Washington Wilderness

Great news for Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions!

2012-01-24T10:14:00.000-08:00

Hip-Hip-Hooray!

We are happy to announce that the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers bill unanimously passed the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in early November 2011. Championed by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Dave Reichert (R-WA 08), this bill adds 22,000 acres adjacent to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness as well as Wild and Scenic River protection to almost 30 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and 10 miles of the Pratt River. Washington Wild is part of the coalition of conservation and recreation groups that, along with local activists, have been promoting this Wilderness and rivers proposal to increase protection on the breathtaking forests and rivers.

Want to see the impressive land for yourself? Finding a hike is easy to do! Just east of North Bend, along I-90, this world-class hiking destination is a short trip for Seattle residents. These wild forests and free-flowing rivers offer visitors much in terms of recreation and aesthetic values. Marvel at the lush green forest and beautiful alpine lakes, an abundance of diverse trees cover the landscape; wet forests of old growth Douglas fir, cedar and western hemlock thick with moss are just some of the attractions. The pristine low-elevation old growth forests provide habitat for an array of animals. The Middle Fork Snoqualmie offers adventures for rafters and kayakers and holds a bounty of native cutthroat trout for fishermen.

Hiking Ideas:

Close to I-90, the following trails are popular and accessible. Most of these trails start off outside the proposed Wilderness Additions but quickly enter the proposal, ending at their destinations in the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area.

- Talapus Lake Snowshoe (#1039)

- Island Lake – Rainbow Lake (#1009)

- Granite Mountain Snowshoe (#1016)

- Ira Spring Trail – Mason Lake (#1038)

A bit further of a drive, the Middle Fork Snoqualmie trail and the Pratt River Connector Trail (#1035) offer magnificent experiences. The Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail is just outside of the Wilderness proposal but entirely within the Wild and Scenic River corridor and offers stunning views.

Remember to plan accordingly for your hike! Make sure to bring extra water, proper supplies and check the weather before you leave.

Sarah Gruen is one of Washington Wild's wild lands interns. She graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in geography in 2010. Sarah can be reached at sarah@wawild.org.

Wildlands Report: Snow Peak Trail

2012-01-19T12:23:00.000-08:00

Much thanks to volunteer Aaron Theisen for writing this post! Aaron resides in the Columbia Highlands region in the northeastern portion of our beautiful state.

Washington Wild welcomes people to create “Wildland Reports” that chronicle their experiences in National Forests, Roadless Areas, and Wilderness. Find out more information here.

Wildland Report: Snow Peak Trail

Bald-Snow Roadless Area, Colville National Forest

Snow Peak Trail #10 offers a short, but steep, entry into the Colville National Forest’s Bald-Snow Roadless Area, where one can witness the remarkable regeneration of the terrain from the White Mountain Fire, which in 1988 burned over 20,000 acres of forest. Plenty of sunlight and fertile, fire-rejuvenated soil mean a feast of flowers.

The trail begins among scattered old-growth Douglas-fir and Ponderosa pine that escaped the wildfire. Massive spikes of purple lupine grace the open understory. After several quick switchbacks, the route arcs around the southern face of a ridge that juts out from the Kettle Crest.

Although the trail occasionally tunnels through thick stands of Douglas fir and Scouler’s willow, most of the way passes through open forest. To the south stands the pyramidal peak of Bald Mountain, but the dazzling array of wildflowers– buckwheat, lupine, aster, yarrow, paintbrush, hawkweed and others–will likely keep your attention focused on the foreground.

After nearly two miles, the trail gains the ridge, and young trees begin to close ranks among huge hunks of ancient granite. A few minutes of rollercoaster hiking brings you to the intersection with the Kettle Crest Trail, 2.7 steep miles from the trailhead. Ahead lies the steep western flank of Snow Peak, the second-highest peak in the Kettle Range and a wintertime destination for backcountry skiers. To the north and south stand the other peaks of the Kettle Range and 45 miles of world-class wilderness hiking.

Although the Forest Service recommended part of Bald-Snow Roadless Area for Wilderness status in its draft forest plan, the agency left the entire northern half of the roadless area, including Snow Peak itself and the area traversed by Snow Peak Trail, outside the recommended Wilderness boundary. It’d be a shame to leave this beautiful hike and beautiful mountain unprotected.

Driving directions: From Republic, travel east on Highway 20 6.9 miles to Hall Creek Road 99. Follow Hall Creek Road 3.3 miles to Road 100. Turn left on Road 100 and drive 3.5 miles to the trailhead on the right side of the road.

New Threats to the Endangered Species Act.

2011-12-21T12:31:00.000-08:00

The current Congress, especially the House of Representatives, has distinguished itself as one of the most anti-environmental on record. After setting their sights on roadless forest and wilderness protections, exempting our cornerstone environmental laws in the name of border patrol and artificially increasing logging, it appears they are now after endangered species.

The House Natural Resources Committee recently held the first in a series of oversight hearings on the Endangered Species Act , The Committee Chairman, Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA04) from eastern Washington, argues that the nearly 40-year old landmark environmental law is broken and needs fixing. In his opening statement to the committee, Hastings states, “of the species listed in the past 38 years, only 20 have been declared recovered. That’s a 1% recovery rate.”

At first blush, one percent is not the picture of success, but consider what the Endangered Species Act really is. It is the emergency room for species on the brink of extinction. Species which have seen their habitat decline by 90% due to logging road building and development, struggle to adapt to effects of global warming or suffer impacts from pollution. These species are in the Intensive Care Unit and are fighting for their lives.

This type of care is by definition expensive and not always successful. It is a last resort. A better approach than changing the Endangered Species Act would be to treat the reasons why species end up on the list in the first place. Healthcare professionals preach preventative medicine like exercise, diet, stress management and regular check ups. Perhaps what we really need to do to protect species and reduce the list of endangered species is to protect and restore wildlife habitat, control pollution, reduce greenhouse emissions and practice sustainable development.

Some of Washington State’s most well-known and iconic animals are endangered; including the local Orca whale, several salmon species, Northern Spotted Owls, and sea otters. There are also hundreds of threatened, endangered, and declining species that find refuge in the roadless and wild areas in Washington State.

While no bill has yet been introduced on changes to the Endangered Species Act, I worry what may be around the corner in this Congress. Legislation has already been introduced that would sell off our public lands, allow construction of military bases in our National Parks and preclude future wilderness designations.

What’s next?

Op-Ed: Save conservation fund for students

2011-12-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

Originally printed at: http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20111126/OPINION03/711269987/-1/OPINION%23Save-conservation-fund-for-our-students

Save conservation fund, for our students

By Mike Town

During my 27 years as a teacher, I have witnessed time and again students' joy when they connect scientific content from the classroom to real life investigations in the outdoors. Some of my favorite memories in teaching have been moments watching students gasp at the spectacle of salmon spawning near the Wild Sky Wilderness -- an area I worked with Sen. Patty Murray for nine years to protect.

I worked on that bill because I know that future scientists are born in the outdoors. That is why I am so thankful to Sen. Murray not only for the Wild Sky, but also for co-sponsoring the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act which, if it passes, will expand opportunities for experiential outdoor learning so drastically needed by today's students.

But future students may not be able to fully benefit from these efforts. Currently, some in Congress are seeking to eliminate or reduce funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which protects lands across the United States. LWCF provides funding for national parks, forests and refuges, as well as state and local parks.

North Puget Sound residents have the LWCF to thank for many of our kids' chances to experience the outdoors close to home. The LWCF has protected some of Washington's most engaging landscapes and wild places, from portions of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and North Cascades National Park to nearby treasures like Deception Pass.

The fund has helped create local parks in Everett like Howarth, Langus Riverfront, and Lions neighborhood park, just to name a few. And the LWCF helped to expand the Wild Sky, protecting the water quality needed by those spawning salmon that so impress my students.

When we conserve forests, natural areas and wildlife habitat, all Washington residents benefit -- especially students. Our parks and natural areas are outdoor classrooms where children learn by using all of their senses: tasting wild berries, smelling the scent of an old cedar forest, and watching with wonder the return of our wild salmon.

But the LWCF, the premier program to safeguard places for our students to experience the outdoors, is in grave danger of being slashed in Congress's 2012 budget. The House has proposed roughly $90 million for the program in 2012, a staggering 90 percent cut from the president's budget.

Without that funding, critical, ready-to-go opportunities will be lost. Critical projects to preserve our heritage in Ebey's Landing and to conserve the North Creek Forest, 24 acres of rich habitat in forests and streams near Bothell, will be lost, among others around the state.

It is important to note that the LWCF doesn't use a penny of taxpayer dollars. Instead, it is funded by offshore lease royalties paid by oil and gas companies. This program is a promise that Congress made to the American people in 1965 to offset the negative effects of offshore drilling.

Fortunately, our senators have rejected the drastic cuts in the House proposal and proposed $350 million in funding for the program this year. Sen. Murray has spoken up in support of the LWCF, and we are very lucky to have her as our champion. In her leadership role in the Senate, Sen. Murray is in a key position to protect outdoor spaces for our kids and grandkids.

Sen. Murray understands that we need to provide opportunities for the next generation to learn and excel, especially in science, by getting outside and discovering the marvels of our natural world. She and Sen. Maria Cantwell, who co-sponsored a bill to fully and permanently fund the LWCF, are champions for our quality of life and our children's. I urge others in Congress to follow their lead and support funding for the LWCF and to pass the No Child Left Inside legislation.

Mike Town has taught high school science for 27 years. Last year he was an Einstein Fellow with the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C., where he researched STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education policy. He has hiked extensively throughout Snohomish County and worked closely with Washington Wild on the passage of the Wild Sky Wilderness Act.

Becoming Washington Wild

2011-12-06T16:39:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

For 32 years, the Washington Wilderness Coalition – WWC, as we’ve been affectionately known - has been the leading organization working to protect wilderness in Washington State. Over these past 32 years, as new threats have appeared, we’ve continually expanded our efforts to protect roadless areas, which contain the last of our remaining wild National Forests. We’ve worked to combat threats to our wild lands and rivers from poorly conceived and sited mining projects, damaging off-road vehicle use and salmon-killing dams. We’ve worked to ensure sound public policies for our National Forests and to support funding for much needed watershed protection.

In recent years, we’ve worked in coalitions to combine the protections of wilderness with Wild & Scenic Rivers, and National Park additions, in campaigns that will provide permanent protection for our lands and waters while respecting the diversity of interests of those who cherish these lands. We’ve worked to educate the public and build the broadest community possible of those who support protections for our wild lands and waters.

In June of this year, after a lengthy and thoughtful strategic planning process, the Board of Directors agreed that the name “Washington Wilderness Coalition” no longer fully encompassed the breadth of our work and decided to update our name.

I am very pleased to announce that Washington Wilderness Coalition is becoming “Washington Wild” to better reflect the scope of our work protecting our wild lands and waters.

Over the coming months, as you begin to see the name Washington Wild integrated throughout the organization, know that while our name has changed, we will always lead on wilderness preservation in Washington and will continue to work to protect and restore wild lands and waters in Washington State through advocacy, education and civic engagement. Thank you for your continued support.

If you have any questions about these changes, please feel free to contact me at kim@wawild.org or 206.633.1992.

Yours for a Wild Washington,

Kimberly Adank

Membership & Development Director

Witnessing Liquid Liberty

2011-11-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Written by Tom Uniack, WWC's conservation director.

I recently had the unique opportunity to bear witness to the emancipation of a river.

For the first time in a century, with the breaching of the massive 125 feet high and 471 feet long Condit Dam, the White Salmon River is now running freely from its source to its mouth at the mighty Columbia River.

An official dam breaching celebration (limited to less than 100 people) was held to observe the decommissioning of the 98-year old Condit Dam on the White Salmon River in southwestern Washington.

I had this great opportunity because Washington Wilderness Coalition was a party to the settlement agreement for the dam decommissioning, which took two decades to be realized. Before the dam was breached, there was a stirring ceremony and traditional singing from Yakama Nation tribal elders, who are eager to see the river return to its former glory and for the eventual return of salmon. The crowd included additional tribal representatives, conservationists, whitewater paddlers, federal and state agency biologists and officials and engineers, and employees working for PacifiCorp Energy who owns and operates the dam.

As a group of us waited in anticipation perhaps 1,000 yards from the dam, warning horns sounded and there was a loud blast as 800 pounds of explosives blew a hole in the bottom of the dam. As a torrent of gray water shot out from the base of the dam turning to a chocolate brown, cheers of joy rose up all around me.

A Dana Lyons song began to course through my head. This beautifully simple song titled Drop of Water, chronicles a river being set free.

Bending down the steel

In a raging that is real

A tearing torrent you can feel

Water rushing to the sea

And now the river is free

It was amazing to see nature return down river after being restrained for so long. Engineers estimated that the reservoir behind the dam would take 6 hours to drain. The river did it in 45 minutes. You can watch the video of the explosion here.

The rest of the dam will come down piece by piece over the next year leaving a renewed legacy for the White Salmon River. Its removal will open 33 miles of habitat for steelhead and 14 miles of habitat for Chinook salmon. One long term fisheries biologist studying salmon on this river says fish could be above the dam as early as March 2012. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have already been moving salmon above the dam this summer and fall to spawn and hope that their offspring will return in later years.

The removal of the Dam will also open up 5 new miles of churning rapids and river canyons for rafters and kayakers to explore. Local rafting businesses like Wet Planet and other businesses in towns like White Salmon will benefit economically in future years.

With two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula undergoing removal just one month ago, the removal of the Condit dam seems to be establishing a trend here in Washington State. For the benefit of fish, wildlife and our children we can only hope it continues.

So Long, Terra!

2011-09-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

Goodbye to Washington Wilderness Coalition and to all of the wilderness blog followers!

As the summer comes to an end, so does my summer internship with WWC. As the conservation outreach intern, I had the privilege of going to some of the events around Washington to talk with people about WWC and the work they do in Washington. The U-District farmer’s markets, NW SolarFest, Strawberry Festival, Dave Matthews Band Caravan at the Gorge, and Tilth Harvest Festival were just a few of the events I worked this summer. At these events, I met a wide variety of people and I was able to spark up some interesting conversations with many of them about Wilderness, land preservation, and protecting the environment.

At my first event, Strawberry Festival, I was unsure, quiet, and hardly knew how to answer many of the questions people would ask me. But as the weeks passed and I continued to work with and talk to the awesome WWC employees, my understanding of WWC’s work became clear. Now, I can easily discuss Wild Olympics, WWC’s work in Wild Sky, Wilderness designations, and the Eastern Washington forest plan. Our trivia night at the College Inn Pub attracted more than 50 trivia fans and environmental enthusiasts, and now we are full of obscure facts about Washington wilderness. For example, do you know which president passed the Wilderness Act in 1964? Answer: Lynden B. Johnson.

Writing for the Washington Wilderness Coalition blog let me continue to develop my writing skills throughout the summer, while learning about some serious environmental issues. I had no idea legislation like the McCarthy or Bishop bills even existed, or that such extreme anti-environmental laws like that could even be considered. It really opened my eyes to the important work that groups like WWC do to keep our wild lands secure. This internship was a wonderful opportunity to experience environmental activism both in the office and outside with the community, and I hope to work with Washington Wilderness Coalition again in the future. Thank you for everything to Kim, my boss, who paid me in cupcakes!

Terra Miller-Cassman was WWC's exemplary conservation outreach intern this summer. She has done a wonderful job of expanding WWC's outreach efforts throughout western Washington, and will be going on to complete her senior year in UW's environmental studies program. We sincerely appreciate all of her hard work (and tolerance of Kim's bad jokes) and wish her all the best!

