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INSIDE... Forest Service Celebrates 100th Anniversary! Wildland Fires Holden Village Salmon Festival Community Fire Plans Forest Service Lookouts Snoqualmie Pass History Silver Falls Recreation Area And Much More Information About Your Local National Forests

Cascade Lookout A Publication of the U.S. Forest Service — 2005 Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests ith this edition of the Cascade Look- moving many of its Budget and Finance positions A Note from the out, I’d like to touch on two topics that to a centralized facility in Albuquerque, New Ware currently affecting the Forest Ser- Mexico. Much of the human resources personnel vice, and especially the Okanogan and Wenatchee activity will also shift to Albuquerque within the Forest Supervisor National Forests. next two years. This process will have an impact In 1905, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s on all Forest Service employees and even the com- Bureau of Forestry became known as the Forest munities in which they live. More than 300 posi- Service, and this year the Forest Service celebrates tions will be relocated between now and October its 100-year anniversary! (See pages 12 and 13 for 2005. Employees who are directly affected by more information). these reorganization plans will have to relocate to This anniversary gives us the opportunity to Albuquerque, obtain other positions, or leave the focus both on our rich history in land stewardship Forest Service. and on our next century of public service. In con- Information Resources, which includes com- junction with this, the Forest Service is introduc- puter technology and two-way radio communi- ing a 5-year effort called New Century of Service. cations, has also gone through a reorganization The objective of the New Century of Service will process. These services are now provided by a be to refl ect on the future of the Forest Service smaller centralized organization with employees while honoring the past. located across the nation. Through New Century of Service activities we One of the goals of this reorganization process will share excellence in our work, programs, and is to free up budget dollars currently being spent ideas, and celebrate 100 years of caring for the land on administration for use in land management. We and serving people. don’t anticipate any growth in our budgets in the James L. Boynton This program will give us the opportunity to foreseeable future, so the only way to get more take pride in what we do, to look at ways of doing money for work on the ground is to redirect it things differently, and to take stock of how well from other areas. we are serving the public. These changes have not been easy, but it is The second topic I’d like to address is the Ad- necessary if we are going to have the funding in ministrative Services reorganization and transition place to provide solid services for a new century of process that is currently going on throughout caring for the land and serving people. Thank you the Forest Service. As part of the Forest Service’s for your patience and support while we make this Financial Improvement Project, the agency will be transition. James L. Boynton Forest Supervisor

ew rules which govern revision of Land Besides a collaborative public involvement Public Invited and Resource Management Plans (Forest process, the new planning rules emphasize con- NPlans) for each national forest are being sideration and integration of social, economic, and implemented on the Okanogan and Wenatchee ecological sustainability. Current science must to Collaborate National Forests, and on the Colville National also be considered as Forest Plans are revised. The Forest. One of the main features of the new plan- Forest Service also gains increased capability to ning rules is a requirement that the Forest Ser- respond more rapidly to changing conditions such in Forest Plan vice work more closely with people interested in as wildfi res, new available science, and emerging national forest management. “The new planning threats such as invasive species. Revision rules allow people to help us design and develop “As we collaborate with interested people, we’re Forest Plans rather than react to a set of alterna- going to focus on bringing people with divergent tives developed only by the Forest Service as was viewpoints together. We’re looking to develop Rick Acosta previously the case,” said Jim Boynton, Forest Su- a Forest Plan that sustains economic, social, and Forest Plan Revision pervisor of the Okanogan and Wenatchee National ecological conditions that are benefi cial to both Public Affairs Offi cer Forests. people and the land,” Boynton added. Forest Plans defi ne how the For more information or to fi nd out how to Forest Service manages the collaborate with the Forest Service as it revises its national forests. Each national Forest Plans, please call or write us at the address- forest has its own Forest Plan es below or visit our website at: which establishes the desired condition for the land and www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/cow resources, and sets broad, general, management direc- Margaret Hartzell tion. According to law, each Forest Plan Revision Team Leader national forest must update and revise its Forest Plan every 509-826-3275 10 to 15 years. The Okanogan, Wenatchee, and Colville Na- Rick Acosta tional Forests’ Plans were last Public Affairs Offi cer & Social Lead completed in 1989, 1990, and 509-664-9210 1988 respectively. The new planning rules in- Email: [email protected] crease public involvement in all phases of Forest Plan develop- ment from beginning to end, U.S. Postal Address: and during development of the Forest Plan Revision Team new required Environmen- Colville, Okanogan, and Wenatchee tal Management System. The National Forests public will also be able to work Okanogan Valley Offi ce with the Forest Service as it 1240 Second Avenue South monitors effectiveness of For- est Plans as forest conditions Okanogan, WA 98840 change, and be able to help develop evaluation reports now required every 5 years. 2 ■ Cascade Lookout hen the Wenatchee and Okanogan able weather and voracious biting insects? “I guess Forests were formed in 1908, the W.W. I haven’t gotten smart enough to get away from Logging Family WBurgess family had already been log- it,” chuckles 81-year-old W.T., who is grandson ging near Plain and Lake Wenatchee for 14 years. of W.W. “You’ve got to make a living.” Today, that tradition continues with Burgess Beyond the chainsaw felling and limbing of Logging of Plain, a small family owned company trees, woods work also requires the attachment of is Older than that occasionally purchases national forest tim- heavy steel cables to logs, the operation of heavy ber sales and also sub-contracts to do logging for equipment like “yarders” that pull the logs to the the Forest larger forest products companies. forest road and “loaders” that put them on trucks For many years the logging took place on pri- headed to a mill. vate land, including railroad-owned lands in upper Chelan County. Then, some timber cutting began on the national forest in the 1930’s, and expanded in later decades. At fi rst, much of the wood was milled into boards to make apple boxes in support of a rapidly expanding orchard industry. After World War II, the national forests helped supply lumber for a booming housing market. Since 1995, the Okanogan and Wenatchee Forests have implemented a ‘Dry Forest Strategy’ which utilizes logging to thin dense fi re-prone forests in mid and lower elevation areas near rural homes and communities. The strategy leaves widely-spaced larger pon- derosa pine, Douglas fi r, and larch, while remov- ing smaller trees and grand fi r which are vulner- able to fi re. “It takes a lot of skill to cut and remove trees while protecting the big trees that are left behind,” said Susan Rinke, Forest Service timber sale offi - cer, who ensures that loggers follow the provisions of the contract that guides a logging operation. “The Burgess family takes a lot of pride in what they do,” she added. “You can even see it on the W.O. (Bill) Burgess driving horses, and George Shugart private forest land they own.” “It’s in the blood, I guess,” says W.P. (Billy), atop a load of logs, near Plain, Washington, in 1921. The family is into its sixth generation since taking a short break from work on the Ridgetop W.W. moved to Plain after his injury in a sawmill Timber Sale on Pole Ridge near Lake Wenatchee. accident in western Washington. Every generation At 24, he represents the youngest generation has had a “William,” right down to 3-week old working in the woods. W.S. (Will). He started woods work in summer months So what keeps a Burgess coming back to tough, between football and basketball camps and started dangerous work in steep terrain with unpredict- working full time at age 20. Dry Forest Strategy thin- ning and prescribed burning is meant to head off devastat- ing wildfi res like those that have scorched hundreds of thousands of acres in central Washington forests since 1970. “Without loggers, it couldn’t be done” Rinke said. “With the six of us work- ing up here, it’s like a family,” Billy added. “It’s not like working in a city. Snow or not, in the morning we’re out here at 6 a.m. working.” Four generations—Lyndy Burgess, W.T. (Bill) Burgess, W.P. (Billy) Burgess, baby W.S. (Will) Burgess, Emelia Burgess, Brandon Burgess, and Jeff Burgess, all members of a Plain area logging family with a long history.

