The Newsletter of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS) 2008 Issue No. 2 Grizzly Bears in the Cascades about whether they still do. grizzly bear populations, most Wildlife officials estimate biologists agree that the only there are five to twenty realistic way to save the present grizzlies on this side of the population is to augment it with border. British Columbia’s more bears. The genetic pool last count was slightly is simply too small to survive. over a dozen on its Yet, Washington State passed a side. Of course, there is law in 1995 that attempts to ban nothing to stop bears importing grizzlies into the state. from wandering back But that can only apply to state and forth. agencies; it cannot tie the hands People regularly of the federal government. report sightings So the disputes rumble on. of what they think are As Doug Zimmer, information By David grizzlies, but the reliability of specialist for the US Fish and Knibb these sightings can start other Wildlife Service in Olympia, The Alpine Lakes area is arguments. Sightings are ranked, notes: “Nobody’s neutral. Pro within the North Cascades after investigation by a trained or con, everybody has strong Grizzly Bear Recovery area, wildlife biologist, according to feelings about grizzly bears.” one of six official recovery areas their reliability. Class 1 means Grizzlies are managed under in the West. Grizzlies in five definitely a grizzly, Class 2 means a recovery plan, with separate of these areas are listed under probably, Class 3 means not sure, chapters for each recovery area. the Endangered Species Act as and Class 4 means definitely not a The effort to recover grizzlies threatened. They were removed grizzly. Over the years, Class 1 and is overseen by the US Fish and from that list in Yellowstone last 2 sightings have been documented Wildlife Service, although it year in a controversial decision throughout the Cascades, with works closely with other land that remains under challenge. several on the Cle Elum and managing agencies, such as the Almost everything about Leavenworth Ranger Districts. US Forest Service, Park Service, grizzly bears is controversial. Sightings tend to cluster in places Continued on page 2 Disputes in the Cascades first that people frequent, but that started when the area was probably means more people were evaluated as a potential recovery looking, not that more bears live in Also in this issue: area. Some thought any recov those areas. ery area should be limited to the Other disputes have been NRCA Expansion Likely for Middle Fork...... 3 North Cascades National Park. over whether simply to leave the They lost that argument, but current grizzly bear population Spectacular Drive Around more boundary disputes arose -- whatever its size -- alone, the Devils Gulch...... 4 when the recovery area was importance of grizzlies to the Alpine Lakes Map Update...... 6 finally created in 1991. ecosystem, whether so few bears No one denies that grizzlies can sustain themselves, and what Silver Peak Hike...... 6 to do about it. Because the North once lived in the Cascades, but National Forests ORV Travel Cascades are cut off from other there is also an on-going debate Management Update...... 7 ALPINE 1 Grizzly Bears Continued from page 1
Dave Knibb, former ALPS the state Department of trustee, has written a book about Fish and Wildlife, and the controversies surrounding the the state Department effort to save grizzly bears. Grizzly of Natural Resources. Wars, The Officials from these Public Fight agencies belong to an Over the umbrella group called the Interagency Grizzly Great Bear, Bear Committee, or is due to be IGBC. It meets several published times a year. in early October. In One decision by the this book IGBC subcommittee Knibb uses for the North Cascades the North has already affected Cascades how federal lands are managed. The (including the Alpine Lakes) to Forest Service and illustrate many issues about grizzly Park supervisors have bear recovery. agreed on no net loss Tuesday, November 11, 7-9 of what they call “core p.m., Knibb will present a class areas.” These are bear for Seattle Audubon entitled management units that “Grizzly Bears: The Debate over lack roads, trails, or Saving Them.” It will be held in the other forms of develop Douglas Classroom at The Center ment. Research shows for Urban Horticulture. 3501 NE that grizzlies are sensi 41st Street, Seattle (Laurelhurst tive to and try to avoid neighborhood). Cost: $20 Audubon human activities. members, $35 non members. For Hence, an important grizzly imports, riders attached registration and location details, part of making the Cascades to appropriation bills to block see: http://www.seattleaudubon. hospitable for grizzlies is to protect introduction of grizzlies into these core areas. org/education.cfm?id=104 Idaho’s Bitterroots, Interior Secre ALPS trustees have seen the tary Gail Norton’s decision to Knibb will also appear effects of this policy in action. It shelve a grizzly recovery plan for Thursday, November 13, 7 p.m. means no new trails or roads in the Bitterroots, even John McCain‘s at University Bookstore, 4326 trailless and roadless areas, or criticism during the current presi University Way N.E., Seattle for a at least