The Wild Cascades magazine, Winter 2012, now online!

Enjoy the new issue of The Wild Cascades on our newly re-designed web page for our journal, at:

http://www.northcascades.org/magazine.html

Contents:

-NCCC board member Thom Schroeder

-New FS appeal process proposed

-Proposed motocross project on the Mountain Loop Highway

-Hopes for a new Alpine Lakes bill

-New NOCA Superintendent, Karen Taylor-Goodrich

-Suiattle River Road EA decision

-Farewell to Chip Jenkins

-Chip Jenkins looks back

-Mine remediations

-Corvid’s eye

-Reiter update

-Sustainable national forest roads

- Yakima Plan blunders on

- North Cascades Glacier Climate Project field report 2012

- Cascade rambles: A day in the clay

PALMER "Chip" Jenkins--An apology from the Editorial Committee

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the North Cascades Conservation Council, and specifically the Editorial Committee, I'd like to offer our most sincere apology to Chip Jenkins for getting his name wrong in the recently released edition of The Wild Cascades (Winter, 2013).  We strive to get the facts straight in all we do, and this is one we feel especially bad about, considering what a great person and leader Chip is.

Snow Report March 1, 2013

I normally avoid skiing when it rains, but in this case, I wanted to assess the snowpack after the big Pineapple Express (atmospheric river) rolled through Thursday-Friday. Besides, the NWS issued special avalanche warnings, so that sealed it for me! Warm temps and sub-tropical moisture were still in evidence as I made my way out to Big 4--a delightful ski despite the moderate rain falling. The ski conditions were actually great--a nice fast track that provided perfect kick-and-glide throughout the day.

With the snow level at about 6,000 feet, I was concerned that the warm rain would significantly erode the snowpack, and percolate down to strata that would cause "premature" removal down to climax levels. To my surprise, another couple of feet of snow has fallen in the past 10 days, so instead of a smaller snowpack, it was actually much deeper than last week, even down in the valley. This new snow effectively absorbed all of the rain, and also presented a nice stratification layer that protected the base snowpack, with expected avalanches sweeping off only the top
layer(s) of snow.
That's not to say there were no big avalanches. On the contrary, Big 4 had four major events in the three hours I was there. Even from more than a mile away, the sound was impressive, the roar filling the valley. I took the trail to Big 4 to film some of the action, but as I reached the edge of the forest, it became very clear that this was too close, and I was in the danger zone. Fresh avalanche debris was only about 50 meters distant! There is now more than 1.5 meters of snow on the ground at the picnic area at Big 4 (1,800' elevation). Check out these pics:

The tip of my ski pole is on the surface of the picnic table, and is 1.4 meters long.

This is from the edge of the woods. All my little hairs were on end--my senses demanding I leave NOW. The waterfalls were glorious.

It was great to see the Stilly at flood. It was really blazing, but was not up in the woods. The rip-rap bank armoring that supports the hiking bridge was not being hammered too bad. It was spooky crossing the bridges, as the snowpack was at the top level of the railings, meaning any slip, misstep or cave-in of the snow would be a bad thing.

The snowpack is doing great. Happy fish, happy farmers, and happy glaciers. A couple of weeks until the Equinox. Sure hope we pile on many more layers before the season turns and the melt-down starts. Oh, can't wait to get out to Cascade River and watch the BIG avalanches...

Wild Cascades winter 12/13 now in the mail to members!

The latest issue of The Wild Cascades will be arriving in NCCC members' mailboxes soon!

Articles in this issue include:
-New FS appeal process proposed
-Hopes for a new Alpine Lakes bill
-New NOCA Superintendent, Karen Taylor-Goodrich
-Suiattle River Road EA decision
-Farewell to Chip Jenkins
-Chip Jenkins looks back
-Mine remediations: What’s so unusual about the unusal?
-The Corvid’s Eye
-Reiter update
-Sustainable national forest roads
-Yakima Plan blunders on
-North Cascades Glacier Climate Project field report 2012
-Cascade rambles: A day in the clay




You can receive each copy of TWC as soon as it's released by joining NCCC. CLICK HERE to join us!

Inslee’s First Request Bill Raises Concerns

News Release

February 1, 2013

Inslee’s First Request Bill Raises Concerns

Battles loom over controversial $5 Billion Yakima Water Plan

Contact:

1. •Chris Maykut (President, Friends of Bumping Lake) chris@friendsofbumpinglake.org   206.818-9778
2. •Brock Evans (President, Endangered Species Coalition) bevans_esc2004@yahoo.com 202.425-1517
3. •Karl Forsgaard (President, North Cascades Conservation Council karlforsgaard@comcast.net  206.330-8966
4. •Rick McGuire (President, Alpine Lakes Protection Society) rckmcguire@gmail.com  206.363-6954

Today conservationists expressed deep disappointment and anger regarding newly inaugurated Governor Jay Inslee’s first act as governor.  On Tuesday, Governor Inslee announced the submission of his first request bill to the legislature, a funding request for the Yakima Basin Integrated Water Management Plan (Yakima Plan).  The plan promises such benefits as temporary jobs, irrigation security, environmental restoration, and increased fish runs.  However, many local, state-wide, and national conservation groups have opposed elements of the Yakima Plan as it is written because of two highly controversial elements: the construction of two massive dams and the designation of treasured National Forest lands as National Recreation Areas for off-road vehicles.