uring the months of July and August, All programs last about an hour and admission the Wenatchee River Ranger District, is a $1.00 per person suggested donation. Wash- Lake Wenatchee DWashington State Parks, and Northwest ington State Parks waives the $5.00 day-use park- Interpretive Association present a series of popu- ing fee for visitors parked while attending these lar interpretive programs at Lake Wenatchee State programs. Interpretive Park. Directions: From Highway 2, drive 3½ miles On Saturday mornings at 11 a.m., Smokey north on Highway 207. Turn left on Cedar Brae brings his friends and their fi re engines to teach Road and follow to the South Lake Wenatchee Programs about fi re prevention and campfi re safety. Ev- State Park. The amphitheater is on the right. eryone gets a chance to be a fi refi ghter, gets hugs from Smokey Bear, and takes home a special Smokey Bear souvenir. Campfi re programs are presented each Saturday evening at the Lake Wenatchee State Park outdoor amphitheater. Programs include cultural dance, music, storytelling, natural and cultural history programs, and even a celebration of Smokey Bear’s birthday. Since the entertainers change each year, call us at (509) 763-3103 for this year’s line up. Cascade Lookout ■ 3 ew Forest Service symbols evoke more Each day I recorded and called in several weath- Forest Service mystique than the lonely fi re lookout sta- er readings, practiced fi re fi nder skills, reported Ftion and the men and women who worked unusual cloud formation or changes in wind, and there. Though most of the old fi re watch stations prepared three meals a day. Any spare moments Lookouts, Fact have vanished from the Northwest landscape, were spent in learning the names and locations of they remain a universal symbol of Forest Service local peaks and valleys, ridges and lakes. It was also history when pack strings, crank telephones, and necessary to keep the cramped living quarters neat versus Myth crosscut saws were as common as computers and and to keep all those windows clean so I could shiny SUV’s are today. keep an eye on a half million acres where smoke By Mike Hiler Much of the mythology of the old lookouts could pop up at any time, day or night. Other Special Uses and Resources is simply the way we choose to remember those duties included garbage patrol, packing out bags times and not necessar- of litter, maintaining my single wire phone line, ily the way it really was. and keeping track of the brands on the local cattle I worked on a lookout in case of trespass. Since I was supplied with only from 1969 to 1973 one milk can of water a week for washing, I carried and what I remember water every day from a spring. Of course springs is very different from are always downhill from lookout stations, making the stories of lookouts water hauling a chore. spending long, leisurely Many August days turned into 24-hour mara- days reading books in thons where an afternoon thunderclap would remote and often lonely extend into a midnight lightning storm. I learned stations. to balance a quick nap with other duties during In fact, my days at those times. Sometimes my work actually in- Jumpoff Lookout on cluded fi refi ghting duties when lightning struck the Naches Ranger within hiking distance of the lookout. In those District seemed quite days (1969), the fi re guard was assigned a fi re pack, the opposite. My log including a crosscut saw, and was expected to keep book showed regular his axe sharp. visits from hunters and To be truthful, even though life on the lookout hikers and the occa- was certainly full, there was still time to simply sional cowboy who I enjoy the view. After all, I was there 24 hours a plied with endless cups day, seven days a week. I do fondly remember the The last surviving lookout on the Naches, of coffee while listening clear crisp air, unequaled sunrises and sunsets, the “Jumpoff,” located at the west end of to concerns and ideas, which I dutifully passed on anticipation of an approaching storm, the wind Jumpoff Ridge at 5,745 feet in elevation. to my supervisor. picking up in the afternoon, and huge cumulous 2004 photo of Jumpoff Lookout by James Black, FS Volunteer. A typical day on the lookout included moni- clouds that seemed to boil in from outer space. In toring the radio 12 hours a day and logging calls. between storms there were long, slow afternoons Sometimes this was a challenge. In the solitude of when life seemed to stand still. a lookout station, the outhouse should have been However, in 1974, when a wilderness ranger job no problem but likely as not, if I tried to dash the opened up on the Tieton District in the Cougar 25 yards to the half moon, I would be interrupted Lakes backcountry, I jumped at the job. I fi gured by an urgent radio call, an unexpected visitor, or hiking with a 55 pound pack over steep moun- my boss calling on the crank phone. tainous country for days at a time just sounded a whole lot easier…and it was.

uring my career as a pathologist with tree. Once a tree is attacked, its structural integ- Campground the Forest Service I have evaluated tens rity is weakened. Dof thousands of trees in campgrounds Campground trees are subject to many more throughout Washington and Oregon for hazard abuses and injuries than trees in the undeveloped potential. I have found that most trees that had forest. Campground visitors infl ict an amazing Trees Take a to be removed because they were unsafe were assortment of injury and damage to trees, either infected by decay, fungi, or wood boring in- intentionally or accidentally. Parking or driving Beating sects that gained entrance into the trees through vehicles too close to trees causes the soil to be- camper-infl icted wounds. I’ve also observed that come compacted, preventing water and nutrients Jim Hadfi eld trees closest to fi re pits are the ones most likely from reaching the roots. Tree trunks and limbs are Pathologist to be wounded by campers, and are in the poorest injured by vehicles driving too near a tree. Other condition. Many campsites are accidental damage occurs when fuel burning made unattractive, unsafe, and lanterns are hung against the tree, or wires, ropes, even no longer useable because and cords are wrapped around the trunks and not the trees were so severely removed. Unfortunately, more damage is caused wounded. intentionally as people chop the trees with axes The bark of a tree is the and hatchets, carve them with knives, pound nails most important defense against and spikes in their bark, shoot at them, or build attack by many disease-causing campfi res around their bases. Deliberately wound- organisms and insects. Most ing trees is a criminal act that can result in fi nes. tree disease-causing organisms Wounded and unhealthy trees pose risks to and insects cannot penetrate campers, campground workers, and property the layer of bark that envelops because they are more likely to break than trees and protects the underlying without decay. Each year the Forest Service vulnerable wood. Tree bark is checks the condition of trees in campgrounds and equivalent to human skin in removes the hazard trees. Occasionally camp- protecting against infection. grounds are temporary closed when numerous Wounds that expose wood are trees need to be removed. likely to reduce the life spans Trees in campgrounds provide shade, beauty, of trees. Severe wounds that screening, a buffer for loud noises, and habitat for remove bark all the way around many species of animals, especially small birds. the stem cause trees to die very It can take 50 to 100 or more years for a tree to quickly. Tree wounds attract mature. It only takes a few seconds of careless or insects that tunnel in wood. Many tree wounds thoughtless abuse to shorten, and possibly end 4 ■ Cascade Lookout become infected by fungi that decay and kill the their lives. owns and counties throughout north Fire plans consider past fi res, terrain, and the central Washington State are developing amount of burnable fuel on the landscape. They Community Fire Tcommunity fi re plans to lessen the danger use such information to estimate present and fu- of wildland fi res like last summer’s Fischer Fire. ture risk of destructive fi res around communities That human-caused fi re burned for most of at-risk. Plans Seek to the month of August across forest and rangeland The analysis is the basis for an action plan that in Chelan County, threatened hundreds of rural identifi es steps to be taken to lessen the risks to residences, and charred 16,440 acres before it was rural residences. The plan may identify the need Avoid Fires fi nally controlled. for thinning dense groves of trees, pruning of With tinder-dry conditions, and a fourth sum- lower branches on remaining trees to keep fi re Like Fischer mer of drought, the blaze was ignited by a mo- from climbing into the tree tops, fi re breaks along torcyclist without a proper spark arrestor in the roads, and prescribed burning to reduce brush and hills near Dryden. Despite aggressive initial attack burnable debris on the ground. Paul Hart by fi re fi ghters and water-dropping helicopters, Plans may call for numbering of rural roads Forest Public Affairs Offi cer the fl ames raced through grass and brush into the and driveways to help emergency response Wenatchee National Forest. vehicles fi nd their way in emergencies. They At its peak, 1,800 fi re fi ghting personnel and 11 may also plot the location of rural residences helicopters were assigned to the Fischer Fire. The on fi re department maps. Homeowners are State Mobilization Act was invoked on August encouraged to adopt “Firewise” practices 10, allowing for the deployment of structural fi re such as roofi ng homes with fi reproof mate- fi ghters and engines from throughout the state to rials and planting fi re resistant vegetation in provide protection to hundreds of homes in rural the yard. canyons within the fi re area. Such plans help rural fi re districts apply One home eventually was lost in Ollala Can- for funds to purchase needed equipment and yon west of Cashmere, two power lines in the area provide the justifi cation for residents of pri- were damaged, leading to power outages, and traf- vate forest home tracts to apply for money fi c was halted for a time on State Highway 2. to thin dense groves of trees on private land. Community fi re planning is being done under The planning also gives community provisions of the National Fire Plan. It is a collab- residents a process to assess fi re danger on orative effort involving local government, local fi re surrounding state and federal forestland. If departments, and State agencies responsible for these lands pose a fi re risk to nearby resi- forest management, in consultation with interested dences, the community can identify the parties and the Federal land management agen- need for thinning or prescribed burning. cies in the vicinity of the at-risk community. A The fi re plan for the community of completed plan identifi es and prioritizes areas for Havillah, northeast of Tonasket, led directly hazardous fuel reduction treatments and recom- to a project called Siwash Thin. This is a mends the types and methods of treatment on combination commercial timber sale and Federal and non-Federal land that will protect one non-commercial thinning on a 140-acre or more at-risk communities. It assesses risks and national forest area near Burge Mountain identifi es needs for project funding and public southwest of Havillah. education. Information on community fi re planning The key ingredients of fi re risk in rural forest is available from each of the seven ranger and range areas are the dense growth of trees and districts and from the forest headquarters of Smoke column from Fischer Fire rises above Leavenworth Ranger Station on August 15, 2004. brush, the presence of homes in fi re-prone areas, the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. Photo by Dan O’Connor and unusually dry conditions.

