The Mountaineers Currents

Thursday July 9, 2009, 7:00PM-9:00PM at The Mountaineers - "Crossroads on the Columbia"

2009-06-30T15:10:00.000-07:00

The film Crossroads on the Columbia chronicles
a community’s response to private energy
investment companies’ proposals to build
controversial Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
receiving terminals on the lower Columbia River
near the historic town of Astoria, Oregon. The
passion and power of grass roots activism set
against the backdrop of the beauty, heritage
and history of the Columbia Pacific Region
make this a compelling story of America at the
crossroads of fossil fuel dependence,
renewable energy and decisions over who
controls our air, water and economy.

After the film, join Dan Serres, Conservation Director of
Columbia Riverkeeper, to discuss the details of
LNG projects targeted for our region. Learn about
the impacts of importation terminals and pipelines
to our forests, rivers, and communities and how
you can take action and join the movement:

• LNG projects would drastically increase
Washington’s greenhouse gas emissions

• LNG competes with a clean, renewable
energy future

• Cowlitz Co. WA is threatened with pipeline
development that could use eminent
domain

July 10, 2009 - Ice Caves Trail on Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Reopens

2009-06-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Help celebrate the opening of the Ice Caves Trail Bridge with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Washed out by floods in 2006, the bridge accesses one of the most popular trails on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.

When: FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2009 at 10:00AM.

Where: 25 miles east of Granite Falls along the Mountain Loop Scenic Byway, park at the Big Four Picnic Area lot. Overflow parking available half mile up the senic byway at the Ice Caves Trailhead. Follow connector trail back to the Big Four Picnic Area.

Saturday July 11th - Team Up with the North Cascades Conservation Council for a Plant Restoration Day at Diablo Lake Overlook

2009-06-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

Join the volunteer work party to help restore a native plant community at the Diablo Lake Overlook on State Route 20. Volunteers and National Park Service staff will remove non-native invasive plants in the morning and collect seed from native plants in the area in the afternoon. We will plant some of the seed where they have pulled weedy species and some will be propagated in the park nursery for future use.

Plan to camp at Newhalem Creek Campground for the NCCC-sponsored evening program (see below). A group campsite has been reserved for volunteers. Please RSVP by email to: ken@skookumpeak.com, or call 360-733-7014.

July 11, Saturday – Evening program on NCNP Newhalem Creek Campground Amphitheater Slide program on the “Wilderness Alps.” Come hear the story of how North Cascades National Park came to be — as told by some of those who were there in the 1950s and 1960s working to create the new park. Presented by the NCCC.

June is National Rivers Month!

2009-06-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

June is National Rivers Month! American Rivers is presenting their popular "National River CleanupTM Program" again this year. If you would like to participate, you can find an American Rivers sponsored cleanup event near you by linking to the American Rivers website here

Kick Off of the Completion of North Cascades National Park Campaign held at The Mountaineers May 15th

2009-05-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check out the front page Seattle Times article on the American Alps Legacy Campaign to complete North Cascades National Park here

Sign Up to Conduct Invasive Plant Surveys in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley

2009-05-20T11:45:00.001-07:00

Do you like to hike and look at plants? Would you like to help stop the spread of invasive plants into one of the most pristine wilderness areas in King County? If so, we welcome you to join our team of weed watchers looking for invasives in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie Valley.

Volunteers are needed to survey trails throughout the Mid Fork Valley from Mt. Si to Dutch Miller Gap in the heart of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. By finding the new invaders early, we are able to quickly move to stop them and protect the relatively pristine upper watershed. To do this, we need many eyes out there on the trails watching for invaders. It helps to know common northwest plants, but we will train you to identify the key invasives, so you don't need to be an expert to be a weed watcher.

To find out more about the Mid Fork Snoqualmie Invasive Weed Project, visit our website here and read past reports about what we have done. (We may also expand the project to selected Wilderness trails along the South Fork.)

To join our team, come to an orientation meeting and practice day of surveying on Sunday, June 14, 2009. We will meet at the Snoqualmie Ranger Station in North Bend at 9:00 a.m in the meeting room behind the main building. After a short meeting and weed ID workshop, we will head up the Middle Fork Road to get some hands on practice surveying for invasive weeds and pick our trails for summer surveys. We should be back to North Bend by 5:00 p.m. or earlier.

