposed Cleanup Plan when it comes out, so you can begin making formal comments. Until then, see the end of this post for the address to send your letters to now.

<< Aerial view of the Holden Mine tailings, deep within an enclave of Glacier Peak Wilderness near Lake Chelan, during the last years of the mine's operation in the late 50s. All of these tailings remain today, leaching toxics.

Meanwhile, maps of Alt 13M's plans for the Holden Village vicinity are being handed-out at open presentations at Holden Village, whose representatives continue to actively negotiate with Italco and the Agencies with the stated goal of achieving the best outcome for Holden Village, including infrastructure improvements and reduced "down-time" for the religious/resort operation. The map shows 13M plans to re-route the creek, which would involve cutting down some old trees in the riparian zone.

We would encourage you to write to Mr. Day and express your concern that he, acting on behalf of the general public, exercise due diligence to see to it that the best environmental outcome is achieved.

Write to:

Norman F. Day
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest
215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee, WA 98801

Or call:

509-664-9200

Holden Village has their own site about the mine cleanup. Go there and listen to Norm Day make a presentation to Holden about the remediation plan last summer. He says more here than in his official correspondence, and gives you a feeling for Holden's priorities.

See article "The Holden Mine Cleanup Problem" published in the Spring '09 issue of The Wild Cascades for further background on this issue.

[Image above from David Brower's film "Wilderness Alps of Stehekin" ca. 1957]

Forest Service Releases EA on Whitechuck River Road

<< Change is the only constant in the Whitechuck valley.







The Forest Service has released an Environmental Assessment for rebuilding the Whitechuck River road in the Darrington Ranger District. Readers may remember previous articles in The Wild Cascades describing the effects of the major 2003 washouts, which totally erased substantial sections of the road, especially its lower reaches. The Whitechuck valley has been a conservation priority ever since the Everett Mountaineers attempted unsuccessfully to spare the valley from the railroad logging which began in its lower reaches in 1927. The road should not be rebuilt, but instead converted to multiuse non-motorized trail. See... http://www.northcascades.org/public_html/TWC_Summer-Fall-09_web.pdf

Reiter Foothills Forest Recreation Plan posted for comment!

Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) just posted the Reiter Forest recreation management plan for public comment:

http://www.dnr.wa.gov/RecreationEducation/Topics/RecreationPlanning/Pages/amp_rec_reiter_foothills.aspx

The DNR says:

DNR would like to hear from you about the findings and recommendations in the draft Reiter Foothills Forest Recreation Plan. In conjunction with the public review of the plan, DNR is also conducting an official State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) process. The public comment period runs from November 10 through December 4.

Refer to current and past issues of The Wild Cascades for background on this issue, at the N3C website: http://www.northcascades.org/magazine.html

National Parks Receive Funding Increase

From National Parks Conservation Association:

With help from national park supporters like you over the past several months, the National Park System has just received a significant increase in funding for 2010. Last week, President Obama signed a $32.2 billion Interior and Environment Appropriations bill for the 2010 fiscal year. In this bill, the National Park Service (NPS) received $2.7 billion--roughly $218 million above the 2009 funding level!

http://act.npca.org/ct/r7dEb2F1LXv2/view_online

Presentation at Mountaineers a success

Tom Hammond reported Thursday:

"I gave a (10 min) presentation at the Mountaineers last night. There were more than 150 people in attendance. I brought about 100 AmAlps brochures, and about 40 NCCC brochures (all I had), and all were gone at the end of the evening...

Again, a smashing success."

Teanaway sub-area plans on hold

The grass in a meadow along Teanaway Road east of Cle Elum waves in the afternoon breeze in a Daily Record file photo. Brian Myrick / Daily Record

ELLENSBURG — An Ellensburg Police Department investigation into the disappearance of public documents has prompted the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners to temporarily suspend the Teanaway sub-area planning process.

The commissioners — Alan Crankovich, Mark McClain and Paul Jewell — announced the suspension of the sub-area planning process Tuesday.

“The commissioners are just interested in maintaining an open, transparent process and that’s why we suspended it,” said Jewell, who has attended all of the sub-area planning process meetings. “The county is very much interested in maintaining the transparency and integrity of the process, and we want to make sure it’s not undermined. We need time to figure out what’s going on here and to determine if and when we can move forward.”