Eastern WA Forests - Change of Plans!

2011-09-12T13:14:00.000-07:00

Forest management is about to change for important areas in Eastern Washington. The Okanogan-Wenatchee and Colville National Forests are in the process of updating their forest plans, which will determine how these eastern Washington wild lands will be managed for the next two decades. Every 10-15 years or so, National Forests like the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville National Forests are required to undergo revision, under the 1976 National Forest Management Act. A proposed action for the forest plan was recently released and is available for public comment through September 28, 2011.

So why should we care about an Eastern Washington forest plan? The updated plans will cover more than 5 million acres of land, including several designated Wilderness areas. It will also include important management issues, such as additional Wilderness recommendations, inventoried Roadless areas, off-road vehicle travel and land designations which could impact wildlife habitat. For me, however, an important reason is my annual summer escapes to the great weather and endless backpacking opportunities I get to enjoy there. Eastern Washington is the perfect little 3-day weekend escape for us Western Washington residents. I want to know that the plans for the next 15 years in these forest areas will preserve the natural beauty I have the privilege to enjoy when I travel east. No matter what part of Washington we call home, we all are affected by what goes on in any part of our state.

My feelings for eastern Washington run deep – my favorite getaway is Banks Lake, near the Grand Coulee Dam and just west of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The camping here is less populated then Lake Chelan, but still offers sunny weather, nearby hiking, and any water activity you could ask for. It is the perfect location for my family summer vacation- a tradition proudly carried on throughout the last 5 years. Our favorite camping spot just happens to be on a hill top, where we have the most privacy. The only problem with this location is that the winds at night turn into furious gusts, which like to blow from all angles at my very tiny 2-man tent. Every year, I fall asleep at night to the soft touch of my tent walls crumbling down on top of me. Oh, the joy of desert camping!

These upcoming forest plan revisions are quite significant – in the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act, legislation added that the Forest Service was not allowed to recommend wilderness areas in the first round of Forest planning. Therefore, the upcoming forest plan is the first time (in Washington State) that the Forest Service will make recommendations for wilderness-quality lands for Congress to consider. This is truly a chance to set the precedent for wilderness designations and give more deserving places the chance to be permanently protected for current and future generations to enjoy.

The public comment period for the Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests Forest Plan Revision Proposed Action has been extended to September 28^th. To submit your comments and see WWC’s recommendations for the proposed action, please visit our web site.

Terra Miller is WWC's conservation outreach intern for the summer of 2011. She can be reached at terra@wawild.org.

Adventures in Truth… Ground Truth, That Is.

2011-09-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

Armed with maps and a camera, my mother and I set off to the Olympic National Forest. More than just hikers in the woods, on this excursion we were ground truthers assisting the Wild Olympics Campaign. We envisioned ourselves as detectives, in search of five decommissioned or to-be-decommissioned road segments. Our mission: to photograph and document the status of old legacy logging roads, which are proposed to be included in potential wilderness areas. Our camera battery was charged and water bottles filled to the brim – nothing could stop our fact-finding mission!

Only – we never found the road segments. Charting our location on the map, we slowly followed the gravel road, keeping our eyes peeled for the brown Forest Service road markers. We retraced our steps – to no avail. Not only were road markers absent, we couldn’t even find evidence there ever were road segments leading off the main road. Even as someone trained in GIS, I couldn’t see a single piece of evidence that these roads had ever existed, aside from the black lines demarcated on the original map.

Although we were slightly disappointed about our inability to find and document the road segments, our sleuthing work did provide some important information. The point of ground truthing is to provide on-the-ground data, which cannot be determined from maps. By completing the ground truthing process, Washington Wilderness Coalition can better ensure that the boundaries of the proposed Wilderness areas in the Wild Olympics campaign are accurate and defendable. By designating wildlands as official Wilderness areas, the land will receive the highest form of federal protection for land.

Generally, Wilderness areas are roadless, with minimal human presence, provide recreational opportunities, and have features of scenic, ecological, educational or other significance. However, the Wild Olympics proposal is looking to include a select group of targeted roads, which are slated by the Forest Service to be decommissioned or converted to trail, in order to stitch fragmented landscapes together. In some cases, as we found out, what appears as solid lines on a map are actually long ago reclaimed roads or trail conversions.

Sherlock Holmes and Watson couldn’t have done a better job than my mom and me. You can’t document something that doesn’t exist. The forest has grown over the decommissioned roads, taking back its right to the land, further proving the strength of the natural world and proving its worth of a Wilderness designation.

Mission: COMPLETED!

To learn more about the Wild Olympics Campaign, go here.

If you would like to participate in a Ground Truthing mission, please contact Katie Clifford at katie@wawild.org.

Sarah Gruen is WWC's summer wildlands research intern. She completed her degree in geography at UW last year and has been with WWC since June.

Picture caption: While we didn’t find the road segments, we did find a road that had been decommissioned and converted to trail. Here I am at the stunning, 130-foot Murhut Falls!

Roadless Runner takes on Cutthroat Classic

2011-09-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

In early July, I was researching events to include in the second annual Washington’s Great Outdoors Week celebration. My research focused on events that would take place in Inventoried Roadless Areas, which brought me to the Cutthroat Classic, a 11.1 mile trail race put on by the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association (MVSTA). This event made me grin for two reasons: it would take place in the Liberty Bell Roadless Area in the Okanogan National Forest and it was a spectacular trail run. Our tireless Conservation Associate, Katie, called the Cutthroat event planner later that week and I toyed with the idea of actually running the thing. STA graciously agreed to have the Cutthroat Classic included in Great Outdoors Week. I put my name on the registration waitlist (the event fills up quickly every year), figuring that nothing would come of it. Three weeks before the race I was invited to officially sign up, so I did.

Nearly a week has gone by since I ran in this event – and I CANNOT WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN NEXT YEAR!

“Utter Glee”

“Delightful”

“Delicious Runner’s High”

“Pretty Much the Perfect Morning Activity for Me”

That sums up my feelings for the Cutthroat Classic.

It wasn’t all roses, of course. Running up 2,000 ft was challenging, and I failed to remain upright during the 2,400 ft decent (I took a bit of a tumble just before mile 7, which resulted in some pretty impressive scrapes and bruises). Those bumps were minimal compared to the gratitude I felt for having a place like the Liberty Bell Roadless Area protected (for now) from resource extraction, road-building, ORV use and mining. I wish I had worn some manner of fancy head camera so that you could all see the in-your-face wildness of Cutthroat Pass.

There’s actually a lot going on policy-wise with the Liberty Bell Roadless Area right now. The Forest Management Plan for Eastern Washington forests, which includes the Wenatchee-Okanogan and Colville National Forests, is in its early stages of revision. Forest planning affects recreation, roads, vegetation and wildlife, and wilderness; it’s a big deal. To learn more about the planning process and what the current draft of the new Eastern Washington Forest plan looks like, visit our site.

Even crazier is the proposed bill to remove protections for roadless areas nationwide. Nearly 60 million acres nationwide and 2 million roadless acres in Washington may be opened up to logging, road-building, ORV use, oil and gas development and other destructive operations if roadless protections are repealed. Visit our site to learn more about how and why this threat is happening.

It is my hope that the smart actions of those concerned with protecting wild places will trump the efforts of those with more blasé or destructive attitudes towards public lands. For now, I will continue to feel lucky that gorgeous wild places exist, for my ability to get my body to these gorgeous places, and for having the time and resources to do so. And I highly recommend you all start training for next year’s Cutthroat Classic right now!

Christine Scheele is WWC's volunteer coordinator and fearless Roadless runner. For more information on the Cutthroat Classic or volunteer opportunities at WWC, contact Christine at christine@wawild.org.

A Hands-On Experience

2011-08-29T16:17:00.000-07:00

In celebration of Washington’s Great Outdoors Week, I chose to participate in a trail work party led by the Washington Trails Association on the Pratt River Connector Trail, located on Forest Service land near the town of North Bend. Two days later, my sore arms and legs are still reminding me of my wonderful experience and of the stunning environment so close to Seattle. What a perfect way to enjoy Washington’s outdoor recreation activities!

While taking a break to snack beneath a shady canopy of trees, other volunteers remarked about the progress made on the Pratt River Connector Trail during the past year. Through arduous work and laughter, groups of WTA volunteers have restored the 3.5 mile-long segment of trail. They shared stories of working in miserable weather conditions, and proudly pointed out trail features they played a key role in constructing. Their stories, as well as the work we were engaging in, made me pause to think about the forces that coalesce so that hikers, fishers, horseback riders and outdoor enthusiasts can partake in various recreational activities in the stunning old-growth forest along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.

As we were scooping dirt and collecting rocks to construct a rock wall, numerous people enjoying the Middle Fork scenery stopped to thank us for the trail work we were performing. It felt great to give back some of my time and labor in return for the revival of a popular trail that had been downtrodden by time and weather. The Pratt River Connector trail weaves through lush forest, spotted with ferns and lively undergrowth. Once restored, the trail will provide users with access to both the Pratt River trail and the trail up to Rainy Lake, allowing more people to experience the pleasures of being outdoors.

The WTA trail work crews are one force that foster outdoor recreation activities and access to wild lands. This access, and the continued stewardship and preservation, is a combined effort with a variety of different organizations and actors. Over the past few years Washington Wilderness Coalition has led coalition efforts by conservation and recreation groups to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary down the hill to include lower elevation forest along the river and designate the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers as Wild and Scenic. This would directly impact the Pratt River Connector trail and its surrounding wild lands. The trail starts on the other side of the Middle Fork trail bridge in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, a section of wild land which is currently not permanently protected. Gaining a Wilderness designation on this low-elevation old-growth forest is extremely important: currently, roughly 94% of existing designated Wilderness areas in WA State are above 3,000 feet elevation. Low-elevation areas such as those nearby the Pratt River Connector Trail are particularly important, since they are extremely biodiverse and contain more wildlife and fish habitat than their higher-elevation counterparts The inclusion of the Pratt River Valley into a Wilderness area would allow for greater accessibility to wilderness, and truly provide a backyard wild lands that all could enjoy.

Washington’s Great Outdoors Week reminded me of how blessed I am to live in an area with access to such stunning natural treasures. While celebrating the availability of so many ways to get outdoors, it is imperative that we recognize and appreciate all of the organizations and people who are working to further protect and preserve these precious areas.

Sarah Gruen is WWC's summer wildlands research intern. Last year, she graduated with a degree in geography from the University of Washington. Sarah has helped to conduct crucial research for WWC on wilderness policies and their use around the state. For information, contact Sarah at sarah@wawild.org.

Washington Great Outdoors Week

2011-08-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

This past week marked the second annual celebration of recreational opportunities on Washington’s beloved public lands, including National Forests, Roadless Areas, Wilderness and wild rivers. Governor Christine Gregoire recently released a proclamation on Washington’s Great Outdoors Week, stating that outdoor recreational activities “contribute significantly to our state and national economies and support thousands of jobs in rural communities near national forests and other public lands.” Gov. Gregoire encouraged all Washingtonians to enjoy outdoor activities and explore our public lands.

Washington is just one of several states participating in a nationwide effort to promote the benefits of public lands nationally. Each year, two-thirds of Americans enjoy the recreational opportunities on public lands offered during this week, including: hiking, biking, camping, climbing, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, and snowshoeing. Many of Great Outdoors Week’s events took place on public lands that are not under permanent protection. Some Washington-based events, for example, included trail restoration work in the Pratt River Connector Trail, in the proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions. When the Alpine Lakes Wilderness was designated as a Wilderness in 1976, the Pratt River Valley’s low-elevation forests were not included. The Valley provides backyard wilderness recreation, old-growth forests, and key fisheries habitat. However, it is currently not permanently protected, and remains at risk for development.

On Saturday, August 28^th, the Cutthroat Classic Trail Run will take place in the Methow Valley, a crucial wild land, which is currently not permanently protected. The Methow Valley has some of the Pacific Northwest’s best trail-based recreation and is prime land for recreation in all seasons, including skiing, mountain biking, and hiking. Located in the Wenatchee-Okanogan National Forest, the Methow Valley has the opportunity to be considered for protections in the upcoming Eatern Washington Forest Plan revisions. The public comment period ends September 28^th. This marks the first year in which the Forest Service will recommend lands for Wilderness designations.

We celebrated Great Outdoors Week with some fun social events around Seattle as well! On Tuesday, we partnered with our friends at Bluebird Microcreamery to offer a one-time-only ice cream flavor, S’more Wilderness! On Thursday, thanks to a gracious co-sponsorship by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture¸ we held a natural history and wild lands themed trivia night at the College Inn Pub. Thanks to everyone who came out to our events, and thanks to our partners!

Want to more about possible threats to Washington’s wild lands? Check out this threats fact sheet. Events like Washington’s Great Outdoors Week highlights the importance of our state’s wild lands, and helps to explains why protecting them is such a high priority for Washington Wilderness Coalition.

Terra Miller-Cassman is WWC’s summer conservation outreach intern and blog writer. She recently completed her first year of UW’s environmental studies. For questions, contact Terra at terra@wawild.org.

So long, Intern Emily!

2011-08-16T11:40:00.000-07:00

Posted by WWC's TIPS intern, Emily Buckner.

I began working for Washington Wilderness Coalition at the beginning of July after being set up with them by the organization Teens in Public Service. I applied to TIPS this spring, hoping to get one of the few paid internships they offered with a local non-profit organization. I have always spent a large amount of my time outdoors, hiking, biking, and canoeing, and am passionate about the environment, so I was thrilled when TIPS set me up with such a leader in conservation like WWC.

This summer, my main project was organizing Washington’s Great Outdoors Week, which is taking place August 20-28. I researched all of the different outdoor recreation groups in Washington and their events happening during the designated week, drew up the schedule on the WWC web site, and wrote the fact sheet on the threats to Roadless areas in Washington and around the country. Over the course of the summer, I acquired many new skills in the office, such as using a database and a fax machine, becoming competent in Excel, understanding the importance of ‘sticky notes’ and learning how to be a responsible employee, as well as gaining a whole new perspective on environmental policy.

In addition to office work, I also went to several outreach events and worked at the WWC booth, talking to people about the mission of WWC, the current issues they are addressing, and ways the public could become more involved. This was a much more challenging assignment than working on the computer, but it was even more rewarding. It was at these outreach events that I really learned the most about the organization and how to communicate clearly with people. I feel like I grew the most from these experiences and gained an enormous amount of confidence in myself.

My favorite part of working at Washington Wilderness Coalition this summer was getting to know the staff and other interns working there. I made multiple new friendships with my coworkers, who are all amazing people and care more about their work and each other than just about anyone else I have ever met. I think the most important thing I’ve realized over the course of my internship this summer, however, is that I should never take for granted the beautiful wild lands that surround us!

Emily Buckner recently completed her TIPS internship with Washington Wilderness Coalition. She will begin her freshman year at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, this fall. Thanks to Emily for all of her hard work and dedication to WWC – you will be missed by the staff!

Join Us!

2011-08-09T11:43:00.000-07:00

Are you a member of Washington Wilderness Coalition? As Washington’s only statewide organization dedicated to preserving and permanently protecting wilderness-quality lands, we depend on the generosity and support of our members to help us continue our work on wild lands and waters.

Why should I become a member of WWC?

As a local group, almost 80% of our funds come from our members - our members are what give us political clout. There are many challenges to protecting our wild lands and we couldn’t do it without you!
WWC is very effective. Since 1979, we have been instrumental in protecting more than 2 million acres of wild forests.
Any donation you make stays right here in Washington, and goes toward the work of defending our precious wild lands and waters.
We do great work – we work to protect the most cherished – yet unprotected – places throughout Washington State. Check out some of our recent campaigns to permanently protect wild places here.