For more information or to sign up, please contact Mark Boyar (mboyar@q.com) or Sasha Shaw (sasha.shaw@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-6468).

Global Warming a Threat to Human Health: EPA Hearing in Seattle May 21st

2009-05-14T11:22:00.000-07:00

The EPA is holding hearings on the threat to human health posed by global warming in only two cities. Seattle is one of them.

Stopping global warming isn’t just a challenge, it’s a huge opportunity. It’s an opportunity for us to be at our best – Americans have proven time and again that given a chance, we’ve got the ingenuity and grit to tackle just about anything.

On May 21st Seattle will host one of only two EPA public hearings in the entire country. The EPA is seeking public input on their decision that global warming pollution is a threat to human health, the first step in establishing new rules to reduce global warming pollution.

A broad base of conservation, recreation, business and faith groups are planning a big rally outside the hearing, because it’s time for all of us to say with one strong voice: It’s time to tackle climate change!

Rally for Climate, Clean Energy, and Public Health

When: Thursday, May 21st at Noon
Where: Outside of Bell Harbor Convention Center, 2211 Alaskan Way, Pier 66, Seattle Waterfront
Who: Washingtonians who want action on climate change

There is power in numbers and that’s why we need YOU to be there
We need to make it crystal clear to our state and national leaders: the people of Washington want bold action on climate change! Washington is being given a huge opportunity to impact our country’s global warming policies.

American Alps presentation on May 15th, 2009

2009-05-13T14:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Mountaineers:
I just want to remind all about the American Alps presentation at the clubhouse at 6:00 PM, Friday, May 15th, 2009. Leesa Wright has worked for many months with Jim Davis of the North Cascades Conservation Council (NC3) on proposals to expand North Cascades National Park, and this gathering will give all Mountaineers members an opportunity to hear about Jim's proposals and hear concerned and informative speakers, including the P-I's Joel Connelly, discuss the importance of expanding the park's boundaries. The Mountaineers has a long and distinguished history of working to establish our national parks in Washigton State, and this meeting will continue that tradition.

Hope to see all of you there!

Cheers,

Michael Shurgot

CEC Chair

The Dam Issue

2009-05-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

The Mountaineers has a history, over a decade old, of supporting removal of the 4 Lower Snake River Dams for the purpose of restoring and protecting wild salmon runs.

This, itself, has been an issue for nearly 2 decades, and fell dormant under the Bush administration. Hopes rose again last January and recent judicial decisions (see Ed Henderson's piece in the April magazine, page 4), while not specifically supporting Dam removal, have certainly pointed the finger at the Feds, and specifically the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to get their act together to protect the fish.

I suspect nearly all Mountaineer Members are perfectly aware of the historical and cultural importance of the Columbia-Snake river basin salmon runs, which once were the greatest in the world, and logically would support any efforts to help the Endangered Species Act (ESA) protection of salmon in the Snake/Columbia.

The trouble is, questions are being raised, under the spectre of Global Warming, and while no one is "against" protecting the salmon, one could rightfully wonder what impact dam removal would have on the twin spires of CO2: energy and transportation.

Investigating the impacts of damn removal involves immersion into a morass of bureaucratic alphabet soup, the details of which I will spare you here. What matters, as usual, are numbers But first, history, courtesy of Ed:

"The dams were originally built, in the 60's & 70"s, to supply power to DOE/DOD at Hanford to make nuclear weapons. The local booster group "Inland Empire" in Eastern Washington wanted them for barge transportation. RR's already existed there, but they weren't government subsitdized. Only one dam, Ice Harbor, the lowest down the river, provides irrigation for some 35,000+/- acres. In the scheme of things that ain't much.

The Mountaineers and many other group's objections to the dams are based on saving salmon. Global warming/climate change didn't enter into the conversation over ten years ago. Advocacy groups such as NW Energy and SOS Believe that the power lost can and should be replaced by conservation and renewables.."

