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The Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal: Politics, Process, and Participation in Wilderness Designation

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The Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal: Politics, Process, and Participation in Wilderness Designation THE WILD SKY WILDERNESS PROPOSAL: POLITICS, PROCESS, AND PARTICIPATION IN WILDERNESS DESIGNATION A Thesis Presented by KASSIA C. RANDZIO Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTERS OF SCIENCE May 2008 Geography THE WILD SKY WILDERNESS PROPOSAL: POLITICS, PROCESS, AND PARTICIPATION IN WILDERNESS DESIGNATION A Thesis Presented by KASSIA C. RANDZIO Approved as to style and content by: ______________________________________________ Stan Stevens, Chair ______________________________________________ Piper Gaubatz, Member ______________________________________________ Laurie Brown, Department Head Geosciences ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the people of the Sky Valley and the Skykomish Ranger District employees who have allowed me to become familiar with Wild Sky, the Forest Service, and the region as a whole. This research is largely based on interviews with the many people interested in the outcome of the Wild Sky Wilderness debate, and I greatly appreciate their willingness to spend time talking with me about the proposal, public involvement, Sky Valley history, and visions for the Valley’s future. Finally, thank you to Stan Stevens and Piper Gaubatz for the many hours they have spent reading and editing my work. iii ABSTRACT THE WILD SKY WILDERNESS PROPOSAL: POLITICS, PROCESS, AND PARTICIPATION IN WILDERNESS DESIGNATION MAY 2008 KASSIA C. RANDZIO B.A., KENYON COLLEGE M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS Directed by: Professor Stan Stevens Wild Sky, a proposed wilderness in Washington State, has been a source of local contention since its inception. Drawing on the theories of political ecology, international conservation, and actor-based politics, this research seeks to understand the process of public participation in wilderness designation, the arguments both for and against Wild Sky, and how the wilderness proposal process could be improved. The paper begins with an outline of local and public participation in Wild Sky legislation, a discussion of “community,” and an account of how the 1964 Wilderness Act has been applied nationally and locally. This is followed by an analysis of interviews conducted with Forest Service employees and many of Wild Sky’s proponents and opponents. Advocates hope Wild Sky will boost the local economy, rehabilitate salmon runs, provide increased recreational access, and preserve an ecosystem typically excluded from wilderness – lowland forests and streams. Opponents see the proposal as an elite land grab that would exclude motorized recreation and prohibit the resource extraction iv historically important in the area. They argue that the land, logged a century ago, does not qualify as wilderness. Ultimately, the Forest Service will be charged with managing the land, but the Wild Sky legislation creates management expectations that will be difficult to achieve due to recent budget cuts and environmental regulations. My research demonstrates that the lead actors in the wilderness debate have changed, with the voice of the timber industry replaced by more diverse opposition from motorized recreation. Although the Washington Congressional delegation strove to accommodate these various interests through public meetings and negotiations, the process could have been improved. Currently, the 1964 Wilderness Act does not outline a format for public involvement regarding Congressional additions to the National Wilderness Preservation System. However, this legislation should offer specific opportunities for public and local participation. Most importantly, in collaboration with the Forest Service and local communities, wilderness advocates and the federal government must be prepared to offer long-term support for wilderness through budget allocations and volunteer hours in order to ensure that Wild Sky’s long-term ecological and economic benefits are achieved. KEY WORDS: Wilderness, Washington State, National Forests, Local Participation, Political Ecology, Conservation v CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................iii ABSTRACT.......................................................................................................................iv LIST OF FIGURES..........................................................................................................viii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.............................................................................................ix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION: SKY........................................................................................1 The Skykomish River Valley.................................................................................10 The Northwest Forest Plan.....................................................................................22 Designating Wilderness.........................................................................................27 Thesis Structure.....................................................................................................31 2. THE PROPOSAL PROCESS................................................................................34 The Beginning of Wild Sky...................................................................................38 Index Town Meeting..............................................................................................39 Monroe and Seattle Workshops.............................................................................41 3. COMMUNITY......................................................................................................45 International Conservation.....................................................................................46 Public Involvement in the United States................................................................48 Defining Community.............................................................................................54 Participation...........................................................................................................58 Tulalip Tribes.........................................................................................................60 The Community and Conservation........................................................................62 vi 4. WILDERNESS......................................................................................................64 The Pristine-Humanized Continuum.....................................................................69 Wilderness in the Pacific Northwest......................................................................74 Indigenous Peoples and Settlers in the Sky Valley................................................79 Defining Wilderness..............................................................................................81 5. WHY WILD SKY?................................................................................................84 Habitat Protection..................................................................................................88 Flood Mitigation....................................................................................................92 Economic Benefits.................................................................................................94 6. THE OPPOSITION...............................................................................................99 Negotiation and Compromise..............................................................................100 Ideology...............................................................................................................108 7. THE FOREST SERVICE....................................................................................114 Resources and Recreation....................................................................................115 Local Concerns....................................................................................................119 Trail Construction................................................................................................123 Threatened Land..................................................................................................127 8. CONCLUSIONS: BEYOND WILD SKY.........................................................130 BIBLIOGRAPHY............................................................................................................144 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal with Inset, 2002…………………………………...….2 2. Wild Sky Interview Map………………………………………………………….……7 3. The Skykomish River Valley........................................................................................11 4. Place Name Reference Map………………..................................................................13 5. Index, WA…….............................................................................................................15 6. Skykomish, WA………................................................................................................17 7. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest………..................................................….19 8. Demographic Data for Skykomish and Index, 1990 and 2000……........................….21 9. Job Loss and Timber Harvests……..............................................................................22 10. Northwest Forest Plan Management Designations.....................................................24 11. A Timeline of Wild Sky..............................................................................................36
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