“We are incredibly disappointed with Governor Inslee’s quick support of the Yakima Plan, particularly in light of the ongoing opposition that has been expressed by a growing number of conservation organizations,” said Chris Maykut, President of Friends of Bumping Lake.  “There is so much good that can come of the political attention being directed to the Yakima Valley right now, but spending $5 billion dollars and destroying ancient forests, critical habitat for endangered species, and beloved recreational areas is not worth what we as Washingtonians get out of the deal.” 

Two massive irrigation dams are at the center of the Yakima Plan. One of them, at Bumping Lake adjacent to the William O. Douglas Wilderness, would inundate and destroy a popular new National Forest campground, a thousand acres of ancient forest, 15 historic cabins, trails, and access roads to popular hiking spots.  In October 2011, the Alpine Lakes Protection Society, California Water Impact Network, Endangered Species Coalition, Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, North Cascades Conservation Council, Washington State Chapter of the Sierra Club, Western Lands Project, and Western Watersheds Project sent a letter to the Washington Congressional delegation opposing a new Bumping Lake dam.

In 2008, the Bureau of Reclamation studied the other project, Wymer Dam, north of Yakima, and found that it had a taxpayer benefit-cost ration of 31 cents of positive economic impact for every dollar that would be spent on it.

The Yakima Plan’s current proposal for two new National Recreation Areas within the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest with 40,000 acres for off-road vehicle use is also meeting with stiff opposition within the conservation community.  Twenty-nine organizations signed letters in March 2012 regarding the proposed National Recreation Area designation, which poses numerous threats to the ecosystem, watersheds, and non-motorized recreational opportunities.  Despite numerous roundtable meetings throughout the fall and winter in the community about the NRAs, none of these 29 organizations has become supporters of the Yakima Plan.

“At a time when we as a state and a nation continue to struggle to fund basic social programs, keep state parks open, and redefine what our financial priorities are as a society, why would we support spending billions from our state economy on wasteful water projects?” said Maykut.  “Many if not all of the goals of the Yakima Plan can be achieved through legislation, mandatory conservation and water marketing, and using a thoughtful approach when it comes to the important issues that Yakima irrigators face.  As we saw with the Elwha Dam removal last year, the era of dam-building and ecosystem destruction should be over.”

Links:

1. •Friends of Bumping Lake
   
2. •Yakima Water Future
   

Welcome to NCNP, Karen Taylor-Goodrich!

Pacific West Region News Release
For Immediate Release
Date:  January 30, 2013
Contact: Craig Dalby, 206-220-4261

SAN FRANCISCO – Karen Taylor-Goodrich has been selected as the new superintendent of North Cascades National Park Service Complex in Washington State.  Taylor-Goodrich has been the superintendent at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California for the last three years, and will transition to her new duties at North Cascades in March.  She replaces the former superintendent at North Cascades, Chip Jenkins, who left the park last year to become the National Park Service Pacific West Deputy Regional Director in Seattle.
 
"Karen is a proven leader who has successfully managed complex and controversial issues for the National Park Service at the local, national, and international levels.  Karen's collaborative management style and strong background in visitor and resource protection and management, especially in wilderness and wildland fire, will be a great asset to the North Cascades," said Pacific West Regional Director Chris Lehnertz.
 
Taylor-Goodrich previously served as the Associate Director for Visitor and Resource Protection in the National Park Service headquarters office in Washington, D.C., and has more than 30 years of experience directing a wide variety of operational programs at Yosemite National Park (California) and Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona), Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area (Washington), Cumberland Island National Seashore (Georgia), and National Capital Parks-East (Washington, D.C. and Maryland).   Her extensive international work experience includes advancing protected area management projects in Tanzania, sister park agreements in Cambodia and China, a trans-boundary wilderness management agreement between Mexico, Canada and the U.S., and international government manager forums for several World Wilderness Congress agendas.  Taylor-Goodrich received a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from Portland State University in Portland, Oregon, with additional graduate work in natural resources management.
 
North Cascades National Park Service Complex was established in 1968, and includes both Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas.  The North Cascades have long been known as the North American Alps.  The area encompasses outstanding wilderness resources and diverse ecosystems amidst steep, jagged peaks, deep valleys, glaciers, and cascading waterfalls, as well as significant Native American cultural sites.
 
In accepting the position, Taylor-Goodrich said, "I'm excited about the many opportunities and challenges the North Cascades Complex presents.  Returning to work and live in the Pacific Northwest has been a long-time goal, and I look forward to working closely with the park staff, local communities, park partners, and our interagency and Canadian colleagues to protect and conserve this very special region."
 
-NPS-

--
Dee Sousa
National Park Service
Pacific West Regional Office
333 Bush Street
Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94104-2828
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Phone: 415-623-2104
Fax: 415-623-2380
E-Mail: dee_sousa@nps.gov

Tribute to Harvey Manning on Vimeo

Many thanks to our friends at Crest Pictures for posting this wonderful tribute to longtime NCCC leader Harvey Manning and his legacy:



A Harvey Manning Tribute from Crest Pictures on Vimeo.