if a new trail or road is dential campaign of funding for book reading and signing. Later contemplated, then a compara grizzly DNA studies -- the list goes that evening friends are hosting ble trail or road must be closed in on. a small event to celebrate the some other place so that the net Many environmental programs debut of his book. Details will be amount of core area remains the in recent years have languished for available at the bookstore. ALPS same. lack of funding. Wildlife generally members are invited. It will not surprise anyone and grizzly recovery in particular Knibb is also the author of familiar with wildlife or land use have suffered. A major DNA study Backyard Wilderness: the Alpine management to know that these of grizzlies in Montana’s Northern Lakes Story, which recounts the policies frequently involve poli Continental Divide Ecosystem struggle to create the Alpine Lakes tics. The grizzly recovery effort has -- the same study that Senator Wilderness. been riddled with them. Attempts McCain criticized -- was in danger to roll back the Endangered of shutting down for lack of funds Species Act, Washington’s ban on until local forest supervisors
2 ALPINE NRCA Expansion Likely for Middle Fork cobbled together enough money By Rick McGuire Although the sighting of to keep it going. Scientists claim Prospects look good for the that single grizzly was a fluke, this study is critical to grizzly Washington Department of it did bring home to us the fact recovery in the area around Glacier Natural Resources, manager of that the available habitat in the National Park. over 15,000 acres of land in the Cascades could support far Two things are about to happen lower Middle Fork Snoqualmie more grizzlies than the 10 to 20 in the North Cascades. First, a valley, to conduct a “trust land currently estimated to be hanging five year review of the current transfer” moving 7600 acres on. Protecting undisturbed “core recovery plan is underway. It will of those lands from timber security” habitat - places where likely result in public meetings production to Natural Resource few people go, such as the Pratt around the state sometime next Conservation Area status. valley - is the key to helping them recover. ALPS is strenuously year. As part of this review, the The lands are on the southeast US Fish and Wildlife Service may opposing Forest Service plans to side of the Middle Fork and construct a trail along the Middle “uplist” grizzlies in the Cascades include most of the Gifford and from threatened to endangered. Fork from Taylor River to the Pratt Granite Creek valleys, as well valley, and wants the Pratt to stay The dwindling population would as extensive stretches of wild justify this change. hard to get to (a river ford, difficult lowland forest in the Middle Fork in spring when habitat values are Second, some people are valley between Granite Creek and highest, but easy in summer, is beginning to think about a subject the Pratt River. DNR is already necessary to reach the lower Pratt that has been off the table for transferring essentially all of their River trail.) ALPS is proposing many years -- funding for the lands on the northwest side of that new trails be built instead to environmental review needed to the river to NRCA. This further viewpoints above the Middle Fork launch a recovery for the remnant expansion, if successful, would rather than to the Pratt. Such trails grizzly population in the Cascades. protect almost all of the remaining would not only have less impact Whether this will move forward, DNR lands in the Middle Fork on wildlife habitat but would insiders say, largely depends on valley. offer far more attractive hiking the national election, but the state Ten years ago, former ALPS opportunities. has already appropriated some trustee Jack Wheeler and I stood DNR’s actions in protecting funds and at least one member of atop Peak 5454, the summit of the Washington State’s congressional thousands of acres of low elevation Russian Butte massif, and watched habitat in the Middle Fork will delegation is anxious to start the a grizzly bear rooting around for process. be a great boost to the chances food not far below. This was a for grizzly recovery and will help Whatever the short-term once in a lifetime experience in the many other species as well. Fifteen outcome of these events, grizzly Cascades, a lucky moment, made years ago, the idea of protecting recovery in the North Cascades, all the more memorable because these lands would have been which has been out of the we could see downtown Seattle unthinkable - a measure of how far headlines for a number of years, far in the distance in the opposite ALPS and its partners have come may be a bigger issue in 2009. direction. Peak 5454 stands above in preserving the Middle Fork the Pratt and Middle Fork valleys, Snoqualmie, the closest mountain along the border between Forest valley to Seattle. Service and DNR lands. With the Reichert bill to designate the Pratt as National Forest Wilderness, and the likelihood of trust land transfers protecting lands on the state side, we could soon have a large extent of newly protected lands stretching through all life zones from low to high, with much of it less than 2000 feet in elevation.