The 4 dams are rated at a maximum output of 3,000-3,7000 megawatts, which is a phantom number because they are really only capable of producing 1250-1400 MW, because they are "run of the river" dams with little or no storage capacity in their reservoirs, which also means maximum power potential is during the spring, when electricity demand is low.

(Its worth pointing out that the 1250-1400 MW the dams can provide is about that which the state's only coal-fired power plant, in Centralia provides, at the cost of 16% of the entire states CO2 emissions. This isn't to suggest the lost potential from the dams is necessarily going to be made up by coal, its just meant to offer perspective.)

Another thing the dams provide is a deep water port in Lewiston, and barge traffic down river to Portland is made up of 85% agricultural products, primarily wheat and barley (for export, or course)., The idea would be to replace this with rail traffic (all subsidized, of course) but the obvious concern is what impact this all might have on increasing the CO2-emmissions inefficient truck traffic factor.

Getting back to the Power issue, It's worth pointing out that the area, primarily the Columbia Gorge, is ripe for wind power. The BPA has a nice brochure on wind power, and there is certainly the potential to make up for the 4 Dams.

links:
these are from the BPA, so take them for what they are worth!
BPA factsheet (pdf)
Federal Columbia River Power System brochure

Navigational Concerns paper from UW (no info on CO2 impacts)

Wolves delisted...

2009-05-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

... now what? Lawsuits? Wolf Hunts? Not much has happened yet.
Washington post article
read about Idaho wolf management:
http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/wildlife/wolves/

The Curious Case of Peter Goldmark

2009-05-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Follow the bouncing ball: This next one is a bit complex, so I can't go into much detail here. It Involves the Forests and Fish Report (FFR) and the Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP), which regulates and covers forest practices on Non-Federal lands in Washington, and affects 9 million acres and 60-100,00 miles of streams in the state. The issue at hand here regards stream buffers, which had been festering for 5 years.

In a meeting of the Forest Practices Board (FPB) on March 30th, State Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark surprised many when he sided with the timber industry in a 7-5 vote - AGAINST the enviros -- to have taxpayers pay the industry for the cost of additional compliance. This was much to the chagrin of other state departments, and the Attorney General, and the Conservation Caucus and Washington Forest Law Center (WFLC).

This move was partially resolved through legislative action, thanks to a "full court press" by the enviros, led by the WFLC. In the meantime, in early to mid April, two emergency FPB sessions were convened to deal with the fallout from the bomb that Goldmark dropped.

Another FPB meeting has been set for later this month to decide the buffer issue that was originally to take place March 30th. Three options have been proposed, one of which is bad (option #3), another is worse (#2), and the third (option #1) is acceptable to the Caucus. Now its a matter of getting the votes, which won't be easy, seeing as how 5 almost always got with industry. At this point, it appears that Option #3 appears to be most likely to win. As usual, these options involve all manner of specious to credible interpretations of economic impact and "good science."

This is all incredibly disappointing to enviros, who are sensibly feeling betrayed by the "Trojan Horse" actions of Goldmark, who was narrowly elected last November thanks to the very people he seems to be turning his back on now.

Dyche Kinder, CEC member and a member of the WFLC (link to WA Forest law Center website explaining the Caucus) is heavily involved in this ongoing issue and is reporting regularly on developments to the CEC. Stay Tuned!

Ken Salazar on Daily Show

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

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar will be on the Daily Show tonight, 11:00 pm on Comedy Central... and before you pooh-pooh the appearance, keep in mind that John Stewart has become about the most credible interviewer of political, economic, and socially controversial figures on TV (this from a guy who hosts a fake news show and is a comedian by trade, what that says about the state of 24-hour TV news is up to your interpretation!). Set your DVR' s if you're not a night owl, or check out the interview when it gets posted to the Daily Show website as soon as it airs.

Wolf Bauer Recognized for Leadership in Protecting the Green River Gorge

2009-05-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Mountaineers were well represented at a gathering of approximately 500 passionate advocates for the Green River who recognized Wolf Bauer and his leadership in protecting the Green River Gorge.

The occasion was the 24th Annual Green River Clean-Up an event organized by Friends of the Green in which the Mountaineers have participated for many years. At the conclusion of the clean-up the lodge at Flaming Geyser State Park was renamed in Wolf's honor.