aughan D. Marable, acting District Ranger Marable describes on the Hood Canal Ranger District of himself as an outdoors New Wenatchee Vthe Olympic National Forest, reported person who enjoys for duty as Wenatchee River District Ranger on being in the forest, March 7, 2005. Marable replaced Glenn Hoffman, and loves running, River District who retired last December after 40 years with the cycling, and cross- Forest Service. country skiing. One Marable, 43, is an 18-year career employee of of his emphasis areas Ranger the Forest Service with degrees in wildlife manage- as a ranger will be to ment and biology. After earning his degrees from work collaboratively Humboldt State University in California, Marable with divergent citizen interests. Marable’s wife, held a variety of wildlife biologist positions on the Ermalinda, is a pre-school teacher. The couple Gifford Pinchot and Olympic National Forests in has three children, son Sean, 23, and daughters Washington. Savanna, 19, and Nyasha, 15.

oin us for the Wenatchee River Salmon Festival in Leavenworth, Washington, September 17-18, J2005. This year’s theme, “River’s Alive,” The River’s Alive! refl ects the return of thousands of migrating salmon to their spawning grounds at the confl uence of the Icicle and Wenatchee Don’t Miss the Rivers- - a journey of over 500 miles! Families enjoy the authentic Native American Intertribal Village, a variety Wenatchee River of entertainment, games, tours of the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery, Salmon Festival fi sh viewing, storytelling, a giant maze, food, and arts and crafts. The Salmon Festival is hosted by the U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and is held at the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery. Check us out at www.salmonfest.org See you there! Cascade Lookout ■ 5 early $800,000 in fees was collected in recreation rental Your Recreation Recreation Fees for the Okanogan and cabins (reserved NWenatchee National Forests in 2004. through the Na- The Recreation Fee Demonstration program has tional Recreation Fees at Work provided needed help to recreation facilities, and Reservation System has helped provide other recreation opportunities at: reserveusa.com. Jim Archambeault by leveraging additional funding. Revenue from Christmas tree per- Recreation Planner fees helps augment regular annual Forest Service mits are also part appropriations for operation and maintenance, of the fee program. provides a source of cash to match grant applica- Permit and rental tions the Forest makes to other agencies, and helps fees help make these defray the costs associated with the large number programs available. of volunteers that assist the Forest in maintaining Ranger Districts are facilities. able to offer ex- Last year, over $250,000 in Northwest For- panded offi ce hours est Pass receipts were used to leverage almost and provide staffi ng in the fi eld during Christmas $500,000 in grant money to maintain about 1300 tree hunting season. miles of trail on the Forests. Numerous volunteers In 2005, visitors will begin to see changes in helped in this effort including Washington Trails the Northwest For- Association, Back Country Horsemen of Wash- est Pass program as a ington, Student Conservation Association, North- result of the recently west Youth Corps, Wilderness Volunteer Corps, enacted Federal Lands the Washington Outfi tters and Guides Associa- Recreational Enhance- tion, Pacifi c Northwest Trail Association, and the ment Act. At the time Washington Conservation Corps. of this printing it was About 400 youth were employed or still unclear what the volunteered through these groups. exact changes would Fees helped maintain the Nordic be, since Forest Ser- ski trails at Echo Ridge, paid for vice policy and direc- maintenance of the docks at recre- tion to implement the ation sites on Lake Chelan, provid- new law were still be- ed staffi ng to run the limited entry ing developed. Visitors permit and reservation system in should ask for a copy the Enchantment Basin in the Al- of the 2005 Site Guide pine Lakes Wilderness, and funded when purchasing their wilderness rangers. Fees also helped annual Northwest to fund campground maintenance Forest Pass this year. and replacement of campground fa- More information on cilities such as fi re rings and tables. specifi c accomplish- Photos: Bridge installation on Heather Lake trail As part of the recreation fee program, the ments can be found at: Okanogan and Wenatchee Forests host fi ve www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee

ird watching is the number one leisure ac- Bird Fest tivity in the United States, and both fl edg- Western Tanager Bling birders and experts will enjoy the range of events at the annual Leavenworth Spring Bird Celebrates Fest. The May event is centered in the stunningly beautiful town of Leavenworth, Washington. It features workshops, fi eld trips, art shows, and Songbirds other bird-related activities. Most events are free. In association with International Migratory Karen Haire Bird Day, the Leavenworth Spring Bird Fest seeks Bird Fest Director to teach us all about the conservation and pres- ervation of the birds that nest here every spring. Gail Roberts Participants will gain greater understanding of Wildlife Biologist Technician why Neotropical migratory songbirds come to the Wenatchee River watershed for a very important, and brief, part of their year – to breed and fl edge their young. The weekend is fi lled to the brim with activi- ties from Birding by Boat, to an Owl Prowl, to a Mother’s Day Wildfl ower Walk. Search for war- Cascades National Park Service Complex, U.S. blers, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, and raptors. Fish and Wildlife Service, Icicle Arts, and Barn Take a tour of the Barn Beach Reserve, saunter Beach Reserve, with generous help from the Icicle through the forests and along shorelines, shop Fund. For more information, call the Leavenworth for works by local wildlife artists, and meet birds Chamber at (509) 548-5807 or fl y to our website at live and up close that are being rehabilitated from www.leavenworthspringbirdfest.com injury. The festival concludes with a Songbird Concert at Canyon Wren Recital Hall. Birding by boat on Fish Lake While visiting Leavenworth, take the oppor- tunity to stroll through the unique shops and boutiques, sample traditional Bavarian cuisine, and enjoy a wonderful wildlife weekend in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. This Mother’s Day week- end will become a tradition for every birdwatcher. Bird Fest is a unique partnership between the North Central Washington Audubon Society, Okanogan & Wenatchee National Forests, the 6 ■ Cascade Lookout Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce, North Up in the Sky… it’s a Bird… No, it’s a Plane!

uring fi re season it’s not uncommon to see throughout the country to fi ght fi res. Depending Robin DeMario a variety of aircraft fl ying over national upon air tanker contract awards, there may be up Public Affairs Specialist Dforests, especially after a lightning storm. to eight or more air tankers available on a nation- Air tankers, fi xed wing aircraft, and helicopters are wide basis this summer. critical to fi re detection and suppression. Probably the most frequently seen aircraft is This summer, depending upon budgets, three the Air Attack fi xed-wing plane. This plane is fi refi ghting helicopters will be working out of the most commonly used as a spotter plane looking rappel base located at Pangborn Airport in East for lightning-caused fi res after a lightning storm. Wenatchee. One of these helicopters is a national Don’t be surprised to see or hear aircraft fl ying resource and is used throughout the country overhead this summer as you recreate on national for large fi re support. The second helicopter is a forest lands. These aircraft are here to help spot regional resource and will be used predominately fi res, deliver fi refi ghters and equipment, and per- in Oregon and Washington. The third helicopter haps hundreds of gallons of retardant and water on is a forest resource and will be used extensively on fi res to help extinguish them. the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. All of the Okanogan and Wenatchee National A total of 27 fi refi ghters and rappellers work from Forests aviation resources are dependent upon the these three aircraft. fi nal budget. A smokejumper jump plane, a Casa 212 fi xed- wing aircraft, is stationed at the North Cascades Smokejumper Base in Winthrop, Washington, and delivers smokejumpers to remote locations throughout the Pacifi c Northwest. Twenty-two smokejumpers will be operating out of the base this summer. While it may be easy to spot the smokejumper plane, not many people get the opportunity to see the smokejumpers parachute out of the aircraft. Most of the fi res they fi ght are in the backcountry where they usually jump over very remote terrain with no roads nearby. During fi re season it is not unusual to see large retardant ships at the Moses Lake Air Tanker Base. These aircraft hold up to 3,000 gallons of retardant (a mixture of water, fertilizer, and dye) and travel Large helicopter drops water on the Fischer Fire