ALPINE 3 How We Spent Our Wedding Anniversary A Spectacular Drive Around Devil’s Gulch by Jim Chapman Cashmere, up Mission Creek to Aerial photos show that the slide within a few miles of the Mission originated at the top of a late 1970s ost Ridge Ski Area, then circle around Murray Pacific clearcut. couples a tributary of Mission Creek called Now to the drive. The road out Devil’s Gulch. It would essentially of Cashmere quickly left the apple like to do follow the Chelan-Kittitas County orchards and entered a canyon M line to the Table Mountain area, that gradually grew deeper and something special and then drop down to the old narrower. About seven miles out at on their wedding gold mining community of Liberty. Little Camas Creek, the pavement From there it was only a mile or ended and we entered national anniversaries. two to Highway 97 then back forest. Soon we began seeing This year, Carol around to Cle Elum and home. some of the large sculptured gray What does this have to do sandstone outcrops for which the suggested we with the Alpine Lakes? While area is noted. spend the night in Devil’s Gulch is not part of the At about 3,000 feet elevation, Leavenworth. Fine congressionally designated Alpine the valley floor ended and we Lakes Area, ALPS did add it to began climbing another 3,000 feet with me. our recreation area proposal to to the ridge top. At a viewpoint Congress in 1975. This was at three-quarters the way up, we met the request of the late Archie a couple of Canadian bicyclists, That also gave me an idea for an Mills, who was a recently retired adventure I wanted to do for years. a man and a woman, who were Wenatchee National Forest official going to the top. Take a special drive up into the at the time. Since then, ALPS has nearby mountains. continued to treat Devil’s Gulch as At 4,150 feet, near the Beehive I have a 1965 state highway part of its Alpine Lakes area. Reservoir, we reached the shoulder of the ridge. The view from map that shows many more roads We did have a great time in than modern-day maps do. Some there was spectacular. We could Leavenworth. We stayed at an see north to Wenatchee and the of these roads don’t even exist any inexpensive lodge overlooking the more and others have been closed Columbia River beyond, as well as Wenatchee River on the east end of south on down the river. to the general public. We used town, dined at an Italian restaurant this map to explore roads around and walked along its Waterfront Soon thereafter we came upon Puget Sound in our early days Park. A highlight was seeing a a section of the road that was here and I inked in every road we Moffit Brothers tour bus from my practically a highway – smooth drove with the idea that I would hometown of Lostine, Oregon. gravel surface with few sharp someday have traveled on every curves. It was a short-lived road in the state. I even had the We also took time to see the pleasure. washed-out road up Icicle Creek. map reproduced at full scale to The road kept climbing for preserve it. The road is blocked off at Ida Creek campground, but you can about four miles until, at about Every time I drive to my family walk on further. Around the first 5,700 feet elevation, the good farm in northeast Oregon, I try to bend, there it is – water covering surface ended and the adventure go on a new road. Right now, I’ve the entire road. It’s not running fast began. inked in every road south of I-90 to and you can stay dry – if you’re I knew, from the dashed lines Ritzville & over to Colfax and east wearing hip-wader boots. A sign on the national forest map, that of The Dalles, Oregon. posted back at Ida Creek explains the road would probably be rough The route I selected for this the cause: a debris avalanche but that was an understatement. trip would take us south out of south of the creek that blocked it. It wasn’t so much the rocks in the
4 ALPINE The Icicle Creek Road and River road; it was the sudden dips into become and out of washouts. Our Subaru one. Legacy wagon had to go through them at a crawl. Even then, it bottomed out several times. At one point, Carol said she was getting out of the car. I told her that, if that was the case, then she could make herself useful and help guide me through the dips. She then talked about turning around, but that didn’t seem possible. The road was too narrow, the ground fell away below us and there were huge boulder fields Spectacu- above us. I couldn’t see behind lar rocks me well enough to back up. The overlook choices were to drive on, walk out, the Mission or be carried out. Creek/ Devil’s But the view below made the Gulch drive well worth it. Never lower area. than about 5,500 feet, we could look down and see all of Devil’s Gulch with its shining slabs of rock and the Columbia River beyond. The gulch begins at about 4,800 feet elevation and drops to less than 1,800 feet at its mouth, so we were looking several thousand feet down into it. Finally, near the trailhead to From the Mt. Lillian, the road began to road looking improve. We veered away from into Devil’s the gulch and soon started passing Gulch — all meadows with post fences, a sure view, no sign of horse country. Once we traffic. reached the saddle north of Table Mountain, the road was like a freeway and we made it down to Liberty and home with no further problems. If you’re looking for a nice Sunday drive, consider this one. But come prepared for adventure.