Wolf Bauer, now 97 years old, came out for the day and presented a slide show of his early explorations of river canyons in Washington State and his first journey into the Green River Gorge.

Wolf's work is recognized in state statute which in part states:

The area, a unique recreational attraction with more than one million seven hundred thousand people living within an hour's driving time, is presently used by hikers, geologists, fishermen, kayakers and canoeists, picnickers and swimmers, and those seeking the solitude offered by this unique area... A twelve mile strip incorporating the visual basins of the Green River from the Kummer bridge to Palmer needs to be acquired and developed as a conservation area to preserve this unique area for the recreational needs of the region. RCW 79A.05.700

Mountaineers on the river.

Squeezing a raft through the Nozzle, one of the most challenging rapids on the river.

Wolf honored by State Parks as the lodge at Flaming Geyser is renamed in his honor.

Tom Steinburn tells stories of the first kayak trip down the Green River Gorge, an exploratory first descent more than 50 years ago that took the group 2 days but now takes experienced paddlers only a few hours.

Mountaineers Trustee Lynn Hyde with Wolf. Lynn's biography of Wolf titled Crags, Eddies & Riprap will be coming out soon.

State Parks Commissioner Joan Thomas, climbing legend Lou Wittaker, and Middle Green River Coalition Executive Director Lisa Parsons.

King County Council Member Larry Phillips came out to address the group. As Chair of the Growth Management Committee, Larry Phillips sponsored the motion to endorse the "Green River Gorge Mountains to Valley Greenway" which was subsequently passed by the County Council in a unanimous vote. The Mountaineers has joined the coalition to support this project which is currently being coordinated with the assistance of the National Parks Service Rivers and Trails Program.

Mountaineers Recreation Access Chair Fran Troje with State Parks Commissioner Joan Thomas.

Gary Snyder-"The Practice of the Wild"

2009-04-22T15:10:00.000-07:00

Read the rest of the post...
Dear Mountaineers:

On this Earth Day, 2009 I want first to thank Leesa Wright and Jake Reeder, a new and very active member of CEC, for their timely posts today. They remind us of the complex conservation work that we at CEC engage in every day, and their work from now on will keep all Mountaineers members aware of developments on the most important conservation issues of our day, especially in Washington State.

Second, I'd like to post a short paragraph from an essay by Gary Snyder called "On the Path, Off the Trail" from his book The Practice of the Wild. Snyder writes:

"Our skills and works are but tiny reflections of the wild world that is innately

and loosely orderly. There is nothing like stepping away from the road and

heading into a new part of the watershed. Not for the sake of newness, but for

the sense of coming home to our whole terrain. 'Off the Trail' is another name

for the Way, and sauntering off the trail is the practice of the wild. That is also

where--paradoxically--we do our best work. But we need trails and paths and

will always be maintaining them. You must first be on the path, before you can

turn and walk into the wild."

Snyder explains that "Way," derived from the Taoist Dao De Jing, means "way, road, trail, or to lead/follow," and "the nature and way of truth." We can walk off the trail to find the wilderness that we have not seen before, as when we summit a mountain, but we also need paths and trails to lead us to understand our place within that wilderness and what we have to do to preserve it--and ourselves within it. So on this Earth Day, let us all ponder for a moment the Way we are following as we try to learn how to walk gently in the wilderness we love.

Kind regards,

Mike Shurgot

CEC Chair

Happy Earth Day

2009-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day, everyone. I'm Jake, your latest blogger, and I hope to regularly post at least every Wednesday with news and notes from the latest developments in the Conservation fight, amongst the Mountaineers and anything I may find interesting in the paper, on TV, or on the internet. without further ado, lets get the ball rolling:

Raging River preservation fills "donut hole" in I-90 Greenway (link to Seattle Times)