efore the Wenatchee National Forest was The Entiat Ranger District staffed 13 fi re look- established, settlers were living in the outs between the early 1930s and 1960s. Lookouts Entiat Valley – BEntiat Valley and were earning a living played an important role in the days before radar by trapping, growing crops, milling lumber, and and aviation were used to detect forest fi res. Dur- raising livestock. Prior to that time, American ing WWII, many lookouts were also used to watch ATravelA Travel Indians had made their camps at the mouth of the the sky for enemy aircraft. Entiat River where they fi shed, and traveled to the The job of fi re lookout wasn’t easy. Many of nearby Entiat Mountains to hunt. the lookouts were located in roadless locations, so Through Time On February 1, 1905, over 148 million acres of supplies, food, and drinking water had to be hiked public land became National Forest when Presi- in or packed in by animals. Lookout buildings By Kimiko Nalle dent Theodore Roosevelt created the U.S. Forest were primitive and didn’t offer much when it came fi re prevention offi cer Service. By 1908, the Wenatchee National Forest to comfort. At Cougar Mountain Lookout, the had added two new districts - the upper Entiat employee had to climb a ladder to the Ranger District, managed out of Brennigan Creek, top of the living quarters. There, at the and the Lower Entiat Ranger District, managed at top of the building was a small, exposed Steliko Canyon. observation deck. The people staffi ng In 1921, the two districts were combined to lookouts were on watch 20-hours a day. create the Entiat Ranger District with the offi ce Once a fi re was detected, the lookout located at the Steliko Ranger Station at the mouth would report the fi re to the ranger sta- of Steliko Canyon. In 1960, the management of the tion, and then hike out to suppress it. Entiat Ranger District was moved to the city of Currently, only three lookouts Entiat, and the old ranger station site became the remain in place, Tyee, Sugarloaf, and Steliko Work Center. Steliko. During fi re season, Sugarloaf From 1933 through 1941, the Entiat Ranger Lookout is still staffed 24-hours a day, District was a host to the Civilian Conservation seven days a week. Tyee and Steliko Corps (C.C.C.) program for eight of its nine years Lookouts are staffed only when needed, of existence. Four camps were built on the Entiat such as during lightning storms. Ranger District and were located at Brennigan Many changes have occurred in the Creek, Muddy Creek, Indian Creek, and Mills Entiat area since the establishment of Canyon. During their stay on the Entiat Ranger the National Forest System. Since the Steliko Ranger Station District the Conservation Corps constructed the creation of the Wenatchee National Forest and the Mad River Road, Indian Creek Road, and the Mills Entiat Ranger District there have been 22 District Canyon Road, along with several trails, buildings Rangers. Karin Whitehall, the current District and fi re lookouts. Ranger has been in place since 1988. Cascade Lookout ■ 7 ongview Fiber Company has been awarded In 2003, Congress approved the use of these new Hungry Hunter the fi rst of several contracts that will come authorities for a 10-year period. Lout of the Methow Valley District’s Hun- The HH Contract is a large and fairly complex gry Hunter Stewardship Project. The contract contract that includes timber harvest activities Stewardship includes commercial and non-commercial thin- as well as other work focused on restoring the ning to reduce fi re hazard, road decommissioning, ecological condition of the project area, improving fencing projects to protect riparian areas, noxious wildlife habitat, and reducing fi re hazards. Over Project weed control, and other activities to help restore 7 million board feet of timber will be removed by ecosystem health. thinning overcrowded stands. Additional work Deborah Kelly Project managers were anxious to move from includes thinning and machine fi re line construc- Public Affairs Specialist the planning stage to implementation since this tion. Thirty-eight acres of thinning will be accom- is the fi rst project on the Forests to put the new plished this spring. stewardship contracting authorities to work. The Forest Service will retain the responsibility The project area lies within both the Squaw and to do prescribed burning within the project area. McFarland Creek drainage. The “HH” contract Thirty-one acres are planned for prescribed burn- includes activities within the McFarland Creek ing this spring. Additional burning will be done drainage. The District plans to advertise the sec- in other portions of the project area, however ond stewardship contract, “HH2,” in the fall of they will require some thinning before fi re can be 2005 with activities focused in the Squaw Creek applied. drainage. Due to the size, complexity, and fi nancial Under stewardship contracts the value of tim- requirements of the contract, many smaller local ber removed can go directly back to the ground companies may not qualify as prime contractors, to accomplish other important restoration work but the larger companies are encouraged to utilize under the same contract. Instead of 6 to10 con- those local small businesses to do much of the tracts to accomplish the work, the Hungry Hunter work as subcontractors. project may be implemented with only 2 or 3 With this new approach, the Forest Service contracts. With this holistic approach, contrac- is hoping to develop local contractors that will tors become “stewards” caring for a large area of partner with the Forest Service and the local national forest under Forest Service supervision. community to help improve the conditions of the During several trial years, the Forest Service forest and help us continue to be good stewards of used “stewardship pilots” to explore different the land. ways to implement special contracting authorities.

ar away from city lights and high in the The Bright Side of mountains, the stars appear close enough to Ftouch at Meadows Campground. The 11-acre campground, located at Harts Pass W Needle Creek Fire near Winthrop, Washington, has been a favorite for the more adventurous camper. Originally Star Gazing at constructed in the late 1950s or early 1960s around an alpine meadow, this high elevation campground Meadows Campground can only be reached by a 17-mile narrow, winding, and sometimes precipitous dirt road. The camp- w ground’s 360-degree mountain view, and wide- Jennifer Zbyszewski Recreation Manager open sky at nearly 6,000 feet is unrivalled. In the fall of 2003, the Meadows Campground was completely destroyed by the Needle Creek Fire. The blaze burned approximately 17,000 acres in the upper Methow River watershed, spreading into the Harts Pass area. Aside from a small patch of six or seven trees, all trees in and around the campground were com- pletely burned. The outhouse was burned to the ground and some of the picnic tables were com- pletely consumed or damaged beyond repair. Very Needle Creek Fire little ground vegetation remained, and nearly all of the 11 acres were covered by the “moon-dust” ash, a better place than ever to watch the stars now typical of a high intensity burn. The campground that all those pesky trees are out of the way!” said was closed immediately after the fi re, its future Roberts. More work will be done on the pad dur- uncertain; rebuilding was expected to be costly. ing the summer of 2005, including scoring all the Today, thanks to the efforts of then Congress- cardinal directions into the concrete. man George Nethercutt to secure funding, the “This telescope pad is a unique feature in Forest campground is being restored. In August 2004, the Service campgrounds,” said Vladimir Steblina, Methow Valley Ranger District received the fund- Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests Recreation ing it needed to repair trails and campgrounds dam- Program Manager. “The dark sky, level telescope aged by the fi re, including Meadows Campground. pad, and unobstructed view of the stars makes the Reconstruction of Meadows Campground began Meadows Campground one of the premiere star in the fall of 2004. Forest Service personnel cut gazing sites in the entire Pacifi c Northwest.” and removed the standing dead trees, removed and Meadows Campground after 2003 fi re replaced the burned tables, and smoothed the road. Meadows Campground has been a favorite star gazing spot for Mazama resident and amateur astronomer, Dick Roberts. He suggested that a concrete pad be poured so star-gazers could have a level, hard surface to set up telescopes right in the campground. Roberts designed a 10-foot wide by 20-foot long pad large enough for four telescopes. The pad is oriented towards north to make set- 8 ■ Cascade Lookout ting up the telescopes easier. “The campground’s Harts Pass area after the fi re uring the Farewell Fire of 2003, Wayne Ingram traveled throughout Oregon and Reggitorie was looking for a quiet fi re Washington collecting plants, and documenting The Legend of Dcamp for night crews to sleep and found habitats and livestock forage values. Over the years the old Early Winters C.C.C. compound. He also he proved to be one of the best photographers in found a cabinet with plant specimens dating back the Forest Service, and his pictures of plants in PNW Region’s to 1912. A botanist’s dream, the dried and pressed their native habitat were unequaled according to plants were some of the fi rst plant specimens col- historic records. It is a tragedy that these photo- lected in the Pacifi c Northwest. The collector was graphs have been lost. A eulogy written by the First Botanist: Douglas Ingram, who worked as a range examiner Journal of Forestry in 1930 declared, “Douglas for the Forest Service in the early 1900s. Ingram not only is a highly effi cient forest offi cer and an authority on range management, but is also Douglas Ingram recognized as one of the best fi eld naturalists of the northwest.” 1882-1929 In August of 1929, Ingram was credited with leading a crew of fi re fi ghters to safety when they became entrapped by advancing fl ames in Therese Ohlson the Camas Fire north of Lake Chelan. Tragically, District Botanist Ingram and 19 year-old Erna- nine St. Luise perished later in the same fi re while heading up a ridge to scout the blaze and look for a campsite. The location of their death is now known as Douglas Ingram Ridge. Today, a legacy of Douglas In- gram’s untiring interest, energy, and enthusiasm for nature re- mains. A hybrid lily was named in his honor by Dr. Griffi ths from the USDA Bulb Station at Bellingham Washington. An unusual fl owering plant collected by Ingram on Mt. Nebo, near Roseburg, Oregon was named Silene ingrami (also known as Silene hookeri). Author and botanist Art Kruckeberg will Douglas Ingram immigrated to the United feature Ingram in his latest book States in 1901 from Elgin Scotland to Roseburg, commemorating the early bota- Douglas Ingram (top left) and crew in 1909 Oregon. In 1909, he attended the University of nists of the Pacifi c Northwest. Washington, receiving a forestry degree. He began During the 1920s, while Ingram was working a career with the Forest Service at the age of 27 on the Rogue River National Forest (then called as a forest guard on the Ochoco National Forest. the Crater N.F.), he called attention to a particular Between 1909 and 1918, he worked on various ponderosa pine of exceptional form and vigor in a forests in Oregon as an assistant forest ranger, a timber sale. He recommended this tree be spared forest ranger, grazing assistant, and by 1918, he from logging. Soon after Ingram perished in the was promoted to Regional Range Examiner. In Camas fi re, the tree was designated as the Douglas 1921, he was lead researcher of grazing studies C. Ingram Memorial Tree. Eventually overcrowd- for the Pacifi c Northwest Region, and in January ing stress resulting from fi re exclusion, a familiar 1929 was promoted to Regional Assistant Chief of site in our dry forest today, led to the death of the Range Management. pine. The Forest Service continues to maintain the site as an opportunity to educate the public about dry forest ecology while preserving the memory of Ingram’s legacy. The collection found at the Early Winters compound was donated to the University of Washington herbarium where the specimens will be maintained and available to researchers and the public.