So how does one become a WWC member?

Donate online via our secure server. It’s quick, easy, and secure!
Become a member of our Partners for Wild Lands monthly giving program. You can split up a larger gift into monthly payments or contribute a set amount per month. For as little as $5/month, you can do your part to protect wild places in Washington! Members of Partners for Wild Lands receive our full-color Wilderness Defender newsletter, invitations to special events, and advance opportunities to purchase tickets to our annual dinner and auction. To become a monthly donor, contact Kim at kim@wawild.org or (206) 633-1992.
Or, just give us a call! Call our office at (206) 633-1992 and one of WWC’s friendly staff members will be happy to take your donation information over the phone.

What should I donate?

We greatly appreciate any donation from our members. Our suggested giving levels are listed here on our web site.

Want to get to know us first?

WWC is always looking for volunteers to help out around the office, at outreach events, and with our annual dinner and auction. Contact Christine at christine@wawild.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities at WWC!

Join us today! We greatly appreciate all the support from our members!

More Threats on the Way to Public Lands

2011-08-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

The latest – and thus far the most extreme – in a string of recent attacks on public lands, H.R. 1505, or “the National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act,” was recently introduced by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT). This bill would give Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rights to override 36 key environmental and other laws for all areas within 100 miles of United States borders and coasts. This is an extremely large amount of U.S. land(in fact – the size of Wyoming!) to be placed in the control of one government department. The proposed area completely encompasses 10 entire states, including Florida, New Hampshire, Maine, and Hawaii.

Bishop’s bill would have an enormous impact on Washington State as well. The proposed 100 mile coast and border radius covers nearly all of Washington’s wild lands, including North Cascades National Park, Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Olympic National Park, Mt. St Helens National Monument, and Alpine Lakes Wilderness, – essentially, every one except for the Umatilla National Forest, in the southeastern corner of the state. Just a few of the environmental laws the Department of Homeland Security would be free to override include: the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act, Safe Drinking Water Act, Wilderness Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, National Park Service Organic Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Coastal Zone Management Act.

The overarching purpose of the bill, according to Bishop, is to increase national security protections on our nation’s borders. While the security of U.S. borders is important, it should not require the sacrifice of environmental protections. This new bill would give the DHS a free pass to control and alter the areas as they see fit, without any environmental studies of potential impacts or limitations on roads or other developments.

Jane Danowitz, Pew Environment Group’s director of U.S. public lands, calls H.R. 1505 a “sweeping waiver of the nation’s bedrock environmental and land management laws,” which “has little to do with accomplishing [the] goal” of border security. According to Danowitz, H.R. 1505 would “leave Congress and the public without a voice” and remove “fundamental environmental protections that have been on the books for decades.” Read the rest of Danowitz’s statement here.

The Department of Homeland Security is a department of the federal government, created to protect the territory of the United States along its borders. Specifically, the DHS monitors immigration enforcement, customs, and border protection. The environmental protections threatened under this bill were set in place to protect U.S. lands, waters, and wildlife, and the DHS should be able to work with these protections to maintain the goal of a safe, clean, and beautiful nation.

New Threat to Wild Lands: The Wilderness and Roadless Release Act

2011-08-03T11:35:00.000-07:00

This post was written by Terra Miller-Cassman

Washington Wilderness Coalition hired me as an intern at the beginning of June, and it has been a great experience so far! Since then, I have begun to understand more and more about the importance of our organization and the work we do for Washington State. WWC preserves and protects wild lands and waters in Washington State, and by doing so, helps to keep Washington wild and serene. This mission, however, has come under attack lately by a new bill, Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) H.R. 1581 or the “Wilderness and Roadless Release Act,” which was introduced as proposed legislation this spring. On May 26, 2011, Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced a Senate companion bill.

McCarthy’s bill is in the first step of legislation, and was recently the subject of a hearing before a House Natural Resources Subcommittee. Passage of this bill threatens to remove restrictions on new road building and associated development for more than 50 million acres of wild lands across America. It would expose these pristine lands to future oil and gas extraction, mining, logging, and timber harvests.

As a Washington resident, I am mostly concerned because the bill poses a big threat to our state’s beloved wild areas, as it would strip protections for nearly 2 million acres of Washington’s Roadless forests. Some of the most beautiful unprotected wild areas in Washington are threatened by this bill, including: the Dark Divide in southwest Washington, Kettle Crest in northeast Washington, and pristine uncut forests in the Sawtooth Roadless Area – the largest in the state.

McCarthy states that these areas should be opened for development because they are – in his opinion - “deemed unsuitable for wilderness designations” by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Check out his explanation here. The bill would also "release inventoried Roadless areas within the National Forest system that are not recommended for wilderness designation from the land use restrictions of the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Final Rule and the 2005 State Petitions for Inventoried Roadless Area Management Final Rule, and for other purposes." Simply because Roadless areas have not been officially recommended for Wilderness in a forest management plan, however, does not mean they have been “deemed unsuitable.” In fact, due to a Congressional quirk, our Roadless areas here in Washington have not even had an opportunity to be recommended as such in the last 30 years!

Supporters of this bill claim that it will create jobs and boost the economy but there is no evidence to support this claim. However, once these wild areas are developed, it is unlikely they could ever be restored to the natural and serene ecosystems that they are now. There are many recreational areas all around the United States, but our wild areas are constantly being diminished. Roadless areas protect wildlife, fish, forests, and maintain clean drinking water. They support biodiversity by protecting the habitats of one-fourth of the federally listed endangered species. The construction of roads contributes to the pollution of our waters by creating more impermeable surfaces, which cause runoff into streams and rivers.

In my opinion, this bill would be a huge blow to the number of wild lands we have left in our country. We need Roadless areas, if only to escape from the busy noise of the traffic-congested roads that surround our communities. As Aldo Leopold once said, “of what avail are forty freedoms without a blank spot on the map?”

Check out more information on WWC’s work in Roadless areas here.

Terra Miller-Cassman is WWC’s summer conservation outreach intern. She recently completed her first year at the University of Washington’s environmental studies program. To contact Terra, e-mail her at terra@wawild.org

NW SolarFest

2011-07-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

The cloudiest day of the summer just happened to fall on the day of this year’s Northwest Solar Fest! Even though there was less than perfect weather, many people still came out to the event – and even managed to bake some solar cookies! Our Washington Wilderness Coalition booth definitely stood out: the canopy to our tent had gone missing that morning, so I fashioned a great little covering made out of a camping tent rain fly, some bungee cords (donated generously from the West Seattle Natural Energy booth), and with the help of a few kind Solar Fest volunteers, we were soon up and running.

The event was full of many different varieties of green energy supporters: energy providers, products, farmers markets, delicious food stands, and a few non-profit groups like Washington Wilderness Coalition. At our booth, we handed out copies of our latest newsletters and informed those who were new to WWC about our work and accomplishments. Some of the visitors who were already members of WWC came by to tell us, “keep up the great work!” By the end of the afternoon the clouds parted, and we were basking in a few rays of sunlight.

Summers in Washington are full of great events like these, and Washington Wilderness Coalition will be at many more. Here are some upcoming events you will be sure to see our booth at:

Greenwood Summer Streets (August 12th) http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/summer_green.htm

Festival at Mt. Si (August 13th and 14th)
http://www.festivalatmtsi.org/

Harbor Days (Septermber 2nd, 3rd, and 4th)
http://www.harbordays.com/

Tilth Harvest Festival (September 10th)
http://seattletilth.org/special_events/harvestfair2011

Mountaineers OutdoorsFest (September 17th)
http://www.mountaineers.org/outdoorsfest/OF_Poster_2011.pdf

Stop by and say hello, or learn more about what we’re doing! Interested in volunteering? We’d love to have your help! Contact Christine at christine@wawild.org to sign up.

Want to learn more about Solar Fest? Check out the web site!

Mining Reform on MSNBC. "Gold diggers: Miners get Nevada gold royalty-free"

2010-03-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Primetime story on the continued bailout of the mining industry from MSNBC Nightly News. Without royalties 40% of the headwaters of western rivers have been polluted. Find out more at http://www.wawild.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=157&Itemid=40.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Flyfishermen Pack Theater

2010-03-11T09:46:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

The North Bend Theatre in North Bend, WA was packed last night for Oregon-based Catch Magazine's first theater production. The wildly popular e-magazine illustrates the best fly fishing on the planet through award winning photography and video. Founders Todd Moen and Brian O’Keefe, locals to the King County area, were present to give a presentation.

Understanding the need to preserve and restore the wild lands and rivers that provide for great fishing recreation, the local Trout Unlimited Chapter was present to talk about their projects, which involves much of the local youth.

All the great folks in attendance that I talked with were glad to hear about the hopeful future for an expanded Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River designations on the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. Hearing that Washington State only has 6 Wild and Scenic Rivers caught many by surprise, though all welcomed a protected River in their backyard.

Washingtonflyfishing.com was also present to talk about many of the great opportunities for fly fishing in Washington State and offer a few ways to get involved to ensure those great opportunities are around for future generations to enjoy as well.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT: Encourage Senator Murray and Congressman Reichert to protected wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers in your backyard.

Check out a Catch Magazine video below or visit them online at www.catchmagazine.net.

Possible Protected DNR - Blanchard Mountain

2010-02-26T15:09:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

“Blanchard Mountain is a treasure for the state of Washington and needs to be protected in perpetuity,” said Commissioner Goldmark. “By creating an NRCA for 1600 acres on Blanchard Mountain and maintaining the balance as a working forest, we can ensure that area is available to the public for its amazing recreation opportunities, rich wildlife habitat and sweeping views for generations to come.”

Beginning this spring DNR will begin the process to create Blanchard Mountain as a Natural Resources Conservation Area (NRCA). Replacement working timber lands will be purchased as funds are available.

Blanchard Mountain is a great example of how you passionate grassroots voice can have a tremedous impact. A group of Skagit County citizens formed the Blanchard Mountain Project, which has been working for many years to protect the area.

Looking to hike through the area? Hike through on the Pacific Northwest Trail and find the "Bat Caves" of Oyster Dome.

It Feels A Little Like Spring Out There!

2010-02-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

I don't know about the rest of you, but I find myself simply giddy when we have weather like we've had the last couple of days. Lucky for us, the weekend is shaping up to not disappoint. With that being said, this weekend seems like a great opportunity to ditch the flip-flops I've been so optimistically wearing, don some better hiking attire and hit up a trail or mountain.

Weather.com is calling for temperatures in the high 50s both Saturday and Sunday. If you're looking for some trails that haven't been beaten down by winter's harsh conditions, check out www.wta.org. Right now the website is highlighting 11 year-round, state parks hikes which you may not have known about.

Also, according to the Seattle Times, The Issaquah Alps Trails Club is offering a 4-mile hike at Lake Tradition tomorrow, Feb. 20. There is also information about snowshoe walks at both Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass. Both run all weekend. For Snoqualmie Pass, visit this website, www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/news/. And if you'd prefer to head north into the Cascades, check out the Stevens Pass walk at www.stevenspass.com.

Enjoy the beautiful weather this weekend and, as always, if you take any pictures you'd like to share with us, feel free to email them to info@wawild.org.

Celebrating 90 Years. Polly Dyer

2010-02-16T09:10:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Polly Dyer has been a leading conservation activist in the Pacific Northwest for over half a century. At The Mountaineers clubhouse over 200 people joined to celebrate her 90th birthday.

Polly has been a prominent figure in virtually every major campaign to protect wilderness in the state of Washington. She is one of the grassroots activists whose tireless efforts resulted in the passage of the Wilderness Act which has led to the protection of over 100 million acres of wilderness over the past four decades. She played a major role in the designation of Glacier Peak Wilderness in the 1960’s, and in the creation of the North Cascades National Park in 1964.

Polly currently presides over the Olympic Coast Alliance, which is dedicated to protecting the land and sea interface that is encompassed by the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. Polly is passionate about wildlife, particularly wolves, and is currently serving on the wolves working committee, coordinated through the North Cascades Conservation Council, a group she co-founded over fifty years ago.

In honor of her great work and dedication, both King County Executive Dow Constantine and Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn made a Proclamation that February 13 is Polly Dyer Day! Also, in recognition of the body of Polly’s life work, Congressman Jay Inslee made a statement on the floor of the House of Representatives. That statement is now a part of the Congressional Record.

Happy Birthday Polly and we look forward to many more years of your enthusiastic support and dedication to protecting Washington's wild places for generations to enjoy.

Recreation businesses urge action on mining

2010-02-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

In Oregon, Recreation businesses join in calling for Mining Reform.

"'The rivers in our area are not only some of the most beautiful in the world, they are also a source of sustainable jobs for the local communities,' said Pete Wallstrom, owner of Momentum River Expeditions in Ashland who signed on to the letter."

"Among the local business owners signing the letter to Merkley were ECHO River Trips in Grants Pass, Fly Water Travel in Ashland, Troon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley, Jefferson State Financial Group in Cave Junction, Rogue Wilderness Adventures in Merlin, Geoff's Guide Service in Grants Pass and Rivertrips Unlimited in Medford. Nationally known firms signing on included Patagonia, KEEN Footwear, Black Diamond Equipment and Clif Bar & Co."

A map of many abandoned mines in Washington State.

"Modernize 1872 mining law" - from the Missoulian

2010-02-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

It's time for a commonsense, modern law to govern hard rock mining. View below a guest column from Jon Krutar, a rancher and former economics professor, in the Missoulian. Get involved by calling for action.

...mining today is not what it was in my grandfather’s day, when it was mostly done on a small scale with anyone wielding a pan or a pick. Mining operations today are done on a massive scale, altering entire landscapes and leaving vast volumes of mine waste behind. Unfortunately, the laws that govern mining have not kept pace with the change in times or techniques. Montanans continue to pay a heavy price in terms of severe pollution to many of our rivers, streams and groundwater.

Local Sportsman Speaks About Importance of Wild Backcountry

2010-02-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Posted By: Amber Benson

When it comes to the sports of hunting and fishing, many people are unable to also see the connection to conservation and protection. It’s that stigma that the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers are hoping to change.

Born around an Oregon campfire, the group has members in all 50 states. The non-partisan group is founded on a mission to ensure America’s outdoor heritage in an outdoor setting, through education and work on behalf of clean water and wilderness. Currently, its primary focus is on the illegal use of ATVs and ORVs on public land. One of the organization’s bumper stickers reads, “Use the quads that God gave you.” BHA has also worked closely with Washington Wilderness Coalition to garner support for the now designated Wild Sky Wilderness, the proposed additions to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and the national push to protect our nation’s roadless backcountry.

Gregg Bafundo, Washington Chair for BHA, joined the group after years as an avid rock climber. Feeling like there was always an element missing from his sporting endeavors, he decided to give bow hunting a try. “I always felt like something was missing. As I phased out rock climbing, and started hunting, I realized I could become a participant in nature and wilderness. It’s in that part that I’ve really begun to understand what goes on out there.”

When it comes to environmental issues, Washington state is often viewed as a more left-leaning state. Gregg says that provides BHA with the unique opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional environmental groups and traditional hunting groups. “It’s a chance to allow hunters to know we have more in common with environmental groups and vice versa.” He says there’s a struggle to get understanding among environmental groups that hunters and fishers do want to protect wild places. Along with that, there’s a need to show hunters and fishers that increased protection means more fish and game and a more wild atmosphere.