Recently brought to the attention of the CEC is the impending wolf slaughter in Idaho. The de-listing of Idaho and Montana Grey Wolves was approved by Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, a decision based largely on what Salazar called "good science," and an apparent endorsement of wolf management at the state level (Wyoming wolves are still protected). It hardly inspires confidence in conservationists when the Governor of Idaho, C.L. "Butch" Otter proclaims he would like to be the first person to kill a wolf when the hunt opens. Idaho's Dept. of Fish and Game will target 26 packs, and the de-listing is scheduled to take effect May 4th.

plenty has been written and editorialized, here is but a sampling:
NY Times, April 12th
Daily Camera (Boulder CO) April 14th
Idaho Statesmen April 15th

The sad reality is that, without federal protection, there seems to be very little standing in the way of Wolves being hunted to near extinction, just as they were before they were re-introduced to the Northern Rockies in '95/'96

Lastly, there is, of course, some "good news" on the front of Climate Change as a result of human activity, as much as such a thing can exist concerning this 900-pound gorilla that haunts seemingly every aspect of modern industrialized civilization. The EPA has officially ruled that Greenhouse Gases are a "threat to human health and the environment." Although to most eco-/enviro-conscious folks, such a decision at this late a stage may seem strangely naive, it nonetheless represents a huge leap forward in allowing the EPA to mandate reductions in CO2 and other Greenhouse pollutants (such as methane and Nitrous oxide). Getting Federal, state, and local governments to recognize greenhouse gasses as a pollutant, just as PCBs and Lead, will be a major battle victory in the war against Global Warming.
Seattle Times Article, April 18th

2009-04-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

This originally aired last night:
Frontline: Poisoned Waters
Only about a third of this deals with Puget Sound and Western WA, and the conclusions are already evident to most eco-/enviro-conscious people, but it is excellent viewing. You can watch it from the website or set your DVR's to record the re-air on Sat, April 25th and 2:00 am, on KCTS 9 (109 Comcast digital in HD)

Press Conference Held on Proposed Additions to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness

2009-04-14T11:31:00.000-07:00

Mountaineers Recreation Resources Division chair Tom O'Keefe speaks at a press conference held by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Representative Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) on completion of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness (photo by Harry Romberg).

On Friday, April 10th, Senator Patty Murray and Representative Dave Reichert announced at Three Forks Park that they are co-sponsoring a bill "The Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act" (S. 721 and H.R. 1769) to complete the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

This bi-cameral legislation will help protect some of the most gorgeous and accessible backcountry (located less than an hour from a major metropolitan area) anywhere in the country. The proposal includes adding 22,000 acres to the exisiting Alpine Lakes Wilderness as well as protecting 30 miles of Middle Fork Snoqualmie River and 10 miles of the Pratt River under Wild and Scenic designation.

“The Alpine Lakes Wilderness connects the wildlands between Snoqualmie, Stevens and Blewett passes,” said John Chelminiak, North Cascades Initiative Director for The Wilderness Society. “This legislation preserves key recreation opportunities for more than three million people in the region, improves wildlife habitat and enhances our communities by protecting two river corridors. Future generations will look back on this measure as one of the most significant in our efforts to ensure the future of Washington’s remaining wildlands for our children and grandchildren.”

Stay tuned here and in the Mountaineer for updates as this exciting piece of legislation progresses through the House and Senate.

Highway Crews Clearing Winter Snow from SR - 20 in the North Cascades

2009-04-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

The annual rite of spring of clearing 37 miles of Highway 20 in the North Cascades began in earnest on March 30th. Every spring Washington State Department of Transportation(WSDOT) crews work the highway with snow plows and blowers---one crew from the east, one from the west---until they reach Washington Pass at 5,477 feet. Crews usually make it to the pass in early May, however this year's heavy snows may delay the effort. WSDOT crews have their own website set up where those itching to get to their favorite North Cascades spot can track their progress.

Nominate your Favorite Local Environmental Hero for The Trust for Public Land "Cox Conserves Heroes Award"

2009-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

the Trust for Public Land is searching for candidates to be recognized for their conservation efforts in Western Washington State.

Launched in 2008 by The Trust for Public Land and Cox Enterprises, Cox Conserves Heroes is a nationwide awards program created to honor conservation in everyday life. The program celebrates individuals who take it upon themselves to create, preserve, or enhance the shared environment, making our communities better places to live.