Ingram and crew collecting plants

Cascade Lookout ■ 9 ife began for Concunully, Washington in swimming in area lakes. By 1937, C.C.C. workers A Peek Back at spring, 1886. It started as a “rag town” of completed the Salmon Creek Campground north Lminers’ shacks in an area called “Salmon of town with a barn and corrals, and extended City,” so named for the abundant fi shery in an ad- a road system from Conconully into the high Forest Service jacent stream. Rich silver ore had been discovered country of the Tiffany Mountains and Thirtymile on nearby Mineral Hill. Meadows. They built six other campgrounds and In 1897, most of the public domain lands west many miles of new trail to access the backcoun- History in and north of Conconully became part of the Wash- try for wildfi re fi ghting purposes. They also built ington National Forest Reserve. The Okanogan additional fi re lookout stations such as Funk Mt. National Forest (at fi rst called the Chelan National Lookout near Conconully. Conconully Forest) was established from this reserve in 1906. The crowning achievement of Harris’ vision The fi rst ranger station built for the new forest was the Salmon Meadows Lodge. Built of native Allen Gibbs administration was at Conconully in 1906. stone and logs, the two-story lodge opened to Public Affairs Specialist Then came the New Deal’s Civilian Conserva- public acclaim in the winter of 1937. A wooden tion Corps (C.C.C.) in 1933. P. T. Harris, Forest ski jump and a warming hut at the top of a nearby Supervisor from 1917 to 1943, liked the idea of slope cleared for downhill skiing completed the ski joining good conservation lodge development. practices with good jobs for Okanogan Valley soldiers returned from Post- people in need. He envi- World War II Europe where they had seen major sioned two C.C.C. projects ski resorts. They were eager to ski on steeper in the Conconully area that ground than that provided at Salmon Meadows. would bring a variety of This led local citizens and the Forest Service to recreation and business op- look elsewhere for a downhill ski location, eventu- portunities. ally building the Loup Loup Ski Hill. In early 1934, C.C.C. Although the Salmon Meadows Lodge ceased workers began construc- to be a ski facility, it and the campgrounds became tion of a new ranger station, very popular with generations of Okanogan Valley residence, warehouse, barn, residents and visitors for holiday camping, wed- and corrals in downtown dings, family reunions, conferences, youth group Conconully. Those structures campouts, church meetings, and deer hunting remain today as part of the camps. Unfortunately, the lodge was lost to fi re on Forest Service’s Conconully Mother’s Day, 1994. Work Center. Conconully will soon celebrate nearly 100 Conconully had long been years in partnership with the Forest Service, as the summer retreat of choice a gateway to four-season recreation opportuni- among Omak and Okanogan ties. Come and enjoy the fruits of P. T. Harris’ CCC workers building the Salmon Meadows Lodge residents for fi shing and vision.

rom trail work to invasive plant inventories, weeds after road construction, done in partnership Volunteers and and education/interpretation to fi re plan- with the Loomis Irrigation District. Fning, a signifi cant portion of the workload Tiffany Springs Interpretive Project: An accomplished each year on the Tonasket Ranger interpretive site was developed at Tiffany Springs Partners are Key District occurs through partnerships and vol- Botanical Area in partnership with the Washing- unteerism. Partnership contributions take many ton Native Plant Society. The group helped with forms, the most common being money, equip- funding, sign and brochure design, and updating to Accomplishing ment, and physical labor. “We appreciate the many the plant list. contributions of our partners,” said Mark Morris, Free Fishing Day: Each year, local businesses Work District Ranger at Tonasket. “Without their hard and organizations contribute time and funding as work and donations, our annual accomplishments they team up with the Forest Service to host a kid- would be greatly reduced.” oriented free fi shing day. The event focuses on fun Shannon O’Brien Here are some examples of the many outstand- and learning about fi sh biology and angling ethics. Public Affairs Specialist ing contributions provided by partners of the Jimmy’s Meadows Watershed Restoration Tonasket Ranger District. Project: This project was accomplished through Recreation Facility Improve- matching dollars from local and national partners ments and Maintenance: Mem- including funding from the National Fish and bers of Back Country Horsemen, Wildlife Foundation, the Environmental Protec- Pacifi c Northwest Trail Association, tion Agency, and the Intermountain West Joint SKY youth program, Association Venture. Many hours of labor were provided by of Okanogan County Snowmobile students from Tonasket High School, Tonasket Clubs, and North Central ORV Alternative School, and the youth corps organiza- contributed thousands of hours of tion, SKY (Service, Knowledge, Youth). volunteer time to cut downed trees Community Fire Planning: Collaboration from trails that had been closed by and partnership with the Havillah Community wind storms. They also helped with Fire planning group resulted in an increased much needed annual maintenance on awareness of hazardous fuel conditions, develop- several other forest trails, and helped ment of a community fi re plan, and ultimately, the construct a new bridge on the Clark accomplishment of a number of on-the-ground Ridge Trail that replaced the Peak projects. The District also continues its active, Creek Bridge destroyed in the 2003 collaborative participation with the Highlands Isabel Fire. Extensive maintenance Fire Defense Team, a group of local community The Peak Creek bridge was reconstructed thanks to the was also completed on Thirtymile members, rural fi re departments, and local, state, combined efforts of the SKY volunteers, Backcountry Shelter (an old Civilian Conservation Corps struc- and federal land management agencies. This team Horsemen and Forest Service Employees. The bridge ture) including installation of a fi re pit and bench works to provide education and action on defen- had been burned during the 2003 Isabel fi re. construction. sible space issues for homeowners. Weed Inventory: The Okanogan County Fly Soil Stabilization Project: Loomis Irrigation Fishing Club provided an aquatic weed inventory District helped provided assistance to stabilize a for the District. More than 60 volunteer hours bank on Forest Service Road 39 that improved ac- were contributed to survey ten lakes. Other proj- cess and road safety above a diversion dam for the ects included inventorying and treating noxious local irrigation system. weeds on range allotments, done with the assis- For more information about volunteer opportu- tance of permittees of the Tonasket Ranger Dis- nities with the Forest Service, contact the nearest 10 ■ Cascade Lookout trict; and seeding to reduce the spread of noxious Forest Service offi ce, or visit www.fs.fed.us project located in the Siwash Creek responsible for thinning of commercial timber, as Drainage near Burge Mountain will thin well as slash removal and other restoration work to Siwash Thin Aovercrowded forest on approximately 180 improve the area’s ecological condition. acres of public lands that adjoin private property. The Stewardship Authority adds fl exibility and “Siwash Thin” will be the second project on the shortens timelines. Traditionally, when the For- Stewardship Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests to be est implements projects that include commercial accomplished using stewardship authority. thinning, the work occurs in sequence, with one “Stewardship” is an approach to forest man- phase ending before another contract is awarded Project agement where the government employs private for the following phase. Under the Stewardship contractors to do a variety of tasks needed to care Authority, follow-up restoration work doesn’t Shannon O’Brien for an area of National Forest. need to wait on return of timber receipts or ap- Public Affairs Specialist Stewardship Authority encourages agency and propriated funds, a process that usually takes years community collaboration throughout both the and requires several contracts or separate phases to project planning and implementation phases. complete the work. Many projects involve collaboration during Awarding several stages of the work to one the planning phase. Some, under NEPA, require contractor is an advantage for the contractor as scooping of issues, and others under the Healthy well. Employees can work more continuously for Forest Initiative and the Healthy Forest Restora- longer periods of time because there is a broader tion Act create opportunities for collaboration spectrum of work being accomplished. When one during the project development and planning phase or aspect of the work is shut down, the same phases. company can switch to another phase. The Stewardship Authority is unique in that it Stewardship Authority also allows for addi- encourages collaboration during the implementa- tional criteria to be considered in selecting the tion phase as well. It provides an opportunity to contractor. In addition to the price offered for the monitor projects as the work is being done. It also merchantable timber and the cost requested for provides an opportunity to give input into future services, criteria such as experience, quality record, work. and business location also weigh in when awarding A typical overstocked forest During the development of the Siwash Thin contracts. Project, extensive collaboration was accomplished “We’re enthusiastic about this project for a in accordance with the Healthy Forest Initiative. number of reasons,” commented Mark Morris, Signifi cant collaboration was also used during the District Ranger at Tonasket. “First, it’s an area development of the Havillah Community Fire identifi ed in Havillah Community Fire Plan as Plan. The goal of the Havillah Community Fire needing work to prevent the spread of wildland Plan and Siwash Thin Project is to accomplish fuel fi re to or from National Forest Lands. In addition, reduction to protect local communities. the use of these special authorities offers us op- The Stewardship Authority allows a variety portunities to complete some much needed work of project tasks to be awarded under the same con- more effi ciently while affording extensive collabo- tract. For example, the Siwash Thin project could ration opportunities amongst our neighbors.” be awarded to a single contractor who would be Reducing Fire Risk