To hear more about wilderness protection from Gregg’s perspective as a hunter and angler, come hear him speak Tuesday, February 10 at the Washington Wilderness Coalition (305 N. 83rd St, Seattle, WA 98103). The event starts at 6:30 and will include wine, beer, and light appetizers. To RSVP, email amber@wawild.org

Administration's Commitment to the Public's Forests

2010-02-02T08:44:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack gave a statement on this year's 2010 budget. For our forests he says, "We will ensure our national forests and private working lands are conserved, restored, and made more resilient to climate change, while enhancing our water resources."

You can TAKE ACTION by asking Senator Cantwell to continue to push Secretary Vilsack and the Obama administration to uphold the Roadless Rule, which ensures the conservation of about 58 million acres that are key for climate change, water resources, and continued recreational opportunities that benefit local economies.

PHOTOS: 2009 WWC Dinner and Auction

2010-01-21T19:56:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

It's been a bit of a wait, but now you can view photos from WWC's 2009 Wilderness Visions Annual Dinner and Auction, celebrating 30 years of working to preserve Washington State's wild public lands. View below:

Interested in volunteering with the planning of the 2010 Dinner and Auction? You can help! PLEASE email amber@wawild.org.

Day Hike: Lake Serene

2010-01-18T17:31:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Venturing out for a quick day trip? There are boundless opportunities in Washington's Cascades. One spectacular hike is located south of the Town of Index off Hwy 2, a 7 mile round trip hike to Lake Serene. For more day hiking opportunities stop by Washington Wilderness' office and pick up a Mountaineer's Day Hiking book; 50% of the proceeds go to WWC.

Lake Serene is a clear blue alpine lake resting just below the towering Mount Index. The hike offers a nice exercise gaining about 2000 ft in 3.5 miles. You can take a 1/2 mile detour to Bridal Vail Falls, which is well worth the extra mile, but you will still pass a lower falls if you do not make the detour. Once at the lake a view point gives an open view of the Skykomish River Valley and a peak into the south portion of Wild Sky Wilderness.

To get there travel Hwy 2 towards the town of Index. Turn south on Mount Index Road and take the fork in the right. A parking lot is available at the trail head. You can get a forest service pass and supplies at the general market in Index, which is just 2.5 miles away. There is also a Ranger District Office in Skykomish. The town of Index was a great supporter of Wild Sky Wilderness, which passed in 2008.

Photos: Flickr.com (To add yours email info@wawild.org)
Hiking Info:
Washington Trails Association
Seattle Pi Hike of the Week

WWC Award Winner's Story in Peninsula Daily News

2010-01-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Connie Gallant is an incredible asset to the conservation community here in Washington State and especially on the Olympic Peninsula where she resides. To honor Connie for her continued work, Congressman Norm Dicks presented her with Washington Wilderness Coalitions' first ever Karen M. Fant Award at November's 30th Anniversary Annual Dinner and Auction. Karen was a co-founder and inspirational leader for Washington Wilderness, and the award honors those volunteers who demonstrate that same love for conservation and relentless spirit to protect our wild lands.

In the January 3, 2010, "Peninsula Woman," a publication by the Peninsula Daily News, reporter Jennifer Jackson tells Connie's story and describes how she is a different type of activist. To reach consensus she is always open to listening and working with others.

The paper quotes Connie, "I like to listen to both sides. If you don't listen to people, how are you going to make a good judgment."

Connie is an active member of a number of wilderness organizations, including the Olympic Forest Coalition where she serves on the board as Vice-President and works to protect peninsula watersheds and water resources. "My focus is to try to help here on the Olympic Peninsula - to restore what we have lost and to protect what we have," Connie says as quoted in the paper.

The 30th Anniversary Dinner Celebration, marked the hard work and dedication of WWC's co-founders, the late Karen M. Fant and Ken Gersten who began in 1979 with the idea of creating an organization to focus solely on protecting wilderness on public lands.

WWC was pleased to present two awards this year. The Karen M. Fant Award was awarded to Connie Gallant, and The New Conservation Voices Award was presented to Tom O’Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director of American Whitewater. Tom is an expert in aquatic ecology, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the conservation community. He has worked with WWC on several ongoing campaigns, including the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation and the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative.

Awards were original black and white framed photographs, donated by Steven Fey of Steven Fey Photography.

Top cover photo by Jennifer Jackson, Peninsula Woman.

Bill Protecting Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area Passes Key Senate Committee

2009-12-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

Today, Senator Murray announced that legislation she introduced that would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and designate both the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic has passed the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Murray’s bill, S. 721, the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act, would expand the existing wilderness by over 22,000 acres to include important lower-elevation lands and watersheds.

Senator Patty Murray introduced the bill in the Senate earlier this year along with Senator Maria Cantwell. The bill was introduced simultaneously in the House by Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08), Congressmen Jay Inslee (WA-01), Brian Baird (WA-03), Adam Smith (WA-05), and Jim McDermott (WA-07).

“Today we have moved one step closer to new protections for the Alpine Lake wilderness area that will guarantee that this pristine environment is preserved as a legacy and natural resource for generations to come,” said Senator Patty Murray. “I was proud to join with Congressman Reichert to introduce this bill, and I will continue working until this important legislation is signed into law.”

“Washingtonians are now one step closer to enjoying an expansion of one of the most visited wilderness areas in the United States,” said Senator Maria Cantwell. “In addition to promoting clean water and supporting diverse wildlife species, these additions will support the local economy by enhancing recreational opportunities.”

“With this approval by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, we are closer to protecting additional wilderness and the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers,” Congressman Dave Reichert said. “I thank Senator Patty Murray for her leadership and diligent work on this bipartisan, consensus-based conservation effort. I’m pleased to see progress on our legislation continue, and will continue to partner with the Senator to protect these areas for generations to come.”

The existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1976 and is one of the most visited wilderness areas in the country. It is one of the closest blocks of wild forests to an urban center in the country and provides diverse recreational opportunities. Key elements of the new Alpine Lakes legislation include:

Providing the protection of the Wilderness Act of 1964 for the lower elevation lands, which will bring a richer diversity of ecosystems, including deeply forested valleys, into the wilderness area and increase its overall biodiversity. The addition of these lower elevation lands also has the direct effect of protecting a broader array of outdoor recreational opportunities easily accessible for wilderness enthusiasts.

Designating the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic, which would permanently protect the rivers’ free-flowing character, water quality and outstanding recreation, fisheries, wildlife, geological and ecological values. This designation provides for many recreational activities including unique backcountry hiking, kayaking, and white water rafting that is unheard of so close to a major urban center.

Following a long-fought victory to create the Wild Sky Wilderness in 2008, Senator Murray continued a tradition of collaboration to help protect public lands. Murray held meetings with stakeholders and a public workshop early in 2009 to discuss the wilderness proposal and hear local community input on the legislation. Washington Wilderness Coalition played a key role in those meetings. As a result of those meetings, Senator Murray introduced companion legislation in the Senate, and both versions of the bill include the new addition of Wild and Scenic designation for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.

Having passed the full committee, the bill will now move to the full Senate for consideration.

Roadless Champions

2009-12-07T13:18:00.000-08:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Last week myself and Conservation Director Tom Uniack joined roadless advocates from across the country for a Roadless Summit at our nation's capital. Organized by the Pew Charitable Trust, the summit included scientists, economists, faith leaders, local elected officials and representatives from conservation as well as hunting and fishing organizations. It was an opportunity to better organize the efforts across the country to ensure protections for the almost 58 million acres of roadless national forest land.

It was also an opportunity to thank the many roadless champions in the House and Senate who have been instrumental in working towards finalizing roadless protections. Thankfully Washington State has two leaders on roadless. Rep. Jay Inslee and Sen. Maria Cantwell have led the efforts to introduce legislation to protect roadless areas. To thank them they were awarded Roadless Champion boxes with their picture (similar to the Wheaties box) at a breakfast reception. You can send a personal thank you to Cantwell and Inslee HERE.

While in Washington DC we met with our Washington State delegates to talk about current and future opportunities to protect our state's national treasures. We were joined by Tom O'Keefe from American Whitewater, a key ally from the recreation community.

Wilderness Visions-30th Anniversary Dinner & Auction A Success!

2009-12-01T14:53:00.000-08:00

Posted By: Lisa Syravong

Washington Wilderness Coalition celebrated our 30th Anniversary by hosting our 6th Annual Dinner and Silent Auction on Thursday, November 12, 2009. The event was well attended, with 135 guests and volunteers who gathered in celebration of the work being done to protect wilderness in Washington State. Held at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club in Ballard, guests enjoyed Northwest beer donated from Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, wine from Chateau Ste Michelle and a delicious dinner catered by Apulent Catering.

WWC was pleased to welcome David Dicks, Executive Director of Puget Sound Partnership, as our keynote speaker. Mr. Dicks is leading the Partnership in an ecosystem-based approach that includes a clear focus on upper watersheds being vital to the restoration of Puget Sound.

Also in attendance were honored guests: Representative Norm Dicks (WA-06) and Suzie Dicks, and staff representatives from Representative Jay Inslee (WA-01) and Representative Dave Reichert (WA-08) who attended on behalf of the Representatives.

The event featured a keynote address by David Dicks, introduction of our new Board President, Barak Gale, by outgoing President Ted Whitesell, awards presentation, an inspirational, reflecting video featuring interviews by Doug North, Jon Owen & Ken Gersten.

The 30th Anniversary, marked the hard work and dedication of our co-founders, the late Karen M. Fant and Ken Gersten who began in 1979 with the idea of creating an organization to focus solely on protecting wilderness on public lands. To honor this, our history volunteer, Denise Ottoson, wrote a 30 page history of the organization.

WWC was pleased to present two awards this year. The Karen M. Fant Award was awarded to Connie Gallant, a Conservation Activist from Quilcene, WA. Connie Gallant was honored for her tireless work to protect the peninsula's treasures. Connie is an active member of a number of wilderness organizations, including the Olympic Forest Coalition where she serves on the board as Vice-President. Connie received an original black and white framed photograph donated by Steven Fey of Steven Fey Photography.

The New Conservation Voices Award was presented to Tom O’Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director of American Whitewater.
Tom is an expert in aquatic ecology, bringing a wealth of experience and knowledge to the conservation community. He has worked with WWC on several ongoing campaigns, including the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation and the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative. Tom also received an original black and white framed photograph, donated by Steven Fey of Steven Fey Photography.

We were honored to have so many notable guests, members and supporters of WWC to gather in honor of the work being done to protect wild lands around the state. A very special thank you to our staff, Board of Directors, auction committee volunteers and the more than 15 volunteers who gave hours, and months. We would like to especially recognize volunteers Charla Sullivan and Kendra Wendel for their hard work in planning the auction throughout the year.

Thank you for celebrating 30 years of wilderness protection with Washington Wilderness Coalition!

Photo By: Adam Sanders, Frank Blau Photography

Roadless News: Is Obama Administration Upholding Promises?

2009-10-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Earlier this year the Secretary of Agriculture created a "time out" on development in roadless areas, a step towards keeping the promises of President Obama to uphold the 2001 Roadless Rule. However, is the Obama administration now moving backwards on roadless protections? OregonLive.com takes up the question:

"This interim directive will provide consistency and clarity that will help protect our national forests until a long-term roadless policy reflecting President Obama's commitment is developed," Vilsack, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, said at the time.

Now it appears the administration is backing away from that directive, if only a little.

This month, the Agriculture Department returned to the Forest Service the authority to undertake certain projects in roadless forests without the secretary's approval.

To read full article CLICK HERE.

Senator Murray on Alpine Lakes Legislation

2009-10-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Taking a step towards permanent protection of the Pratt and Middle Fork River Valleys, Senator Murray (D-WA) submitted testimony at a hearing of the Public Lands and Forests subcommittee urging her colleagues to support the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act (S. 721).

“Today’s hearing is another step forward toward expanding the Alpine Lakes Wilderness area and adding new protections for our rivers,” Senator Murray said. “Conservation and preservation of our natural resources reflects the values I grew up with here in Washington state and I want to leave the same kind of legacy for my grandson and for future generations to enjoy. That’s why I was proud to join with Congressman Reichert to introduce this bill, and why I will continue working for this important legislation.”

For Senator Murray's Press Release CLICK HERE.

Call on Obama administration to stop new Tongass logging

2009-10-22T09:19:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

WASHINGTON—The Pew Environment Group and 10 other conservation organizations called on Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today to stop two controversial timber sales in roadless areas of Southeast Alaska’s Tongass National Forest, one of the last intact temperate rainforests in the world. The groups asked Vilsack to honor President Barack Obama’s commitment to uphold the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which was issued to protect 58.5 million acres of undeveloped national forests, including the Tongass.

An ad running today in [the Capitol Hill newspaper] Politico points to the planned Central Kupreanof timber sale in the Tongass, America’s largest national forest, which would log old growth trees and build 15 miles of new roads in roadless areas. The draft plan would mean a loss of more than 5,000 roadless acres and cost taxpayers more than $6 million to build roads associated with the project. A final plan for the sale is expected to be released within the week. A second logging proposal would build roads in the Suemez Island roadless area, also in the Tongass. According to a May 28 administrative directive, Secretary Vilsack’s approval is required for most industrial activity in inventoried roadless areas covered by the 2001 rule while legal issues regarding the rule’s implementation are resolved.

"Action by local forest service officials to move forward with plans to log old-growth trees and roadless areas in the Tongass is at odds with President Obama's pledge to protect the nation's last wild forests – including the Tongass – through the Roadless Area Conservation Rule,” said Jane Danowitz, director of the Pew Environment Group’s U.S. public lands program. "It is now up to Secretary Vilsack to honor that commitment by stopping new roadless area logging in the Tongass and giving this crown jewel the full protection it deserves.”

In a similar test for the Obama administration, Colorado is expected to propose a plan to Secretary Vilsack in November that would allow new coal mining and oil and gas leasing, as well as road building and logging, in the state’s 4.4 million acres of national forests. National environmental organizations and Colorado conservation groups have called on the Obama administration to reject the state's proposal.

The Obama administration has signaled support for the 2001 roadless rule, and Obama himself pledged to uphold the rule during his presidential campaign. In August, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the rule, rejecting efforts to replace it with a discretionary state-based process. The previous administration had attempted to roll back the rule, including applying a temporary exemption to the Tongass from its protections, and initiating the state-based process in place of national policy.

Today’s ad, which tells Secretary Vilsack, “Now it’s up to you to protect our Tongass rainforest,” is sponsored by Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Environment America, League of Conservation Voters, National Audubon Society, National Center for Conservation Science & Policy, Natural Resources Defense Council, the Pew Environment Group, Sierra Club, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, and The Wilderness Society.

The Pew Environment Group is the conservation arm of The Pew Charitable Trusts, a non-governmental organization that applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improving public policy, informing the public and stimulating civic life. For more information about the campaign to protect America’s roadless national forests, go to http://www.ourforests.org.

House Passes Wild & Scenic Bill

2009-10-13T12:04:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

A Wild and Scenic River designation for the Illabot Creek, a major tributary to the Skagit River, just passed in the House today. Introduced by Representative Rick Larson and Senator Patty Murray, the senate bill still awaits a hearing. Both Rep Larson and Sen Murray led the efforts to create Washington's first designated wilderness in over 20 years, the Wild Sky Wilderness.

The passage of the Illabot Creek Bill would create the 7th tributary or river in Washington to be designated as a Wild and Scenic River. Washington's neighbor to the south, Oregon, has over 50.

Wild and Scenic River designation protects the free flowing condition of rivers. That designation is important for the Illabot Creek, which provides exceptional spawning and rearing habitat for summer and fall chinook, coho, and pink salmon. Illabot is also home to native steelhead and one of the largest populations of bull trout in the Skagit watershed. It also supports one of the largest wintering bald eagle populations in the lower 48.