[Full article: http://www.dailyrecordnews.com/articles/2009/11/05/news/doc4af32b966f545091100463.txt]

From: Ellensburg Daily Record - Thursday, November 5, 2009 12:23 PM PST

Blanchard Mountain Back in Court

The Chuckanut Conservancy and N3C won a court ruling against DNR last year over its plans to build miles of logging roads and increase logging on Blanchard Mountain. The agency appealed the decision before new lands commissioner, Peter Goldmark, took office. We have asked Goldmark to place the appeal on hold while we negotiate a settlement. He has not been willing to do that and is pursuing an expensive court battle. The appeal goes to hearing in November. Blanchard Mountain is within the largest remaining block of maturing coastal forest left in the greater Puget Sound region. Twenty miles of trails attract tens of thousands of hikers each year. The Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail passes through the heart of Blanchard Mountain. We need your help to defend our lower court victory! For more info or to contribute, please contact us at www.chuckanutconservancy.org or ncccinfo@northcascades.org.

AmAlps Presentation at preview of Irate Birdwatcher

Tom Hammond of N3C gave a 10 minute presentation before the movie The Irate Birdwatcher last night to the Issaquah Alps Trails Club. It was a smashing success. He brought 20 American Alps brochures, but there were upwards of 100 people there! Every person wanted one, and they were gone in minutes. Tom reports "They invited N3C back to do a full presentation!"

"The movie The Irate Birdwatcher is the best thing that could happen to the American Alps initiative. It is a wonderful movie with strong messages of conservation, and coupled with a brief American Alps presentation, gets people fired up, and gives them a place to direct the energy generated by the movie -- to American Alps," Tom says. The movie's "...like Ken Burns multiplied by 1,000."

To all of us who wondered where North Cascades Park was in the Burns series, the release of this film couldn't be better timed!

The next showing of the movie is at The Mountaineers in Seattle next Wednesday at 7pm!

www.crestpictures.com/irate_birdwatcher/

Your Chance to Help Recover Wolves in Washington State!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is now taking public comments on the latest draft of their Wolf Conservation and Management Plan. Please attend one of these public meetings:




Oct. 6th Clarkston - Walla Walla Community College Lecture Hall
Oct. 7th Spokane - Spokane Valley Center Place
Oct. 8th Colville - N.E. WA Fairgrounds Ag-Trade Center
Oct. 21st Richland - Pacific NW National Laboratory Auditorium
Oct. 22nd Yakima - Red Lion Hotel—Yakima Center
Oct. 28th Vancouver - Water Resources Education Center
Oct. 29th Aberdeen - Rotary Log Pavilion
Nov. 2nd Seattle - REI Seattle Flagship Store (222 Yale Ave. N.)
Nov. 4th Mt. Vernon - Cottontree Inn Convention Center
Nov. 5th Sequim - Guy Cole Convention Center, Carrie Blake Park
Nov. 9th Omak - Okanogan County Fairgrounds Agriplex
Nov. 10th Wenatchee - Chelan County PUD Auditorium

The latest draft of the Washington State Wolf Conservation and Management Plan still includes conservation goals that are far below those needed to assure a genetically viable wolf population recovery in Washington State. Ramping up control actions (i.e., shooting) and perhaps even allowing hunting when we reach only 15 successful breeding pairs in the state is a recipe for disaster. Prepare your comments using the following bullet points, access more detailed comments through the The Wild Cascades, or contact Jim Davis for the latest on how to respond to the state plan. Encourage WDFW to:

+ Support a more focused and transparent scientific process, conducted by qualified biologists.
+ Delay setting of conservation goals for wolf recovery until adequate scientific information is available to do it right.
+ Implement the moving or translocation of wolves to appropriate wilderness habitat within the state.
+ Emphasize non-lethal techniques for management, such as the use of guard animals and predator deterrent fencing.
+ Invest in programs that educate citizens about wolf ecology and the beneficial role they play in northwest ecosystems.

North Cascades Conservation Update for October 2009.pdf

The Irate Birdwatcher

The Irate Birdwatcher
Wednesday, November 4
7 pm @ The Mountaineers Building,

7700 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle
FREE FILM EVENT

Harvey Manning, a Pacific Northwest writer and legendary conservationist, used his words and actions to open up people's eyes to nature's beauty and to urge them to save it. The Irate Birdwatcher is a film inspired by the written works of Manning, with a focus on wilderness preservation. Manning was the voice of a dedicated band of hikers and climbers who sought to create North Cascades National Park and other wilderness areas. In partnership with Ira Spring, he guided northwest hikers to the lessons and pleasures of the great outdoors through the “100 Hikes” series published by Mountaineers Books.

Join us to celebrate the vision and dedication of a true legend - Harvey Manning. This is a free screening and all are welcome to attend.