Shannon O’Brien Public Affairs Specialist

ost and Bonaparte Lakes are two highly sce- The area being considered as part of this project nic and very popular recreation destinations was identifi ed as needing treatment in the Havillah Lon the Tonasket Ranger District. Summer Community Fire Plan. That plan was developed by homes, year-round residences, a resort, developed local residents in cooperation with state, federal, campgrounds, and three organizational camps sur- and tribal agencies. The plan recommends that the round these two lakes. Forest Service proceed with fuels reduction within The Two Lakes Fuels Reduction project en- 10 miles of the Havillah Community. The project compasses that entire area. The fuels reduction area lies entirely within that 10 mile boundary. project will reduce fuel loading in urban interface For this area, like many others on the on about 4,000 acres using the Healthy Forest Okanogan and Wenatchee Forests, low intensity Restoration Act Authority. Development of the fi res were historically the norm. That histori- project is a work in progress being accomplished cal pattern has been altered over the last century by community members in cooperation with the by past management activities that included fi re Tonasket Ranger District. exclusion, livestock grazing, and harvesting large Structures in the area are at risk not only from aerial “Analysis of a project of this magnitude would trees while leaving behind too many small trees. fi rebrands carried from long distances, but also from normally take the District about three years Forests are now overcrowded with trees and heavy potential for oncoming fi re from adjacent stands. to accomplish. Two Lakes will accomplish the accumulations of fuel. Where once there were Carefully treating both around structures like the same analysis, using the Healthy Forest Restora- mostly low severity fi res, there are now more cabin shown above, and in adjacent stands, will increase the chance that fi re crews can keep wildfi re tion Act Authority (HFRA), on a much shorter often high intensity stand replacing fi res. from reaching structures. Defensible space must be timeframe,” said Mark Morris, Tonasket District Other than the Bonaparte Fire of 1973, the Two provided for these structures while maintaining their Ranger. Lakes area has escaped recent fi res. Although past unique forested setting recreational experience. HFRA allows the District to devote the fi eld timber sales have thinned some of the stands of time needed to carefully prepare the project. small trees within the project area and removed Because the acres to be treated are all within 1 ½ some of the ground fuels, more work is needed. miles of ‘a community at risk’ as defi ned in the It is clear that this project is widely accepted,” restoration act, the District intends to develop said Morris. “It is our expectation that this accep- and analyze only one alternative, thereby shorten- tance will continue through project development ing environmental analysis timeframes. “With the and implementation.” When complete, Two Lakes serious condition of fuels in the project area, it is Project will reduce the threat of catastrophic wild- important that fuel reduction is accomplished as land fi re to private, state and federal lands. quickly as possible,” said Morris. Cascade Lookout ■ 11 he USDA Forest Service will celebrate its Planned activities during the centennial year Forest Service 100th anniversary on July 1, 2005. On this will recognize Forest Service past accomplish- Tdate 100 years ago, the Forest Service was ments and will validate the importance of the th created as an agency with a unique mission: to sus- agency’s current relationship with partners and Celebrates 100 tain healthy, diverse, and productive forests and collaborators. There will be many challenges for grasslands for present and future generations. the Forest Service and its local communities to The U.S. Forest Service was created in 1905 overcome in the next century. Rapid natural and Anniversary by President Theodore Roosevelt and his Chief social changes, changing public desires, and new Forester Gifford Pinchot. They sought not only to technologies are among these. conserve disappearing natural resources but also to A new documentary of the Forest Service, “The maximize the social benefi ts from those resources. Greatest Good,” brings the history of the agency Pinchot’s mission statement for his new agency to a broad audience. The 2-hour fi lm uses rarely stated “…where confl icting interests must be rec- seen footage and photos, sweeping landscape aerial onciled, the question shall always be decided from shots, and dozens of interviews to tell a complex the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest and compelling story of the American land. Each w number in the long run.” Ranger District on the Okanogan and Wenatchee The creation of the Forest Service initiated a National Forests will sponsor the fi lm in their lo- century of change in managing public forests and cal communities. grasslands, with introduction of a new conserva- As the agency approaches its centennial, we ask tion ethic and professional workforce to carry it that you join us in refl ecting on the organization’s forth. proud history and traditions and exploring ways to move into a new century of “caring for the land and serving people.”