Find out more about the Illabot Creek at American Rivers, an organization that Washington Wilderness works closely with in protect Washington's rivers.

Recreation Leaders Support Wilderness Additions

2009-10-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Wilderness preservation is important to a variety of stakeholders, including businesses. Nationwide, active outdoor recreation contributes more than $730 billion to the U.S. economy. The protection of key recreation areas directly effects many businesses.

Recently, several key businesses from the recreation industry showed their support of preservation on the current wilderness bill set forth by Senator Patty Murray and Congressman Dave Reichert to expand the Alpine Lakes wilderness to protect the Pratt River Valley and Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.

Washington Wilderness worked with The Conservation Alliance to encourage many of its local members to show their support by signing onto a letter demonstrating the need for protection. The Conservation Alliance represents a group of outdoor industry companies which engages businesses to fund and partner with organizations to protect wild places for their habitat and recreation values.

Exped LLC, a Conservation Alliance member and signer, writes about the importance of their support in their Blog:

Exped LLC is a signatory to a letter recently sent to our representatives in government, encouraging them to continue the quest to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. We've pasted the letter in below - please give it a read. Better yet, if you haven't visited the Pratt River, go and take it in soon. This amazing fall weather is a perfect time to see this beautiful stretch of river. READ MORE.

Exped LLC, with local offices in Seattle, is a maker of tents, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, trekking poles, and other outdoor gear.

Busy Week for Roadless, Thank Activists

2009-10-05T16:01:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Michael Lanthier

Last week was a busy week focused on the Roadless Rule. To continue to apply pressure on the Obama administration to follow through on its promises to re-enforce national protections for the 58.5 million acres of roadless forest, activists from across the country spoke out. Colorado was taking comments on its state proposal and about 200,000 comments were generated in time for the Oct 3rd deadline expressing the desire for a national rule to protect the all roadless areas.

Many comments came from Washington Wilderness’ activists who understand that protections for our roadless areas here in Washington State are only as strong as the national roadless rule. Activists continue to encourage WA Senator Maria Cantwell, a leader on roadless protections, to advocate that the Obama administration take action.

Additionally, on Thursday, October 1st, Senator Cantwell and WA Representative Jay Inslee introduced legislation to guarantee roadless protections through congress. Find out more on the Roadless Rule and/or send a quick thank you to Inslee and Cantwell for their leadership (be sure to include great roadless places that you have been to and would like to see protected).

Thanks again to all the support from Washington Wilderness activists, including the over 200 WA elected officials and more than 170 stakeholders!

Photo by Gordon Campbell

WWC Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Formative Board Meeting

2009-10-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Denise Ottoson, Volunteer Historian

The wilderness and the idea of wilderness is one of the permanent homes of the human spirit.
– Joseph Wood Krutch

At 2:30 in the afternoon of September 30, 1979, eight people gathered at the venerable College Inn, the celebrated organizers watering hole in the University District of Seattle, Washington. The eight were Ken Gersten, Karen Fant, Harold Wood, Janet Stuhr, Dean Fischer, Bruce Folsom, Audrey Newman, and Jon Alexander.

Ken Gersten and Karen Fant were the organizers. They were both young environmental activists. Early activist Polly Dyer had recruited mountain climber Gersten, and Fant was a protégé of both Patrick Goldsworthy and the legendary Hazel Wolf, with eight years of volunteer experience already under her belt. Fant had just finished a stint as President of the Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, and Gersten had just become Vice-President of that group. They had recently met with Jim Monteith of the Oregon Wilderness Coalition, who had urged them to set up a coalition of local activists in Washington and had promised help with the formalities. This Sunday meeting was to discuss the feasibility of the proposed coalition.

When the discussion was done, the group formally decided to form the Washington Wilderness Coalition and declared their gathering its first board meeting. All except Bruce and Jon were put on an interim board; Ken was declared Chair and Karen Treasurer.

The purpose of the group was declared to be “a support system of the ‘front line’ wilderness and wild rivers groups and to publish a newsletter covering topics of interest across the state.” The new board decided that Ken and Karen would be the volunteer staff. And before they adjourned, they reached into their pockets and began the Washington Wilderness Coalition’s treasury with a collective donation of seven dollars.

Call to Action: Protect Our National Forests!

2009-09-23T12:08:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

Recently, the green light was given to logging in Alaska’s Tongass Rainforest and now pristine national forests in other parts of the country could be in jeopardy. One of the key environmental policies that Barack Obama pledged to support as president is the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects nearly 60 million acres of our last remaining undeveloped national forests from most road building, logging and other industrial activities.

But, backed by special interests, the State of Colorado is attempting to get out from under this popular policy and open up some of the best backcountry in the Rocky Mountains to new coal mines, methane wells and oil and gas drilling. As a result, Colorado's national forests could be become a magnet for development and pave the way for similar activity on pristine forestlands elsewhere in the country like Washington State.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

We need your help. Please ask Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, to reject Colorado's proposal and carry out President Obama's pledge to uphold the 2001 Roadless Area Conservation Rule as the best policy to protect our last national forests in every state. Protection for our roadless areas here in Washington State are only as strong as the national roadless rule.

CLICK HERE TO SEND AN E-MAIL NOW!

Photo: Twin Sisters, Inventoried Roadless Area, by Eric Zamora, used with permission.

Staff Report: Happy Hour & Tilth Festival

2009-09-14T22:52:00.002-07:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

September has proven to be anything but uneventful around the WWC offices. Last week we had two major events and a couple of training sessions for staff members. Our two events were Seattle Weekly's Happy Hour for Hope and the Wallingford Tilth Festival.

The Happy Hour for Hope was exciting because we were specifically chosen as the non-profit to benefit. It was held Wednesday evening at Del Rey in Belltown. How it works is, Seattle Weekly asks a beer distributor to chose a local non-profit of their choice. In our case, Oktoberfest Dundee chose us. The distributor then donates two kegs of beer to the organization and the organization then sells it to the host bar at cost. What a great idea!

As much as we would have liked to mingle with supporters and patrons of the event, we had to work. We were allowed to set up a table at the bar in order to educate people, answer questions and receive generous donations. Overall, people were extremely receptive to our cause and generous with their support.

I can't say enough nice things about the staff members of Seattle Weekly, the manager of Del Rey and, of course, the representative from Oktoberfest. They were a friendly, excited, professional group of people.

The Tilth Festival was held this last Saturday in the park area of the Good Shepherd Center. Vendors and visitors could not have asked for better weather. Blue skies, sunshine, and warm weather - the perfect combination for a lovely September afternoon. By mid-morning we had a steady stream of people, all curious about our mission, successes, and latest efforts. By the end of the day we had three people sign-up for memberships and dozens sign-up for email alerts.

Thanks to all the members who came out to Happy Hour and the Tilth Festival. We're working hard to keep you apprised and involved in the latest events at WWC. Stay tuned for an invitation to our Wilderness Visions annual dinner in November!

Adventure Report: Visiting the Noisy-Diobsud

2009-09-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Posted By: Beth Anderson, WWC Board Member
I spent the last weekend in August in one of the lesser-known wild areas in Washington state – the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness. The Noisy-Diobsud became a designated wilderness as part of the Washington Wilderness Act of 1984 and the area currently consists of 14,133 acres of wild lands within the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

After waking up to rain and clouds at our Seattle home, my husband and I picked up two friends and headed north via I-5, and eventually traveled east on Highway 20 to the Baker Lake Road, followed by nearly 8 miles on gravel to the Anderson-Watson Lakes trailhead.

As the trailhead neared the sun broke through the clouds, offering stunning views of Mount Baker even before the hike began. We started up the trail, the only maintained path into the Noisy-Diobsud, which proceeds through lush forest for about one mile until breaking out into a lovely sloping meadow. There the spur to Anderson Butte (site of an long-since-demolished lookout) takes off to the left and the main trail ascends through the meadow.

Our hoped-for destination was a campsite on one of Watson Lakes, so we continued over the slight pass at the top of the meadow and down to the junction of the trails to Anderson and Watson Lakes. Anderson Lakes are accessed via the right fork, and that trail does not enter the designated wilderness. Our group continued straight and entered the wilderness via the trail to Watson Lakes – the path switchbacks up and then back down into the Watson Lakes basin, reaching the first lake about a mile from the Anderson-Watson Lakes intersection. We followed an unmaintained trail around the first Watson Lake to the larger and slightly more spectacular second lake and found a campsite on a rocky outcrop along the shore.

We spent the rest of the afternoon admiring Mount Watson, climbing up a bit higher for views of Mount Shuksan, and enjoying the refreshing waters of Watson Lake. The following morning we took a bit more time to swim and eat berries from nearby bushes and then made our way back toward the trailhead. We dropped our overnight packs at the intersection for Anderson Butte and ate a late lunch on top of the butte (just inside the wilderness boundary), which provides incredible views of Mount Baker, Mount Shuksan, the Picket Range, and the beautiful green valleys in between.

This hike provides a great introduction to wilderness for younger folks or a relaxing weekend trip for anyone who enjoys high mountain lakes and expansive views.

For more information about the Noisy-Diobsud Wilderness, see the following link: http://www.wilderness.net/index.cfm?fuse=NWPS&sec=wildView&wname=Noisy-Diobsud%20Wilderness

Further details about the Anderson-Watson Lakes trail (#611) and the Anderson Butte trail (#611.1) can be found on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest site: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/recreation/trip-planning-baker-lake.shtml

Salesforce: WWC Embraces Change and Much Needed Updates!

2009-09-01T11:56:00.001-07:00

Posted By: Lisa Syravong

Almost every nonprofit and small independent business has it—outdated office equipment, ancient computer software, technology that is older than 5 years (yet to the office seems new) and a lack of funding to address the age-old question: “Why are we still using this, and how do we move into the 21st Century”? Yes folks, it’s the 21st century, and I’m well aware 2009 is almost over…

Washington Wilderness Coalition is certainly no exception to having outdated equipment—we have dedicated staff, all working tirelessly with outdated computers, computer software and drum roll please….Filemaker Pro Ebase. Ebase is a program, where we track our members, activists, donors and their contact information by way of logging donations, adding new information, pulling donor contact information for phone lists, email lists and the occasional membership mailing. However, we are still operating Ebase under the same license that we were granted in the late 1990’s. Staff over the years was able to highly customize our version of Ebase to one where we can track various levels of donors, track how often they attend our events, sign campaign postcards, if they have indicated they are supportive of certain campaigns and not others, you get the picture.

The difficulty with using a highly customized version of Ebase is that only the basic template is able to be updated yearly, and with staff turnover over the years we are left with fewer and fewer people who are courageous enough to use the program, let alone be able to update or migrate to a new version.

Enter into the picture-the scheming and dreaming of staff for 2-3 years. IF we could find a program that we could use that would hold our immense level of data, and IF we could find a way to pay for the new software (our current license is free, as long as we can suffer through using it), and IF we could find a way to take our old data and transfer it into a new template and program-THEN we could actually have a program that all staff could use and easily!

Early in 2008-our Executive Director helped with finding a way, a new program called Salesforce was identified, costs were drawn estimated for what it would be to actually migrate our data and to set up the licensing, and it became an opportunity to ask for grant support from the community. For those of you who know little about grant writing, a capacity building grant is one where we ask for financial support and apply for a grant from a corporation, foundation or other business to underwrite a new program that allows us to expand our work. It is a way to ask for funding for a much needed project, one that the organization will be able to launch into using and be able to fund in a sustainable way for years to come-even after the grant funds are spent.

We approached the Boeing Company with the idea that if we could fund a consultant to migrate our data-we could apply for free licenses from Salesforce (which offers free licenses to nonprofit organizations) and to finally embrace a database program that would be easily to use, integrate with our email programs, and one that all staff would have access to for our various departments.

Thanks to the support of the Boeing Company we will very soon migrate our data to Salesforce. This summer, we have been working with our wonderful consultant from N-Power, one who is able to take our data from Ebase, and transfer it into a working template in Salesforce. The staff is still nervous, as we face a busy fall campaign season with events, community festivals and up to a week of training sessions for at least some of us. We also face a new opportunity to embrace change and to grow as an organization. Updating our software will allow us to contact you, our supporters, in much more relevant ways, and call upon volunteers who express particular interests, focusing on matching specific skills with jobs that are needed to effectively carry out wilderness preservation. In other words, staff will be able to operate more efficiently so that you can participate in protecting the wild lands and waters you love more.

In September or early October-we are planning on the completion of this project—more than 18 months in the making. We appreciate the opportunity and the support that have been given by the Boeing Company, as well as N-Power, both of which are making this project possible.

Around the Office: Volunteers Key to Wilderness Visions Success

2009-08-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

It's hard to believe we're wrapping up the final days of August. Summer at WWC has been a blur of tabling events, art walks, outdoor activities, with the random ice cream break thrown somewhere in the mix. But with the end of summer begins the craze of preparing for Wilderness Visions, our annual dinner and auction. Wilderness Visions is a key event at WWC. Not only does it allow us to interact with our members and supporters on a personal basis, but it also allows us to raise the money we need to continue to push our latest conservation efforts.

One thing is for certain, Wilderness Visions would not be a success without the ongoing support of our volunteers. Starting 11 months before and working up until the final minutes, volunteers play an integral part in the planning process and implementation of this major event. Initially, duties are fairly light and can often be fun, especially when it comes to scouting out the site for the event and getting to taste test possible catering companies! When we're about six months out, the work load starts to pile up. This is when volunteers start brainstorming companies to solicit for auction items, sponsorships, food donations, and decorations. After the list is compiled, they help us create the dozens and dozens of letters and get them in the mail.

The next few weeks are a bit of a waiting game as we wait for donations to arrive. So, in the mean time, we start thinking of who we would like to be the guest speaker. We usually start with a list of 4-6 potentials. We also use this lull as an opportunity to decide on a menu and start thinking of decorations, themes, etc.

At this point in the process we're probably at our current point on the timeline - September. We've now got donations piling up, we've chosen a speaker (awaiting confirmation), we have a theme in mind, and we're finalizing decoration ideas. Next on the agenda is to draft the email invitation and begin designing the program. While these two duties are more staff projects, the volunteers still have plenty to do as they continue processing all the donations and make follow-up calls on requests.

It appears we've accomplished a lot, however, events like these are never done until their done. Between now and November 12, we will begin to rely on volunteers even more as we start to design center pieces for the tables, process ticket purchases, prepare bid sheets for all the donated items and juggle all the last minute changes that are sure to arise before and on the day of the event.

We hope that you will be able to join us on November 12 at the Shilshole Bay Beach Club in Ballard to celebrate our 30th anniversary at the 2009 Wilderness Visions. Thanks to the hard work of all our volunteers, we are sure it will be an enjoyable evening filled with great company, delicious food, and overwhelming support.

Light in the Forests

2009-08-21T08:47:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

New York Times Editorial talks about Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's speech held in Seattle last week and the importance to resolving the Roadless Rule.

Ostensibly to promote regulatory efficiency, but mainly to support logging, the Bush rules eliminated legally-mandated environmental reviews, weakened protections for wildlife and streams and restricted public input in decision-making. Mr. Vilsack has said he will restore those protections; conservationists should make sure he keeps that promise.

Discover the work Washington Wilderness has been doing to make sure Vilsack and President Obama uphold their promises to protect roadless areas and do your part in sending a note to Senator Maria Cantwell, a leader on roadless protections.

Adventure Report: Mt. Daniel, Alpine Lakes Wilderness

2009-08-19T15:52:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Drew Collins

Ah, the joys of a weekend backpack! Three of my friends and I packed up and headed to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness for a hike to Peggy’s Pond with a climb of Mt. Daniel planned.