ALPINE 5 Alpine Lakes Map — 4th Edition Update
The Alpine Lakes Wilderness printing of 7,500 copies. This map helps ALPS fund its map has been revised, and edition was produced digitally efforts to protect the Alpine is ready for printing. The by Allan Cartography, and Lakes region. The new edition 4th edition has about 100 they have done the revisions of the map should be on sale changes, ranging from new contained in the 4th edition. before the end of this year. We trails to deleted roads. It We will again print the map will also print a limited number includes the boundary of the on waterproof stock, and it of flat maps on paper stock. Wild Sky Wilderness, and a will be printed by Pikes Peak Our editors for the new edition revised text on the back side Lithography. The Alpine Lakes were trustees Bill Beyers and of the map. The new map has Foundation received a gift Rick McGuire, who received a revised road hierarchy that from the Oakmead Foundation invaluable help from Forest is clearer than used on the to defray the cost of revising Service district staff as well as last edition. ALPS published and printing the new map. other ALPS trustees. the 3rd edition in 2002, with a Income from the sale of the
Hike report — Silver Peak
By Art Day following the PCT for about a Was I the last ALPS member mile and a half, there are some to hike up Silver Peak? With it cairns about 200 feet north of being one of the closest-in and a stream crossing that mark a most visibly obvious landmarks fairly obvious path westward from the I-90 freeway near Lake and upward. (There’s also a poor Keechelus, it could be true. But as I route that starts closer to the discovered on an August weekend stream. Go farther north.) With a this year, the foot traffic leaving few short exceptions, it’s a decent the PCT and taking the sidetrip if unmaintained trail from there to Silver can be remarkably light, to the top, which takes perhaps while the hike itself was a just- 45 minutes from the PCT. There right outing for someone (me) who is nice meadow along the way, never really did toughen up for the and then a south-facing talus- hiking season. covered slope that is also tolerably walkable provided it’s not Plenty of families were on the attempted in summer heat. Low- PCT, headed either to Mirror Lake Art Day lying huckleberries line its lower or just walking until the kids gave A pleasant stretch of the reaches. Views arrive from Rainier, out. The real surprise was the Silver Peak trail Seattle, and dozens of peaks of the number of trail runners passing me Alpine Lakes area as you go up. at the end of the day. This mystery was solved when I returned to I returned the way I had come, Nike swooshes. I’ve heard of such the trailhead and found support but for a longer trip one can loop things in the Enchantment Lakes vans waiting with friends and around Twin Lakes after returning area, and hope never to encounter spouses, all associated with the to the Crest Trail and add several it in person. Cascade Crest 100 Mile Endurance miles and new views. This trip is Run. Not my cup of tea, but at Returning to my subject, this featured in my 1985 edition of 100 least it wasn’t passing through hike starts out where the Crest Hikes in the South Cascades and remote camps become suddenly Trail intersects Forest Road 9070 Olympics as the Cold Creek-Silver citified through the presence of behind Mt. Catherine. After Peak Loop.