Nominees will be featured on KIRO-7! Winners, chosen by public vote, will receive up to $5,000 for their favorite environmental nonprofit organization. Nominations must be received by 5 p.m. PST on Friday, May 1, 2009.

If you could forward this to anyone who might know of candidates within the Washington environmental community it would be greatly appreciated.

To nominate someone click nomination page.

This Year's Washington Coastal Cleanup is Saturday April 18th !

2009-04-09T12:34:00.000-07:00

It is time for this year's Washington Coastal Cleanup on Saturday, April 18, 2009. NPCA will once again be leading a volunteer group to the Olympic National Park for a day of cleaning up the coast and camping (if you want!).

If you would like to camp, we will be camping at the Kalaloch Campground in the southwest corner of Olympic National Park (for free!) on Friday, April 17th and participating in the cleanup on the 18th. We will finish the cleanup in the afternoon, which will be followed by a cookout with all the volunteers. Afterwards, you are welcome to head home or stay another night, free of charge, at the beautiful beach side campground at Kalaloch. Last year we had no rain and a beautiful day on the beach. However, the year before we had non-stop rain, so come prepared for all types of weather!

To join the group and get the details, please contact David at dgraves@npca.org or (206) 902-1444, ext.25.

The Case for Wild & Scenic River Designation for The Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt River

2009-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Whitewater rafting on the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River (c/o Tom O’Keefe)

Few rivers anywhere in the country can match the quality of recreational, scenic, and ecological resources provided by the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and its major tributary, the Pratt River.

Whether it's a quiet fishing trip after work, a day out with friends on some of the most outstanding whitewater the region has to offer, or a weekend with the family in one of the most scenic river valleys in the country, these rivers are tremendous resources for our community. They are also an important source for clean water that sustains the culturally and biologically-significant fishery resources of the Snohomish River system.

Wild and Scenic River designation will ensure that the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers are forever protected – securing important habitat for fish and wildlife, protecting a quality recreational experience for current and future generations, and celebrating the community-based stewardship efforts that have resulted in the Middle Fork Snoqualmie valley being one of King County’s greatest natural assets.

Recommended for Protection

In 1990, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) recommended the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers to Congress for Wild and Scenic designation, noting their outstanding, regionally-significant recreation, fisheries, wildlife, geological and ecological values and “very high public support” for designation.

Benefits of Wild & Scenic Designation

• Protects the river’s free-flowing character, water quality and outstanding values

• Promotes river-friendly land use practices

• Protects important fish and wildlife habitat

• Protects existing, compatible uses of the river corridor including the quality of the recreational experience

• Promotes natural flood protection by protecting and restoring wetlands and floodplains, and by protecting a river’s natural flow and meandering channel

• Enhances the local community’s civic awareness and pride by having a nationally-recognized river in their backyard

What Designation Will Do

• Prohibit dams and other water projects that impair the free-flow of a river or its outstanding values.

• Establish a protected corridor extending ¼ mile from the high-water mark on both sides of the river.

• Encourage partnerships among landowners, river users, tribal nations and all levels of government to protect the river’s outstanding values.

• Bring river stakeholders together in a collaborative process to develop a river management plan, to be completed within three years of designation.

What designation Will Not Do

The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act carries no authority to affect the zoning of private lands. At one time much of the Middle Fork and Pratt River valleys were privately owned, but today only a few small in- holdings remain along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie; all of the Pratt River is now in public ownership.

Volunteer to Install Remote Wildlife Cameras!

2009-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

I Spy…A Grizzly!

North Cascades grizzlies are so rare they’re known as “ghost bears.” Take part in efforts to save grizzlies, wolves, lynx and other rare species by joining a wildlife camera team!

RSVP here to attend a training, learn more about this volunteer opportunity and join a Wildlife Camera Team!

Help spread the word. Forward this message on to friends in the area who might be interested in helping.

Defenders of Wildlife is teaming up with Conservation Northwest for a second time this year to help document the presence of rare species like grizzlies, wolves, lynx and wolverines in the Cascades -- and you can help!