We left civilization in historic Roslyn (from Northern Exposure) and headed along Lake Cle Elum and deep into the Cle Elum River Valley. A long, winding, and bumpy gravel road led us to the trailhead at the wonderful time of 7:30, and we were off and hiking up into the low clouds at 8:00 PM Friday. We had hoped to get to Peggy’s Pond that night, but that was wishful thinking.

Taking the Cathedral Pass trail we reached the Trail Creek Trail junction and took out our lights. It was dark, misty, and we needed lights to avoid tripping. With half the hike to Peggy’s Pond ahead of us, the next flat spot would be our campsite for the night. We found the shores of Squaw Lake not a moment too soon and set up camp.

When we arrived at the lake, a friend of mine said, “Finally!” but we quickly hushed him since there was a faint outline of another tent close to the lake. “SHHH! Let’s just be quiet and set up camp quickly!” It was about 9:30 by then, and we assumed that the campers were asleep. We gingerly set up camp, being careful not to make too much noise with the nylon tents, hung our food and slept. The next day we woke up to find that what we saw as a tent outline was a large boulder… DOH.

What we did find near the lakeshore were lots of yummy blueberries! I had never found many before when I hiked, so they were a real treat, sweet like candy.

After packing up, we followed the Cathedral Pass trail further until its junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) which was surrounded by a few buggy tarns. Views opened up of the surrounding peaks, and the monolith of Cathedral Rock straight ahead. We could see Mt. Stewart, Granite and Trico, the Citadel and down in the valley, the blue water and green meadows of Deep Lake.

Following the trail down a few switchbacks brings you to the trail to Peggy’s Pond, which is marked, but not that great. Some scrambly parts are on this trail which steeply clings to the side of Cathedral Rock. Take the lower trail to Peggy’s Cabin, or the higher trail to the pond once you reach a little drainage dip.

We set up camp by 11 AM Saturday morning, and my friend and I took off to Mt. Daniel. We followed the southeast ridge which comes right up to the Peggy’s Pond area and runs above the Hyas Creek Glacier.

Marked with cairns and multiple bootpaths, the path converged on a snow patches with old ice, remnants of a larger Hyas Creek Glacier. After crossing these patches of snow and ice, we rounded the saddle and crossed an exposed, slippery scree slope and then followed the easy bootpath and scramble to the summit at 7,960’. A marine layer was pushing at the crest, making for a dramatic cloud show. The barren ice and rock at the summit was beautiful and also indicative of the intense weather at that altitude.

Sunday was a day of rest, and then retreat back to the car. It was a great time in the mountains with friends, and an awesome summit of the highest peak in the Alpine Lakes wilderness.

Drew joined WWC in July of 2009 to provide telephone outreach to its members. He is a student at the University of Washington planning to double major in Community, Environment, and Planning (CEP) and Environmental Studies. Drew hopes to learn more about wilderness protection and environmental policy in Washington State. He has lived in the Seattle area all of his life, and enjoys being outside hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing with friends.

Adventure Report: Overnight in Brothers Wilderness

2009-08-17T14:50:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Saturday, August 15, a venture to the Brothers Wilderness in the Eastern Olympic National Forest. The snow is gone and the streams are trickling through the old growth forests that lie just north of the popular Lower Lena Lake trail. Did you journey out to a trail this weekend? Tell us your stories and favorite adventures in Washington’s National Forests or share your photos at amber@wawild.org.

After a week of much needed rain, many headed out under clearing skies to enjoy their national forests. I visited the Brothers Wilderness, which is reached by turning west on Forest Service Road 25 off of Hwy 101. The road follows the Hamma Hamma River, know for tasty Hamma Hamma oysters caught just beyond its mouth in the Hood Canal. For last minute snacks and simple supplies you can head to the Eldon Store just south of FS 25. To start the venture park at the Lena Lake parking lot, or if you like continue along a dirt road to find the Hamma Hamma Falls.

Though one of the most popular trails in the Olympics, traveling to Lower Lena Lake can be demanding. It travels up 1200 feet with a majority of the elevation gain coming along switchbacks at the beginning. The venture up this striking roadless area is well worth it. The 55 acre Lower Lena Lake is surrounded by beautiful scenery and plenty of spots for camping as well as fishing for Brook trout, rainbow trout, and cutthroat trout. Beware that you may find a lot of people there, but a bit more peace can be found by traveling further along the Upper Lena Lake Trail, which enters the Olympic National Park, or the Brothers Wilderness Trail which travels to the southern end of the Brothers Mountain Peaks.

Travel about a mile and a half to find great camping spots in the old growth forests of the Brothers Wilderness and prepare for an early morning to hike to the top of the Brothers for spectacular views. From here be sure to stay aware of where the trail goes because it can be easy to loose your way. After about another mile you’ll travel out of the forests and into an open meadow with a towering view of the peaks and a small cascading waterfall. You follow the trail around the west side of the peaks for a rugged climb up to the top. I unfortunately didn’t have the time to make it to the top but still received spectacular views across the Hood Canal and Kitsap Peninsula.

After you take in the spectacular views, its time to cruise back down the mountain for a burger at the Eagle Creek Saloon, off of N Eagle Creek Rd and just north of Lilliwaup. They have been serving delicious burgers about the size of the burger that rest a top their patio for about a year and a half. To our surprise, before reaching Hwy 101 for a burger, we lucked out to see a cougar cross the road and slip into the forest again (Thanks Whitney for your eagle eyes).

More on Brothers Wilderness

The Brothers Wilderness is located on the east side of Olympic National Forest, north of Lena Lake in Jefferson County. Except for a relatively gentle valley area in the East Fork of Lena Creek, the entire Wilderness is quite precipitous with tree covered slopes extending to about 5,000 feet. Elevation ranges from 699 feet near the Dosewallips River to the 6,866 foot summit of The Brothers. Other major peaks include Mt. Jupiter Ridge, and St. Peter's Dome. Read More.

In the News: New Direction for America's forests

2009-08-14T13:57:00.000-07:00

Posted by: Amber Benson

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack paid a visit to Seattle this morning. His purpose was to address, for the first time, the Obama administration's direction for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service. Two key leaders in Washington helped kick off the press event. Mary Wagner, Regional Director of the Forest Service, introduced Congressman Norm Dicks, thanking him for his creation of the "Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Act". Congressman Dicks then introduced Secretary Vilsack, highlighting Vilsack's desire to increase funding for Legacy Roads to $100 million and pointing out the Forest Service's $300 million road maintenance backlog in Washington state.

Vilsack presented a new direction for America's forests which will be guided by three principles: conservation, management, and restoration.

"A healthy and prosperous America relies on the health of our natural resources, and particularly our forests," said Vilsack. He went on to discuss the many things threatening our forests, (climate change, wildfires, disease) and how the decline is having an impact on our water supply, communities, wildlife and more.

Vilsack said he no longer wants the Forest Service to be viewed as an agency only concerned with the fate of our National Forests. Instead, he wants there to be a shared vision, one which includes the protection and maintenance of all American forests, including state and private lands. "Our shared vision begins with restoration. Restoration means managing forest lands first and foremost to protect our water resources, while making our forests more resilient to climate change," said Vilsack.

The Secretary also said he believes the growing markets for carbon and sustainable bioenergy will give landowners more of an incentive to maintain and restore forests. He then called on the Forest Service to play a greater role in the development of those markets and ensuring their integrity.

As for the latest in the Roadless Rule, Vilsack reiterated an announcement made by the Justice Department yesterday, that the Obama administration will do whatever it takes to protect Roadless areas in America, even if it means creating a new rule making process.

More news from Komo News:

SEATTLE (AP) - U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Friday outlined a vision for managing the nation's forests that placed a high priority on restoration to protect water resources and combat climate change.

"Conserving our forests is not a luxury," but a necessity, the former Iowa governor said at Seward Park in Seattle in his first major address on the Forest Service. Continue Reading.

Read or hear the speech in its entirety.

Artwalk-August, Jon Cornforth

2009-08-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Washington Wilderness Coalition is pleased to invite you to join us for the August, Greenwood-Phinney Artwalk, scheduled for Friday, August 14th from 6-9pm.

WWC will be open for guests to enjoy nature photography from local wildlife and nature photographers, including Jon Cornforth. We welcome you to join us for conversation, complimentary snacks and beverages and an opportunity to view inspiring art from the NW.

This month, we will feature guest work from Jon Cornforth, an award-winning nature photographer whose images have been recognized internationally for their masterful composition and incredible detail. Driven to express the beauty of the natural world, Jon travels over 6 months each year to challenge himself in new locations and document the unique creatures who live there. A resident of Seattle, all of Jon's images are captured in the wild.

For more information about Jon Cornforth-please visit his website: http://www.cornforthimages.com/

We look forward to seeing you on Friday, August 14th for the Artwalk!

Doug Scott Opens WWC Speakers Series!

2009-08-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

Posted by Amber Benson

For nearly 30 years, Washington Wilderness Coalition has worked hard to be an inclusive organization. Over the years, our hard work has paid off and we’ve developed a very diverse group of supporters. From our state’s backcountry hunters and anglers, to elected officials, and religious leaders, there is a broad range of conservation voices in WWC and we want to bring that perspective to you. That’s why we are launching our first ever Speakers Series.

Our first event will be held September 3, which also happens to be the 45th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. To mark this monumental event we invited none other than Doug Scott, Policy Director of the Campaign for America’s Wilderness. Doug helped shape strategy for and lead campaigns that resulted in Congressional legislation protecting scores of wilderness areas across the country. He will take all of that experience and knowledge and discuss the importance of the 45th anniversary in his talk, “The Wilderness Act and Washington State: A Perspective on the Act’s 45th Anniversary”.

He will also discuss the publication of his two books, the most recent Our Wilderness: America’s Common Ground (Fulcrum Publishing; May 2009) and The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting Our Natural Heritage through the Wilderness Act (Fulcrum Publishing, 2004).

Following the speaking event we would encourage you to join us in celebration of the anniversary with some light hors d’oeuvres, wine, beer and mingling.

Please RSVP to amber@wawild.org

WWC will be hosting this first of many free speaker's series this fall, with additional free events scheduled for 2010.

Special thanks to the Mountaineers Foundation for providing support to fund our Speakers Series.

Click here for a full list of scheduled speaking events in 2010.

In The News: Vancouver Columbian Editorial on Roadless

2009-08-10T13:43:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

In most of the country the Roadless Rule, which protected the country's last undeveloped, roadless national forestlands, is again the law of the land after a decision by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. A Vancouver Columbian Editorial demonstrates their support:

"Proud and rational Northwesterners of all political stripes share the love of the unspoiled outdoors. And all of them should rejoice at a recent federal appeals court decision in San Francisco that protects about 58 million acres of roadless areas in national forests in 38 states. A three-judge panel on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a misnamed "Roadless Rule" implemented by the Bush administration in 2005. Instead, most provisions of a 2001 declaration in the final days of the Clinton administration were restored."

In the News: Fate of Upper Stehekin Valley Road

2009-08-10T12:35:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Portions of the Stehekin Road where destroyed in a 2003 flood, and since have created much controversy. The controversy continues with a bill to move the road into wilderness. Read more from Wenatchee World,

"U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings in June introduced a bill, HB 2806, that would allow the National Park Service to relocate a 2.5-mile section of the road. This section would cross into the wilderness area, and it requires an act of Congress to move the wilderness boundary, a move the National Park Service there doesn't want to see."

In The News: Washington State leaders relish as court restores 'roadless rule'

2009-08-06T11:50:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

A federal appeals court on Wednesday reaffirmed a lower-court decision to reinstate the roadless rule. It was considered surprising news as the decision came from a panel of three judges who were appointed by Republican presidents.

Washington State leaders celebrate the court victory:

“This is a great victory for Washingtonians, who have long stood for the protection of our roadless areas,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “These special places provide clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, and priceless recreational opportunities for Washington families."

“Today’s victory is sweet for those of us who want to see our forests conserved for future generations,” said Attorney General Rob McKenna. “The conservation of natural resources is something that all state citizens strongly support. And that’s why we’ve made the legal defense of our environment a top priority.” (Washington State Attorney General Press Release)

Though good news, the Roadless Rule and the 58.5 million acres of roadless forests that the rule is meant to protect are yet to be safely protected:

Attorney Paul Turcke, who represents the BlueRibbon Coalition, an off-road vehicle group that intervened in the case, predicted that the roadless "saga will continue."

"I think it is unlikely this will end the litigation," he said. (From Los Angeles Times)

Do your part and encourage your Representative to push the Obama Administration to uphold the 2001 Roadless Rule for permanent protection or write to Senator Cantwell, a leader on the issue.

Read More: ‘Roadless Rule’ goes full circle

Staff Thoughts: From Lake City to the Middle Fork River

2009-08-04T14:35:00.000-07:00

Post by Amber Benson

The first weekend of August proved to be a very busy one for the staff and a dedicated volunteer at WWC. On Saturday we hosted a booth at Pioneer Days in Lake City, and on Sunday we headed to the Middle Fork River area.

Setup for Saturday was between 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM and we didn’t stop until just after 6:00 PM. Due to the long hours, our staff pulled together and rotated every 3 – 4 hours to keep faces fresh and avoid burnout. Traffic was slow in the morning as many people were probably still trying to get out the door. But by 11, things really started to pick up. People had a genuine interest in learning what we’re about and why it’s important to save our wilderness. We educated them on our efforts to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and how we work hard to include and listen to groups that would not normally be considered our allies. It was a new event for WWC, and we enjoyed the opportunity to meet neighbors and residents in the Lake City neighborhood.

On Sunday some of the staff and a couple of volunteers got upearly and headed to the Middle Fork River area. The purpose was to shoot two interviews for a short video we plan to present at this year’s 30th Anniversary celebration in November.

Jon Owen, Deputy Campaigns Director for Campaign for America’s Wilderness, and Doug North, WWC Board Member and Treasurer, were the two subjects being interviewed. The shoot was educational for everyone; some learned the ins and outs of audio/video, while others had the opportunity to hear more about WWC and it’s 30 year history. You can see from the pictures that everyone had a role, whether it was waving flies off the photographer; holding a reflector, or simply observing! Thank you to all of our volunteers and staff that made this possible. We look forward to revealing the final product in November.

~Amber Benson
Outreach & Membership Coordinator

Hike Reports: Viewing the Pratt Valley

2009-07-27T15:25:00.000-07:00

Posted by Terry Fernsler

Visiting the proposed Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions—from a different angle

Expecting cloudy weather, but getting an almost-perfect hiking day instead, I got myself up early to hike to Mt. Defiance and beyond recently. I like to go early for a number of reasons—the air is usually clearer in the morning for better photos, there’s a better chance I’ll see a large critter before they go to ground for the day, and I can enjoy the wild with few intrusions from loud-voiced people.

Mt. Defiance looks over the South Fork Snoqualmie River Valley and Interstate 90. It’s a rigorous, but not grueling, hike to the top of Mt. Defiance, starting at the trailhead of the Ira Spring Trail, at about 2,200 feet, and climbing in less than five miles to 5,584 feet. Not a steep climb, but long. From Mt. Defiance the trail goes on to Thompson Lake, on the western edge of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

I hit the trail before 6:30. The walk was pleasant, not getting into sunlight until I crossed the ridge above Mason Lake, where I passed from the proposed wilderness additions into Alpine Lakes Wilderness. I crept past the still-sleeping campers at Mason Lake. The trail reached the open meadow on the side of Mt. Defiance, and the views were fantastic. Mason Lake and Little Mason snuggled below, tucked between Mt. Defiance and Bandera (pictured below). Mt. Rainier and Little Tahoma, although distant, looked very close. Flowers of many colors speckled the mountain side.