he National Mall in Washington, D.C. is feature forest management. ‘Water, Woods, and Forest Service famous for the Smithsonian Museum, the Mountains’ will focus on recreation and include TCapitol Building, the Washington Monu- stories, folk practices, tales of adventure, and ment – and the annual Smithsonian Folklife secret best spots. In the ‘Call of the Wild’ exhibit, A Participates at Festival. presenters will demonstrate skills and techniques Extending along a huge open space area from for wilderness survival, and an outdoor skills camp the Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial are the will teach fi shing ethics, boating safety, skiing, Folklife Festival Smithsonian museums of art, natural history, and camping, and ways to love the out-of-doors. A culture. Once a year, in late June and early July, fully equipped kitchen will showcase Dutch Oven Barbara Kenady-Fish the Smithsonian goes “open-air’ with cultural cooking. At the center of the exhibit will be a rep- Interpretive Specialist exhibitions from around the world. This usually lica of the North Cascades Smokejumper Base, a quiet park, managed by the National Park Service, fi re lookout tower, and exhibits of forest products is fi lled with thousands of visitors who come to and equipment. enjoy musical performances and craft demonstra- The dates of the Folklife Festival are June 23-27 tions, and see illustrations of work lore, commu- and June 30 - July 4, 2005. nity heritage, and celebrations. This year, in honor of the centennial of the U.S. Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest Forest Service, the Smithsonian Institute has in- employees, Heather Murphy and Jim Ham- vited the agency to partner with them “to produce mer have been invited to represent the Forest a program on the occupational culture of forest Service at the 2005 Folklife Festival. Both management in the United States.” were interviewed by Barbara Kenady-Fish, a This unparalleled opportunity allows the Forest public affairs specialist for the Forests. Agen- Service to showcase the skills and work traditions cy representatives from National Forests of its past and current culture to a million visitors across the nation conducted over 500 video during the two weeks of the festival. The For- interviews, of which only 100 were selected to est Service is only the third federal agency to be be presenters at the Festival. invited to participate in the Folklife Festival (the Both are thrilled to be among those White House and Smithsonian being the fi rst two) invited. Murphy, Wildlife Biologist for the in the 39 years of its existence. Wenatchee River Ranger District, was chosen Approximately 100 participants - including for her skills in combining fi eld observations foresters, trail makers, archaeologists, wildlife and artwork in creating journals. As a biolo- biologists, hydrologists, soil scientists, environ- gist, the notes and sketches she recorded mental engineers, fi refi ghters and smokejumpers, of wildlife and their habitat evolved into a woodcarvers, camp cooks, musicians, storytellers, creative form of journaling, and eventually to backcountry rangers, recreation specialists, and the creation of her own greeting card busi- more! - will be brought to the Mall to share their ness. “It is one of the biggest honors of my skills, experiences, and traditions with the public. career to represent the Forest Service, and the Above: Heather Murphy, wildlife biologist Festival curators spent hundreds of hours wildlife program in particular,” said Murphy. Right: Jim Hammer, packer reviewing digital video interviews and reports of Jim Hammer is a seasoned packer and about 500 people with ties to the national forest. trail foreman for the Methow Valley Ranger They fi nally chose about 100 of the candidates District. His skills in packing with mules, to take part in the festival. Two of these partici- combined with a winning and laid back pants, wildlife biologist, Heather Murphy, and personality drew trail foreman, Jim Hammer, are employees of the the attention of Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests. the Smithsonian. The Forest Service exhibit includes several Hammer will demonstration areas that focus on different as- demonstrate pects of the agency. The ‘Science and Innovation’ packing techniques section will feature forest and rangeland conserva- at the Festival. tion, and law enforcement. ‘Forest Communities’ “There are a lot of will showcase Forest Service history, and feature packers as good a community stage for storytelling, poetry and as me or better, in-depth discussions on various agency top- so I feel really ics. Artisans who use forest products or nature honored to go,” for inspiration will participate in arts and crafts said Hammer. 12 ■ Cascade Lookout demonstrations, and a small woodlands yard will he Forest Service has compiled an impres- Crime Investigation - In 1934, Forest Service sive list of accomplishments that are not experts helped to bring a criminal to justice in Interesting Twell known outside the agency. From silk the “trial of the century” when the infant son of parachutes to “scratch and sniff” perfume samples, Charles A. Lindbergh, the world famous aviator, from “no-lick” postage stamps to crime forensics was kidnapped from his home. Police arrested a Forest Service that helped crack the 1934 Lindbergh kidnapping carpenter on circumstantial evidence because no case, the Forest Service has made many lasting fi ngerprints or murder weapon were found at the contributions. crime scene. However, the prosecutors had an ex- Facts pert witness from the Forest Products Laboratory Fire Fighting - In 1929, the Forest Service in Madison, Wisconsin, who was an author- used a burlap parachute to deliver supplies to fi re- ity on wood anatomy research. Arthur Koe- fi ghters on the line. Within a few years, dropping hler testifi ed at the trial that a section of attic cargo by parachutes, which were now made of silk, fl oorboard taken from the carpenter’s apart- became a common practice. By July 12, 1940, the ment precisely matched the grain of wood in world’s fi rst smokejumpers successfully parachut- a homemade ladder used by the kidnapper ed over the Nez Perce National Forest in Idaho. to enter the Lindbergh home. Koehler was able to trace some of the ladder lumber from Military Paratroopers - During WWII, the a mill in South Carolina to a lumber dealer military instituted the fi rst paratrooper training in the Bronx where the carpenter had once facility at Fort Benning, Georgia after noting the worked. success of the Forest Service smokejumping pro- gram. The paratroopers used techniques the Forest Scratch ‘n’ Sniff - Looking for alterna- Service had developed, and adopted equipment the tives to spraying beetle-infested trees with Forest Service had designed, including the Derry toxic pesticides brought focus on “scratch ‘n’ slotted parachute, the static line, and the reserve sniff” perfume ads. Forest Service research- chute. ers developed the technology behind the perfume samples found in magazines called National Security - In 1944 the Japanese “microencapsulation” - tiny fragile beads, or sent balloon bombs to the West Coast of North microcapsules imbedded in a paper tear strip. America with the express purpose of starting for- est fi res. U.S. offi cials were worried not only about Self Adhesive Stamps - When the Postal fi re, but whether the balloons could be used to Service initiated a program for environmen- deliver biological warfare agents. In response to tally benign pressure sensitive adhesives, the the threats, the Forest Service organized Opera- Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI tion Fire Fly, a group of 2,700 civilian and military developed the testing protocols. personnel trained to combat wildfi res.

History of the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests Old Forest Service guard station

he Okanogan and Wenatchee National the Chelan National Forest, with headquarters Forests owe their origins to the Washington in Okanogan. That lasted until 1955 when the 1908 TForest Reserve (1897). Although the two Okanogan reappeared as its own entity and the Wenatchee National Forest established forests were combined administratively in 2000, Chelan National Forest disappeared from the each retains its own unique history and identity. system forever. 1908 The Wenatchee National Forest was estab- On both forests, the number of ranger dis- Chelan National Forest established lished in 1908. The Forest Headquarters was tricts, ranger district names, and headquarters has in a tiny building located in the community of changed repeatedly and continue to do so today. 1911 Leavenworth. The Okanogan was formally es- Although both forests were administratively Okanogan National Forest established tablished three years later from a portion of the combined in 2000, they are not considered a single Chelan National Forest. Its headquarters were in forest. Only an Act of Congress can combine them 2000 Okanogan. under one name. Management consolidation of the According to the Okanogan and Wenatchee When asked about unique historical contribu- Okanogan NF and the Wenatchee NF National Forests’ Heritage Program manager, tions of each forest, Gadd said the Wenatchee’s was approved. The two forests are now under Powys Gadd, both forests share a history of land history of sheep grazing dates back to when the the management of one leadership team at the acquisition - primarily consuming each other’s, forest was established in 1908. In 1909, over 60 Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests or adjacent national forest’s lands. For example, percent of the sheep in Washington State were Headquarters Offi ce in Wenatchee. portions of the Wenatchee Forest came from the grazed on the Wenatchee. A small remnant of this Rainier, Snoqualmie, Chelan, and Okanogan For- use still occurs each summer. Most unique to the ests, while portions of the Okanogan Forest came Okanogan may be its role in establishing the For- from the Chelan and Colville National Forests. est Service smoke jumping program at the North In 1921, the Okanogan National Forest ceased Cascades Smokejumper Base near Winthrop, with to exist as a forest when it combined with the initial jumps in 1939. A vigorous jump program Chelan National Forest and became known as continues today. Cascade Lookout ■ 13 esidents and visitors of the Lake Chelan conditions and dry fuels allowed the fi re to make Summer 2004: Valley won’t soon forget the fi res of 2004. surprising runs even at nighttime. The Deep Har- RThe fi rst lightning fi re ignited on May 19, bor fi re soon grew to 30,000 acres. and signaled the kick-off of a long, hot summer of Due to Deep Harbor Fire’s fast growth Hot, Dry forest fi res. and extreme fi re behavior, the Chelan County Of twelve fi res ignited on the Chelan Ranger Sheriff’s Offi ce evacuated guests and residents of District last summer, nine were caught and con- the remote but populated areas of Domke Lake, and Blazing trolled while they were still small. Three blazes Lucerne, and Holden Village. It also caused the grew larger and more complex, threatening com- evacuation of some areas down lake from the fi re Margi Peterson munities, and demanding vast fi refi ghting efforts. including the Twenty-fi ve Mile Creek drainage Outdoor Recreation Planner The fi rst of the three, Pot Peak Fire, resulted and much of the south lakeshore. Fire crews cut from a lightning storm and was detected on June brush and small trees, set up extensive fi re hose 26. Starting in an area of thick old growth for- and sprinkler systems, and burned out selected est, this fi re had potential to grow large quickly. areas to create defensible space. The Pot Peak and Heavy fuels encircled this fi re, including thou- Deep Harbor Fires eventually merged into one. sands of downed, dead trees remaining from the The other large fi re located on the Chelan fi res of 1970, and combined with hot, dry weather Ranger District was lightning-caused and was lo- led to intense fi re behavior and rapid spread. cated in the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Detected on Many trails, campgrounds and roads were July 22, the Sisi Ridge Fire was caught at 280 acres closed based on the expectation that the fi re would but not before it posed a potential threat to the grow dramatically before it could be contained remote community of Stehekin, located 8 miles to within fi re lines. The Pot Peak Fire eventually its east. The remote nature of this high elevation grew to 17,190 acres in size, and caused the evacu- wilderness fi re burning in heavy fuels was a chal- ation of residents in the Twenty-fi ve Mile Creek lenge to fi refi ghters, but they were able to keep drainage for many days. the fi re out of the Company Creek drainage which The large and unpredictable Deep Harbor Fire empties into the Stehekin Valley. The Sisi Ridge was fi rst detected on July 19, following a lightning Fire was fi nally declared controlled on October 19. storm from the previous day. Helicopter rappellers Some Forest Service outbuildings, shelters, and were dispatched to scout it out and fi ght it, but a boat dock were destroyed or damaged by the were unable to rappel down to it due to its loca- fi res of 2004. The cost and effort of fi ghting these v tion in extremely steep terrain of rock bluffs, with fi res, with their toll on human emotions, and dis- no escape routes for fi refi ghters if the fi re blew ruption of lives and livelihoods, was great and will up. Thousands of gallons of water were dropped not be soon forgotten. The Forest Service is grate- by helicopters in an attempt to douse the blaze in ful for all the people that supported these intense The sun sets behind the Pot Peak Fire in July 2004 as the smoke column rises above Lake Chelan. its early stages. However, highly unusual weather fi refi ghting efforts. Photo by Janeen Tervo