Last year, one of the camera teams caught the first Washington wolves on tape!
Don't miss out on this great opportunity to get your hands dirty for Washington wildlife this year. Join the Wildlife Volunteer Corps and be a part of an exciting camera monitoring project this spring and summer.

There are two trainings coming up next week in Seattle on Tuesday, April 7th and in Bellingham on Thursday, April 9th -- and we hope you'll be able to join us! RSVP now to let us know you're planning to attend. Volunteers will help track the presence of wildlife in the North Cascades by installing remote cameras and monitoring the footage these cameras capture each month.

Here’s a short description of the volunteer positions we’re looking to fill with caring wildlife supporters like you:

Grizzly Camera Teams
These camera teams will be active from April to June and then will resume activity from July-October in the East, West and North Cascades. Volunteers will need backcountry hiking skills and many of these locations will require overnight trips.

Wolverine Camera Teams
These teams will be working at four locations in the North Cascades to capture footage of the rare and elusive wolverine.

Pacific Fisher Camera Teams
These teams will be working with the North Cascades National Park, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Olympic National Forest to monitor Pacific fishers that were just released into the wild as part of the current recovery plan. This project will involve longer, steeper hikes on the Olympic Peninsula.

I-90 Camera Teams
There are a few positions left for projects on Amabalis Mountain and Mount Margaret, just east of Snoqualmie Pass. Both projects involve moderate day hiking.

Space is limited, so please RSVP today!

© Copyright 2009 Defenders of Wildlife.
Defenders of Wildlife is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities.
Defenders of Wildlife can be contacted at:
1130 17th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036

Senator Murray, Congressman Reichert Introduce Alpine Lakes Wilderness and River Protection Legislation

2009-03-30T14:41:00.000-07:00

On March 26th, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08), joined by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Washington State Congressman Jay Inslee (WA-01), Brian Baird (WA-03), Adam Smith (WA-05), and Jim McDermott (WA-07) introduced legislation in the Senate and House that would expand the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area and designate both the Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers as Wild and Scenic. The Alpine Lakes Additions and Pratt and Middle Fork Snoqualmie Rivers Protection Act will expand the existing wilderness by over 22,000 acres to include important lower-elevation lands and complete watersheds.

Stay tuned for developments in the House and Senate.

2009-03-28T13:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Mountaineers:

We have important news on two wilderness issues.

First, I am pleased to announce that the Senate and House of Representatives have now passed the Omnibus Lands Bill which sets aside two million acres of new wilderness in the United States. Washington State senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell worked to pass this legislation, as did several members of the state's House delegation.

Second, For several months The Mountaineers Public Policy Associate Leesa Wright has been working closely with Jim Davis of American Alps to promote a plan to expand significantly the boundaries of North Cascades National Park. In the tradition of legendary members of the Mountaineers Conservation Committee Polly Dyer and Norm Winn, who have worked for decades on establishing national parks, including NCNP, and The Mountaineers are now part of a new coalition working with Jim Davis to expand the park. The Conservation Committee would therefore like to invite all Mountaineers members to a presentation on the American Alps project on Friday, May 15th, 2009 at the Magnuson Clubhouse from 6:00 to 8:30 PM. Guest speakers will be noted naturalist author Art Davidson, author of Edge of the Earth, Corner of the Sky (with Art Wolfe); and P-I correspondent and wilderness advocate Joel Connelly. This will be an important event that all lovers of wilderness should attend, and it continues the Mountaineers long association with wilderness causes in our region. Join us!

Regards,

Michael Shurgot

CEC Chair

Senate Bill 5840 to Slash Voter Approved Clean Energy Goals

2009-03-20T15:41:00.000-07:00

In 2006 Washington State voters passed Initiative 937 which set the goal of obtaining 15% of our energy from new, clean, renewable energy sources by 2020. Reportedly at the urging of some utilities and business interests, Chris Marr D-Spokane, introduced Senate Bill 5840, which would essentially repeal the goals set in I-937, in February of this year. SB 5840 passed in the Senate on March 10th.

Now it moves on to the house with a public hearing before the House Committee on Technology, Energy and Communications scheduled in Olympia for March 25th at 8:00AM, at the John L. O'Brien Building, Hearing Room B.