The side trail that goes to the top of Mt. Defiance is steep but the views (on a clear day) are well worth it. One can look straight into the heart of the western Alpine Lakes Wilderness, up the South Fork Snoqualmie Valley to Snoqualmie Pass, and even see Glacier Peak peeking out above the mountains to the north. In this photo (across the Pratt Valley) of Mt. Roosevelt, the existing Alpine Lakes Wilderness comes down the mountain to just about the bottom of the bare rock. The proposed additions are down slope from there.

This is common to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness and many of our state’s existing wilderness areas: the protected areas are high-altitude, often above tree line. Protecting forests, especially lowland forests, is important for ecosystem maintenance and preserving carbon sinks; that’s one of the things that makes the proposed Alpine Lakes additions so vital.

The trail between Mt. Defiance and Thompson Lake was not only more rugged and less traveled, it was wilder. Behind the slope of the ridge I could no longer hear the noise of the Interstate traffic, and the slopes on this side of the ridge are quite steep. The steep slopes offered terrific views of the Spider Creek and Thompson Creek drainages, both part of the proposed Alpine Lakes additions. In view below of the Thompson Creek Valley, nearly everything in the valley is in the proposed Alpine Lakes additions, right to the top of Preacher Mountain across the Pratt Valley. You can just see the Garfield Bench (which is across the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley) peeking over the shoulder of Preacher Mountain, and Cascade Mountain beyond that.

By the time I was coming back from Thompson Lake, the sun had been shining down on the trail for several hours, and the hike back felt much longer than the hike in. Fortunately, there was a gentle breeze, which felt especially good in the shade.

The Pratt Valley was left out of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness bill in 1976 because of the possibility of timber harvest in the valley. The valley had been logged as recently as 90 years ago, but today it has greater value for its trout and other wildlife habitat and its importance as a carbon sink. It was inspiring to see so much of the wild area that is Alpine Lakes that is already protected, and to see the rich Pratt Valley from a different angle.

View a proposal map for the Alpine Lakes Wilderness additions or find what you can do to help.

Terry Fernsler is the Executive Director of Washington Wilderness Coalition.

Staff Thoughts: A Step Back on Roadless Protections

2009-07-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Last Week, the Juneau Empire reported that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack had approved a timber sale within a roadless area of the Tongass National Forest. It is the first such sale since he announced in May a temporary ruling that would require all new projects in roadless forest to be approved by him personally.

The stated reason Vilsack gave for the sale, which includes at least 2 miles of roads to be built into the ancient old-growth forest, was to help provide needed jobs. But conversationalists responded that the sale does nothing to ensure a stable economy for the local communities and will end up costing tax payers more money, as the Forest Service already has a $10 billion dollar backlog on maintaining its existing network of nearly 400,000 miles of roads.

Conversationalist responds in an Environmental News Service article:

"The day when this kind of timber sale made sense is long gone," said Carol Cairnes, president of the board of the Ketchikan-based Tongass Conservation Society. "Cutting these trees will not even bring in half the money the Forest Service will spend building a road to get to the trees.

"The rest of Thorne Arm [a roadless area in the Tongass] has already been hammered with clearcuts," said Cairnes. “People in Ketchikan use this last pristine area for fishing, hiking, and family outings. The trees have more value standing than they do cut."

However the article expresses the larger concern:

“President Barack Obama's appointees in the U.S. Department of Agriculture are ‘dangerously close’ to violating the President' pledge to uphold and defend the 2001 Roadless Rule - a pledge he made both as a candidate and since he took office…. Said [Earthjustice attorney Tom Waldo], ‘there are several other roadless rule timber sales in the pipeline and the administration has not provided any assurance that they will not grant those timber sales’."

Through eight years of the previous administration, which made a concerted effort to end the protections of the 2001 Roadless Rule, only 7 miles of roads were built into roadless national forests. Though President Obama promised to protect roadless forests, within 6 months of being in office already 2 miles of roads in pristine roadless areas has been approved.

Permanent protections are needed. Roadless forests secure clean water and countless recreational opportunities which provide a sustainable economic boost to local communities.

Encourage Senator Cantwell, a leader on Roadless, to push Obama to up hold the 2001 Roadless Rule; Write a Letter. Or write your representative and senators to support legislation protecting roadless areas, on which Washington’s Rep Jay Inslee and Sen Cantwell have been leaders. Find out more what Washington Wilderness is doing to protect the 2 million acres of roadless national forests in Washington State.

See a video by the Natural Resources Defense Council on clear cutting’s effects on the once ancient, roadless forest land in the Tongass:

Staff Thoughts: The Spaces In-between

2009-07-22T11:02:00.001-07:00

Posted by Drew Collins

Up until a few years ago, living in Washington did not make much of a difference for me. I guess the weather is cloudier here, but I’m used to it and do not know much else – I’ve lived in the Seattle area all my life. With the introduction of hiking trails and thus wilderness into my perspective, I see where I live as so much more, and I’m so glad to be here.

As a kid, when I’d look on a map, I’d see the long twisting, barren stretches of roadway and know that those were the ways to get through the mountains. You’d drive up a valley surrounded by high ridges and peaks and then go down. But as I learned while hiking, some of the most scenic areas in our state are the places in-between the markings on a map. Those gaps are huge, and their value is immeasurable.

In the last few years, hiking and backpacking has evolved to my favorite hobby. Exploring those places in-between the quick, fast-paced, auto access of mountain passes is exciting, breathtaking and calming. I’m seeing these huge expanses of land through my own eyes, and filling in the map with my own experiences.

I think a lot of young people today do not realize how much wild land there is out there, and few ever get to access it, much less get a half mile away from a car. Designating this wild land as wilderness is important to protect these areas because generations to come will realize the value and experience these spaces which we mark today as valuable assets, are close to our hearts.

Drew joined WWC in July of 2009 to provide telephone outreach to its members. He is a student at the University of Washington planning to double major in Community, Environment, and Planning (CEP) and Environmental Studies. Drew hopes to learn more about wilderness protection and environmental policy in Washington State. He has lived in the Seattle area all of his life, and enjoys being outside hiking, backpacking and snowshoeing with friends.

In The News: Seattle Times Guest Opinion Editorial

2009-07-14T12:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

July 14, 2009, Seattle Times Guest Op-Ed, by Jim Whittaker, Make roadless forest area rule permanent:

Growing up in Seattle, with Mount Rainier, the Olympics and the Cascades beckoning, I developed a passion for the natural world and climbing. Whether in the damp, clean air of an ancient forest or on a snowy summit, the beauty and richness of the wild places within Washington are an inspiration and comfort to millions of Washington residents a year.

In order to preserve and protect much of our remaining natural heritage, the federal Roadless Area Conservation Rule was created in 2001, setting aside nearly 60 million acres of our national forests from destructive road building, which can do even more damage than clear-cutting.

The 2 million acres of roadless forests here in Washington state are a critical part of the quality of life we have come to expect. Roadless forests provide much of our clean water and safe drinking water, besides protecting fish and wildlife.

Along the east side of the Olympic National Forest, near Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and my now hometown of Port Townsend, roadless forests make available the chance for adventure by hiking, camping, kayaking, bicycling, climbing, hunting and fishing, backcountry skiing, wildlife viewing and much more. You can traverse through old-growth forests and climb Mount Washington for spectacular views of Seattle and the Cascade Peaks. You can mountain bike through the Dungeness River Valley or hike one of the many trails — from trekking along the ledges of Dirt Face Ridge to taking kid-friendly trips to Murhut Falls or Lena Lake.

"No Child Left Inside!" should be the rallying cry we live by. Here in Port Townsend, we are lucky to have the Northwest Maritime Center, which gets kids out on the water. But children in the entire state are afforded year-round opportunities in roadless areas for outdoor adventure and discovery.

Washington's wild forests are also a significant resource to our local economy. They inspire homegrown companies like REI, Eddie Bauer and the many other local businesses that provide recreation gear. Active outdoor recreation supports more than 100,000 jobs in Washington and contributes more than $11 billion dollars to our state's economy.

Severely undercut by the Bush administration's concentrated efforts to weaken this popular rule, our roadless forests are in danger. As a U.S. senator and as a candidate for the White House, President Obama was up-front about his support for the Roadless Rule. The recent one-year moratorium on road building by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was a welcome reprieve, but now we need further action.

As our towns and cities continue to grow, it is more critical than ever to have safeguards in place in order to maintain our wildlife habitats. And for humans, they offer the opportunity for adventure, as well as for peace and solitude.

The president must act now to ensure the long-term protection of the public's roadless forestlands by reinstating the Roadless Rule. Our congressional leaders must join Sen. Maria Cantwell, Congressman Jay Inslee and others in their efforts to enact legislation to protect these valuable wild places. Preserving roadless forests ensures the passing of a natural heritage for future generations to enjoy.

Jim Whittaker was the first American to summit Mt. Everest in 1963 and was the first full-time employee of REI, becoming the CEO from 1971-1979. Author of "A Life on the Edge: Memoirs of Everest and Beyond," he resides in Port Townsend.

Click here to learn more about Washington's roadless areas and the value of roadless forest.

Conservation Voice: Ken Gersten

2009-07-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

posted by Amber Benson

Rambling Thoughts on Wilderness

Twenty five years may seem like a long time. But here in Washington people like you and me have been working to protect wild lands since the early 1900s. Still there is a lot to celebrate with the passage of the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act.

Work on the 1984 Washington State Wilderness Act started in 1976 as soon as the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Act passed. Or maybe each bit of protection was just a step along a continuing road to a goal that keeps changing--. We saw wildlands protection with the creation of Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. The Wilderness Act of 1964 gave us additional acreage and another tool to preserve wilderness. It was followed by North Cascades National Park and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

But the 1984 bill was a little different. Past Previous efforts, both in Washington and elsewhere, were focused on a single area or localized group of areas. During the late 1970s the US Forest Service conducted a nationwide inventory of roadless areas, resulting in a set of Wilderness recommendations that was totally inadequate. But the mood in Congress was to try to end the debate by passing state-wide wilderness bills.

Many of us knew then and history has shown that the debate did not end then. And it still is has not ended. But the work in the early 1980s was special. It was a state-wide grassroots organizing effort composed of lots of local efforts. I don’t know if this is correct, but former Speaker of the House Tip O’Neal is credited with saying that “all politics is local.” Here in Washington, in terms of wilderness, that means that whichever Congressional Representatives has an area in his or her district have significant influence over whether what will it can be be designated as Wilderness in their districts. That means local organizing is needed, to convince Representatives to propose designations, which is what we did. So if you were part of the local effort to protect the Mt Baker area or the Boulder River or the Lake Chelan-Sawtooth or the Clearwater or any of the other areas in the Act, you deserve a special thank you today. If you were in Seattle or some other part of the state your work was still essential. Senator’s, who are as important as House Members, represent the entire state, and our Senators in 1984 played important roles in passing the 1984 Act.

So where does that leave us today? We are back to protecting areas one at a time. The Wild Sky Act was just the first and I look forward to celebrating the 25th anniversary of it’s passage. But we have many more areas to protect and a very different political environment.

This week, Al Franken was declared the winner of the Minnesota Senate race, giving the Democrats their first filibuster-proof majority in recent memory. Progressive Democrats also control the House of Representative and we have an environmentalist in the White House. So it should be easy to get areas protected, right?

Wrong. With the economy, health care and war at the top of the agenda, a Supreme Court vacancy and the Bush agenda to undo, Congress and the President have a very full plate. We also must remember how technology has changed the process. We used to communicate with Members of Congress by mail. We would get lots of folks to write letters and the Member’s staff would read them and track the mood of the folks back home. As phone calls got cheaper we flooded them with calls. But now they get flooded with everything including email, calls, tweets, etc. And we are far from the only interest group. So we need to work harder and better to get our agenda at the top of their agenda. How do we do that? The same way as always, --we organize. Nothing has changed but the tools.

When I helped found the WWC 30 years ago, my mantra was “organizing is the key to success.” I still believe it that is true. But what is organizing? I have been told that Cesar Chavez, the leader of the Farm Workers organizing efforts would say, “you talk to one person, then another person, then another person.” And that is what we need to do. And each person we talk to needs to be asked to communicate with their elected officials and help get others to do the same.

If we do enough talking we will get wilderness protection to the top of the agenda, just as we did with the passage of the Wilderness Act of 1964, the North Cascades National Park Act, and, 25 years ago, with the Washington Wilderness Act. So let’s celebrate, renew our energy and go back for more.

-Ken Gersten
Co-founder, Washington Wilderness Coalition

Conservation Voice: Tim McNulty

2009-07-01T11:41:00.000-07:00

Posted by Amber Benson

From Scruffy Beginnings to an Enduring Voice for the Wild (WWC at 30)

In the late 1970s the Wilderness movement in Washington was a scatter of feisty tribes huddled around campfires in rainy woods and bristling sagebrush. We peppered our forest service offices with letters seeking protection for our favorite Wilderness areas. We held rallies, lead hikes, challenged timber sales, and harangued small-town reporters to write stories about the importance of wilderness.

To be sure, venerable groups like the Wilderness Society, Sierra Club, the Mountaineers, and Friends of the Earth had offices in Seattle and contacts in Washington City. But from rural outposts where activists watched our home forests being clearcut at a staggering pace, Seattle seemed a long way off. And as for Washington City, it might well have been on another planet.

We had been through the frustrations of trying to influence forest service district plans in the 1970s. Hope sprung anew when Jimmy Carter was elected president. The forest service's RARE II initiative (Roadless Area Review and Evaluation) brought new hope. But we had underestimated the timber industry's political reach, and the final recommendations were a disappointment. When state-wide wilderness advocates gathered at a grange hall in Ellensburg in 1979, Wilderness protection for our threatened wildlands seemed a long ways off.

I remember a meeting with the late Karen Fant, one of the most inspiring wilderness advocates in the state and an indomitable spirit. Karen proposed forming a statewide coalition to unite grass-roots wilderness groups, provide an organization and staff, and move our wilderness campaigns ahead as a united federation. Ken Gersten, a visionary young activist from Seattle had signed on with Karen, and I agreed to be a part of the organization's founding board of directors. In the fall of 1979, WWC was born.

We were, in retrospect, a rather scruffy lot, and not terribly well-heeled. A financial statement in my files from our first board meeting lists five member groups. WWC's net worth at the time (December, 1979) was $97.71. But we lacked in funds and political acumen we made up for in passion. Karen and Ken proved to be excellent field organizers, and by the early 1980s the Washington Wilderness Coalition had active grass-roots member groups across the state. This organization proved invaluable in the campaign leading up to the passage of the 1984 Washington Wilderness Act. Local groups lined up business, civic group, and political support in every congressional district in the state. If Tip O'Neil was accurate ("All politics is local,") then WWC's grass-roots organizing is responsible for many of the far-flung victories in the '84 legislation.

Which is not to say we finished the job -- or even came close to it. Behind the formal celebrations we suffered the wounds of areas not included in the bill. Lena Lake, the South Fork Skokomish and South Quinault Ridge were particularly painful omissions on the Olympic forest. Neglect of the Kettle Range in the Columbia highlands was a statewide tragedy.

The odds have been stacked against us multiple times over the past quarter century. But the wilderness movement in Washington state has never been stronger. With the winds of Wild Sky at out backs, citizens are once more working for new Wilderness areas across the state. A new generation of activists have joined the old hands -- just as I grew in the shadow of giants like Polly Dyer, Pat Goldsworthy, Phil Zalesky, and Karen Fant. The legacy of Wilderness will always inspire souls who will speak out in its defense. And after 30 years, WWC will be part of the wildlands victories in Washington that are still come.