6 ALPINE National Forests ORV Travel Management Update – July 2008 (reprinted from The Wild Cascades, newsletter of the North Cascades Conservation Council)
By Karl Forsgaard National Forests in Washington street-legal ORV use (there is no Our National Forests are State. Okanogan and Wenatchee drivers’ license required for kids midway through a four- held public meetings in the to drive a 4-wheeled ATV “quad”), year process of ORV “Travel summer of 2006 and again in the so mere children could be driving Management Planning,” to summer of 2007. NCCC members these machines at high speeds on implement the Travel Management attended these public meetings, roads that are also used by logging Rule. The rule is the long- scrutinized the web-based draft trucks, passenger cars, etc., with delayed implementation of the maps of possible new routes, and increased potential for tragedy. Nixon-Carter Executive Orders submitted detailed comments In the fall of 2008, the Okanogan on off-road vehicle (ORV) route which the Forest Service is and Wenatchee Forests plan to designations. Each Forest needs now processing. The 2007 draft issue maps of their “proposed to publish a Motor Vehicle Use proposals included 1,007 miles of action” while publishing a Notice Map (MVUM) by December 2009, new miles where non-street-legal of Intent in the Federal Register to showing designated routes. ORVs could ride on existing roads, begin the National Environmental plus 113 miles of proposed new Policy Act (NEPA) process of In the Travel Management ORV routes other than existing process, ORV interests will seek environmental review, probably roads, and only 5 miles of trails through one or more Draft to entrench ORV use on as many where ORV use would be reduced. miles of trail as possible (including Environmental Impact Statements. This would constitute a doubling NCCC will be actively engaged in existing hiker/horse trails), in as of the miles where one could ride a many unprotected roadless areas the NEPA process, and will notify non-street-legal ORV in Wenatchee its members when the public as possible, to prevent future and Okanogan National Forests, Wilderness designations. Many meetings and comment periods are while ORV closures were scheduled. Americans care about these proposed for one-half of one unprotected roadless areas in our percent of the current total. We On the west side, the Mt. Baker- National Forests – the Clinton are concerned about the enormous Snoqualmie National Forest has roadless rule comment period environmental and social not yet publicly announced the drew more public comments than consequences of such a massive process, although it still plans to any other federal rulemaking change, especially with the Forest complete it by the end of 2009. (environmental or otherwise) in Service’s lack of resources to The MBS and Olympic National U.S. history. Most would not want monitor damage and enforce its Forests are considering proposed to see the roadless areas turned own rules – consequences such as actions that minimize the NEPA into ORV sportsparks -- but that is wildlife habitat degradation and issues by making no changes in what some ORV users want. fragmentation, noise impacts on the current management direction In Washington State, the natural soundscape, displacement in those forests. Unlike the Forest Service is also beginning of quiet recreationists out of Okanogan & Wenatchee Forests, to use the 2005 “Hinkle bill” (HB these areas, and other significant the MBS and Olympic Forests 1003) that allows road managers impacts. have relatively few trails currently to allow non-street-legal ORVs open to motorized use, and are The Forest Service has been not proposing a major opening of on designated dirt roads (like conducting a safety analysis of National Forest logging roads logging roads to “mixed use” by the proposed changes, including non-street-legal ORVs. as well as local county and town the proposed “mixed-use” roads, roads) on a case-by-case basis. which should result in some of On the east side of the North the proposed new routes being Cascades, the Okanogan and dropped for safety reasons. Wenatchee National Forests Washington State does not have a have the heaviest ORV use of the statute setting an age limit on non- ALPINE 7 alps Non-Profit Org. alpine lakes protection society U.S. Postage PO Box 27646 PAID Seattle, WA 98165 Seattle, WA Permit #1244
ALPS Officers & Trustees: 2005-2008 2006-2009 2007-2010 President: Don Parks Art Day Bill Beyers Natalie Williams Vice President: John Villa Thom Peters James Chapman Mike Pierson Membership: Natalie Williams Karl Forsgaard Kevin Geraghty Karyl Winn Treasurer: Frank Swart Charlie Raymond Secretary: James Chapman
The newsletter of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS). ALPS is dedicated to protection of the Alpine Lakes area in Washington’s Cascades. Editor: Art Day Layout: Pat Hutson For membership information, contact Natalie Williams 5627 47th Ave. SW Seattle, WA 98136 Art Day A field of bees and daisies. [email protected]
8 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ALPINE