Tim McNulty, one of the original directors of Washington Wilderness Coalition, is a poet, nature writer and conservationist who has long been active in Northwest literary and environmental communities.

Tim has served 35 years on the board of trustees of the Olympic Park Associates, and is also working currently with the Olympic Watershed Coalition on wildlands and river protection in the Olympic Mountains. He lives with his family in the foothills of Washington's Olympic Mountains.

Staff Thoughts: Memories of the Wilderness and How It Shapes Us

2009-06-24T10:57:00.000-07:00

Posted by Lisa Syravong

It is officially summer and as a working adult, I find myself feeling envious of children in my neighborhood who officially started their summer vacation this week. While I’m not quite ready to quit my day job and return to studying Algebra, I’m reminded of the simplicity and excitement of summer as a child.

Growing up in the NW, my parents, brother and I spent a lot of time outdoors, hiking and camping in the summer as a family, hiking on Cascade Head on the Oregon Coast, and camping high in the Cascades at Waldo Lake. We had leisurely summers of canoeing with our family friends, searching for the last patch of snow on top of Mary’s Peak near the Coastal Range of Oregon, and hiking in Silver Falls State Park. This conscientious effort on the part of my parents, to expose us to a variety of outdoor activities, shaped us into the adults that we have become today - one who enjoys mountain climbing on tall peaks, surfing and taking risks, and one who would much prefer having their feet in the sand at sea level, or hiking on a wilderness path, miles from any ravine. Despite our differences and needs for adrenaline, we both have an appreciation for the opportunities that we had as children and how they have shaped our adult lives.

As a parent, I am now beginning to share such experiences with my family and our toddler. As she grows, I want her to have similar experiences with nature, a sense of awe while sitting in a stand of old growth trees, and a respect for all things wild - wildlife, wild forests and wild rivers. By experiencing such places, we develop intrinsic values that shape our system of values and beliefs. Outdoor adventures also offer an opportunity to share similar hobbies with friends and family and to create a sense of gratitude that we are so blessed with local places in which we can experience nature, all within a short drive of our home.

As a challenge to each of you, I would like to invite you to share experiences from your childhood, or even as an adult of favorite summer places, perhaps a funny story or your first encounter with nature on this blog. It is only by inspiring others that we will encourage others to break away from daily life and to get outdoors.

Lisa Syravong is the Membership & Communications Manager for Washington Wilderness

Staff Thoughts: Conservatives Should Conserve

2009-06-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Posted by Tom Uniack

Washington Wilderness Coalition often works with Republicans for Environmental Protection on wild land preservation. On Monday evening, Jim DiPeso, Policy Director of REP, wrote 10 Environmental Issues Republicans Should Champion on The Daily Green blog Monday. Wilderness is right in there:

Republicans were the original conservationists. The conservation movement that Theodore Roosevelt and other GOP worthies started in the 19th century reached fruition in 1964 with one of the most visionary stewardship laws in history – the Wilderness Act.
Co-author John Saylor, a conservative Republican congressman from western Pennsylvania, fought for wilderness protection because he said it showed reverence for creation and love of country.

In recent years, however, too many Republicans have lost touch with Saylor’s values and denigrated wilderness as an elitist conspiracy.
Republicans should throw away all their angry anti-wilderness rhetoric, rediscover John Saylor’s wisdom, and become wilderness champions again.

Often we forget that wilderness preservation is not a partisan issue. Many, diverse people support the protection of our remaining wild areas. The Washington Wilderness Act, passed 25 years ago, was a bi-partisan effort. The Wild Sky Wilderness, designated last year, received both Democrat and Republican votes to pass both houses of Congress, and was signed by Republican George W. Bush. Republican Representative Dave Reichert (WA-08) has introduced legislation to expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness twice now, and got five Democratic co-sponsors. This Congressional session, he worked with Democratic Senator Patty Murray (WA) to draft the legislation together.

Since 1994, a vocal minority of Republicans—arguably a “fringe element”—have led an obstructionist agenda to wilderness (typically only delaying designations, not completely blocking them). There are many Republicans who recognize the value of wilderness preservation. As Jim DiPeso writes: Conservatives ought to conserve.

Adventure Report: National Trails Day in Goat Rocks Wilderness

2009-06-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Posted by Michael Lanthier

Saturday, June 6th was National Trails Day. The snow is melting, the flowers are blooming, and there are many trails ripe for an adventure. Did you journey out to a trail this weekend? Tell us your stories and favorite adventures in Washington’s National Forests or share your photos at amber@wawild.org.

For National Trails Day, WWC Assistant Conservation Director Michael traveled five miles south of Packwood, WA to the western side of Goat Rocks Wilderness in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.

Early June is a great time to visit the few lower elevation portions of Southwest Washington’s Goat Rocks Wilderness. The area is famed for its rugged peaks of an eroded, ancient volcano where bands of mountain goats live, but atop the peaks still lies much of the winter’s snow making it a treacherous hike at this time of year.

Below there is still much to discover and beautiful Packwood Lake to set camp. To get there head to Hwy 12, where the town of Packwood rests between Morton and Yakima directly south of Mount Rainer along the Cowlitz River. Stop into Blanton’s Market for well priced supplies, parking permit, and update information on trail and road conditions. One local resident made sure I had plenty of bug spray for the mosquitoes, especially if headed to the appropriately named Mosquito Lake.

Once stocked up with supplies, turn south towards the forest service road 1260 at the old Ranger Station (the nearest open Ranger Station is at Randle, WA) and follow the paved road until it ends at Packwood Lake Trailhead. It is an easy hike just under 5 miles to Packwood Lake and many visitors make it a one-day trip.

Along the trail, just before it turned to Wilderness I met a couple from the Lewis County Chapter of the Backcountry Horsemen of Washington who were hiking out with their chain saw. For 15 years their organization has been maintaining the Packwood Lake Trail sending out work parties on National Trails Day to clear the fallen trees from the previous winter so that hikers and equestrians can more easily assess and share the trails. Of course the noisy chain saws can not be used in the Wilderness. Once in the Wilderness I met other groups clearing the trails with pull saws. Many appreciated the work that WWC had done for the Wild Sky Wilderness, which included working with the Backcountry Horsemen.

Just before reaching Packwood Lake the trail leads out of the Wilderness and meets another trail used by mountain bikers and ATVs which many times haul paddle boats to fish the plentiful amounts of trout.

Continue along the north end of the lake and you enter back into the Wilderness where there are several camping stops to rest your feet and take in the beauty of the glass like still waters of the large alpine lake.

After setting up camp, I continued on for a packless hike east of the lake along Upper Lake Creek. The recent snow melts created a green marsh-like atmosphere with a delightfully cool breeze. I stopped at Beaver Bill Creek to explore along the rushing ice cold waters. It’s another 5 miles before you would take the steep climb up to Packwood Saddle, where there are exceptional views of the surrounding mountains once the snow melts and the clouds part.

The following morning I headed back out towards the trailhead but not before taking the grueling venture up to Mosquito Lake. The 2000 foot elevation gain is well worth the trip for the tremendous views. In early June be sure to bring snowshoes to better explore the area, but the slushy snow will not last long making the trails more accessible to other higher alpine lakes. Be sure to bring bug spray though.

More photos are available at Flickr.com or find more information below at the Forest Service website.

There are many opportunities for you to get involved in protecting other pristine, undeveloped National Forest lands that make Washington State such a great place for adventure. Take Action on several important issues today.

More on Goat Rocks:

A 105,600-acre alpine wonderland, The Goat Rocks Wilderness is a portion of the volcanic Cascade Mountain Range in southwestern Washington between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams. The Goat Rocks are remnants of a large volcano, extinct for some two million years. This ancient volcano once towered over the landscape at more than 12,000 feet in elevation, but has since eroded into several peaks averaging around 8,000 feet. The cluster of rocks and peaks has become known as Goat Rocks because of the bands of mountain goats that live here. Read More

Obama's Encouraging First Step

2009-06-05T11:38:00.000-07:00

Seattle Times; Letter to the Editor

I was happy to read that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the Obama administration took an important initial step in ensuring that our roadless areas are protected ["Salvaging roadless policy," Opinion, editorial, May 31]. Here in Washington state, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects 2 million acres of backcountry national forest lands from road-building and most economic development.

As a sportsman, wilderness and roadless backcountry areas are an essential element to the American and democratic hunting and fishing tradition. These wild landscapes allow us access to some of the best fish and wildlife habitat in Washington's national forests.

Conserving these undeveloped forestlands protects diverse wildlife habitat for many nongame species and gives opportunities to hunt deer, elk, black bear and mountain lion (just to name a few) in true wilderness settings. Big-game animals benefit from the security and habitat that roadless areas provide, which allows them to mature and grow.

The temporary moratorium is an encouraging first step, but Obama must continue to strengthen the protections and permanently and fully implemented the Roadless Rule.

-- Gregg Bafundo, Normandy Park

Click here to learn more about the roadless initiative, it's role on Washington, and roadless areas in Washington

Obama Must Protect Undeveloped Forests

2009-06-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Olympian, Letter to the Editor, June 2

The current administration must take a firm stand on protecting our last remaining undeveloped national forests.

Ensuring that the roadless rule is upheld would be a tremendous step in the right direction, demonstrating necessary leadership in Washington, D.C. In Washington state, there are over 2 million acres of roadless forestlands that hang in the balance.

These forests provide critical habitat for many of the Northwest’s well-known creatures — like steelhead, salmon, bald eagles and elk herds — as well as sheltering uncounted lesser-known but equally important species. As a longtime college professor of environmental studies and geography, I can attest that our forests are essential in providing us with critical resources like clean water and air. And you don’t need a Ph.D. to know that our roadless public lands are where we find some of our most beautiful back country.

Roadless areas are not only an essential part of the lives of many of us outdoors types, but are also critical economic resources for the local communities that depend upon outdoor recreation and tourism for ever-increasing levels of income.

Further erosion of our last remaining wildlands is an unacceptable degradation of our natural heritage. These few beautiful, biologically and culturally important places are for now still with us, and the Obama administration has the historic opportunity to again defend our nation’s forests for their own inherent well being and for all future generations.

TED WHITESELL - Olympia
Washington Wilderness Coalition
Board Of Directors
President

Click here for a detailed look at Washington's roadless areas

A Sensible Approach In Hard Economic Times

2009-06-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

An editorial in the Seattle Times (A Policy Revival for Roadless Forests) last Friday points out the economic importance of halting plans for roadless areas. Finally, mainstream America is beginning to understand that we cannot continue the policies that drove our economy into the ground in the first place.

Yes, it was a lending crisis that triggered the current recession, but it was bad investment choices that deepened it, including how the government chooses to invest. Investing in declining industries that are declining because they just won’t adapt to changing demand (as the American auto makers) or supply (as the timber industry).

Too often industries put blinders on without looking at the true costs of a particular way of business. Roadless forests hold far greater value than extracting natural resources

The [new] rules provided for maintaining existing uses, with local forest managers able to make decisions about selective logging, grazing, fishing and hunting.

All of these uses add value to local, rural economies, whose residents nearly always have lower incomes and fewer opportunities available to them. Roadless areas, as Governor Gregoire noted in a letter to Agriculture Secretary Vilsack noted, have additional values that affect others:

"We have 2 million acres of pristine roadless forests that provide vital clean drinking water, habitat for fish and wildlife, carbon sequestration, and outstanding recreational opportunities for Washingtonians to enjoy our great outdoors."

In these economic hard times, it’s time to look at the true costs of doing business. The above indicates the opportunity costs of building roads in forests, decreasing their value. In addition, when costs are passed on to the public to benefit only a few, it diminishes government’s ability to invest in emerging sectors, and truly benefit the taxpayer.

Road building in national forests comes with a nasty double-hit on the treasury. The federal government subsidizes road construction for timber companies. Erosion of poorly maintained or abandoned logging roads destroy salmon habitat and restoration projects. Taxpayers pay twice.

The “Chicago school” of economists who led us into the current economic debacle are finally losing their unwarranted credibility. It appears the Times, at least in this editorial, finally understands that economic standards must change. We can no longer look at the earth (and most of humanity) as an irrelevant externality. Here’s hoping the federal government gets it too.

Urgent Appeal

2009-06-02T14:30:00.001-07:00

Summer is quickly approaching in Seattle. For some that means lots of play time. But for the WWC it’s crunch time. In just 5 months we’ll be hosting our annual dinner. This year’s celebration is a big deal because it’s our 30th anniversary.. We want to make sure we’re able to show our members, supporters, and friends how important they are to us.

To make all this possible, we need to raise as much money as possible.

That’s where you come in. See, the more we raise, the less that comes from our annual budget and the more we’re able to focus on our wilderness initiatives throughout the year.

You may be wondering what you’ll get for your donation. Here are the details:

*The first 8 people to donate $150+ will get a seat at our Twitter sponsorship table at the annual dinner
*All donors will be recognized in a special “Twitter Donors” section of our event program.
*Donors will be listed in our annual report
*Donations of $35+ will buy you a one-year membership with the WWC
*You’ll be the first to know about future Twitter Meetups we’re planning with other local organizations.
*Your donation will be a tax writeoff.
*You’ll know that you’re helping us in our effort to protect more of Washington’s wilderness and habitat.

There are two ways you can donate. Twitter users can go to the home page of our blog and follow the template on the right side for donations.

Others can simply go to our website at http://preview.tinyurl.com/qmy5d9 and click on the donate now button.

Thank you for your support!!

Staff Thoughts: "Time-Out" on Roadless

2009-05-28T15:49:00.001-07:00

Posted by Terry Fernsler

Welcome to Washington Wilderness Coalition’s blog! This is the forum to discuss the remarkable wild lands and free-flowing waters in Washington, problem-solve protecting them, and asking questions about them.

It’s good day for us to launch our blog—Today Agriculture Secretary Vilsak announced a “timeout” on new road building and other development in designated roadless areas on National Forest lands. WWC has been working with a national coalition to push for this since the Obama administration took office.

Former President Clinton issued the Roadless Area Conservation Rule shortly before leaving office in 2001, which protects nearly 60 million acres of national forest land from logging and other development. Former President Bush let the rule stand, but continually tried to undercut it by exempting large areas and allowing states to establish their own set of rules (often opening up forests to development).

Our National Forests are a shared treasure, owned in common by all Americans. Presently, over half of all our National Forests have had roads cut through them and have been logged, mined or drilled. Only 18% of our National Forests are protected as either wilderness or National Park.

The remaining third of our National Forests are considered "roadless." These are areas that have not already had roads built through them and have not been logged, mined or drilled. These roadless forests are the last remaining wild forests left in the United States. In Washington state we have a little over 2 million acres of roadless National Forests remaining. These roadless forests provide many benefits. They are the source of safe clean drinking water for more than 60 million Americans. They provide essential habitat for threatened and endangered species. They provide the vast majority of National Forest lands where people go to hike, backpack, camp, canoe or kayak, birdwatch, ride horses in the backcountry, fish and hunt.

Since 2001, an epic struggle has been underway to decide the fate of these forests. Both locally and nationally, Washington Wilderness Coalition has been a leader in efforts to preserve our roadless forests as a legacy for future generations.

The “timeout” announced by the Department of Agriculture today is an indication that the new administration is looking in a different direction, one that considers our future. Tell us what you think about the timeout and protecting roadless areas.

-Terry Fernsler, Executive Director

Click here to review the Resolution, local elected and stakeholder support, and more on the Roadless Rule