olden’s “back yard” is the 570,000-acre Holden Village Glacier Peak Wilderness containing Hseveral hundred miles of trails in some of the most spectacular backcountry in Washington Hikes State. Here are a few day hikes that offer a taste of that experience.

Kelly Underwood Barrier Free Trail to Ten Mile Falls Information Assistant This popular, barrier free trail begins at the far end of Holden Village near the Hike Haus. Reus- able booklets are located at each end of the trail describing notable features along the way. Follow Above Hart Lake the wide, brick-surfaced trail corridor through Hart and Lyman Lake Trail the village that merges into a hardened gravel Hart Lake, a destination for anglers of all ages, path through the forest. The one-mile hike winds is a moderate 4.5 miles from Holden. Some hik- through large rock outcrops, aspen groves, and a ers continue past Hart Lake and adjacent Bonanza forest of ponderosa, lodgepole, and western white Peak, the tallest non-volcanic peak in the North pine, and Douglas-fi r. A view point with sitting Cascades at 9511 feet, to Lyman Lake or Cloudy benches is located 0.7 miles up the trail and show- Pass for incredible views to the west. This is an cases spectacular Copper Peak and the Rail Road additional 4.5 miles from Hart Lake, and is mostly Creek Valley. It also has an impressive view of the uphill for a 1,600 foot elevation gain to Lyman former copper mine’s tailings. The trail ends at a Lake, and another 900 feet over the last 1.25 miles viewing deck overhanging noisy and breathtaking to Cloudy Pass. There are several places to camp Ten Mile Falls. This is an excellent trail for anyone along the way. From this point the trails lead to v with physical limitations and for families with Stehekin, Darrington, or down to Phelps Creek to- small children. wards Lake Wenatchee. Check hiking guidebooks for safety details on these more arduous trips. Monkey Bear Falls Trail w Start from Chalet Hill at Holden Village and Holden Lake Trail travel through forests of Douglas-fi r, lodgepole This 4-mile day hike is popular for Holden Vil- Holden Lake pine, western white pine, noble fi r, and thick lage guests, and is an access to Bonanza Peak for shrubs. The 2.2-mile trail crosses over Ten Mile climbers. The trail takes off from the Hart Lake Creek at the 0.8 mile point on a long foot-log Trail along Rail Road Creek, and climbs approxi- bridge with hand rails on both sides. Most of the mately 1,700 feet in elevation through thick brush trail is fairly fl at until just near the falls, where the on a hot south-facing slope with beautiful views trail leaves the forest to switchback up rock steps along the way. It traverses through occasional to a rocky ridge with impressive views of Monkey avalanche chutes, up switchbacks, and through V Bear Falls. In addition to the surprising beauty of heavy timber just below the lake. The trail offers the falls, there are also great views of mountainous wonderful views of the Mary Green Glacier. Railroad Creek Valley. The Holden Village Hike Haus provides cur- rent trail information, hiking gear for paying guests who have forgotten theirs at home, and an 14 ■ Cascade Lookout accessible public restroom. estled in Railroad Creek Valley on the Now, the lodges and chalets which formerly Chelan Ranger District, just a mile from housed miners contain rooms for guests and staff Holden Village Nthe Glacier Peak Wilderness border, sits a as well as spaces for crafts and discussions. The unique community that draws people to the North schoolhouse still serves its original function – a Cascades from all over the world. K-12 school with two teachers allows families to Mining Town: Holden Village, maintained to preserve its live in the village year-round. The Holden kitchen historic look, is an example of an intact historic serves up meals in the same dining hall the miners mining company town. Today, it is an ecumenical used, and the old recreation hall has become the Then and Now retreat center and the jump-off point for hik- Village Center, a place for worship and entertain- ers entering the Glacier Peak Wilderness. Many ment – not to mention the pool hall and bowling Barbara Budd guests stay in the village and spend time explor- alley which are still in use in its basement. Only Lake Chelan Boat Interpreter ing the natural beauty of the area on some of the the homes in the miners’ village no longer exist. many miles of Forest Service trails that surround the village. Anyone visiting the village must travel by ferry boat about 44 miles up 55-mile-long Lake Chelan and then board a bus for an 11-mile ride up a nar- row, winding road. During the summer months, up to 450 people populate this remote village, shrinking to between 40 and 150 hardy inhabitants in the winter (the village receives an average of 250 inches of snow per year!). Due to its remote location, Holden must be self suffi cient. In the winter the road is plowed to the lake – the only access to the outside world. Communications are limited since there is no phone or internet service. The village operates its own utilities, including a small hydroelectric generator which provides all the electricity for the Recent photos of Holden Village village. Energy and water conservation are stressed Today, guests can choose to take part in the for staff and guests alike. Recycling, composting, many activities at Holden, or simply rest and and a “pack-it-in, pack-it-out” philosophy are all relax. The village is open year-round, and while important parts of “garbology,” as the village calls some of the programming options are limited its waste management system. in the winter, there’s still plenty to do. Sessions Before it was a retreat center, the village was are offered each day in a broad range of topics by the site of Washington State’s largest copper mine. prominent authors, theologians, scientists, art- Initially discovered in 1896 by a prospector named ists, and musicians who come from around the country. Visitors may enjoy an impromptu jam session on the lawn to a choir that sings for worship services, or attend craft classes. Each afternoon and evening in the summer, the Snack Bar opens and villagers line up for a perennial favorite - - the Holden Scoop, an extra large serving of “the best ice cream in the valley.” In the spring and fall, don’t be surprised to fi nd the village full of chil- dren when local elemen- tary schools participate in outdoor education classes. School teachers, Holden staff members, and Forest Service personnel combine James Henry Holden, the claim was sold to Howe their expertise to offer a variety of classes in natu- Sound Mining Company in 1930. The company ral resource conservation. built housing and facilities for their employees, Holden Village, tucked into a verdant Cascade including fourteen chalets, six lodges, a “miners’ Mountain Valley, caters to visitors with its warm village” of about 100 small homes, a large dining community, varied history, and tremendous natu- hall, a school, a small hospital, and even a recre- ral beauty. ation hall complete with gym, bowling alley, and More information about Holden Village can be pool hall. The mine operated from 1937 until 1957 found on their website: www.holdenvillage.org when copper was no longer profi table. Then Howe Sound closed the mine and put the buildings up for sale. Upon seeing the notice, a persistent young man named Wes Prieb wrote to the company asking them to donate the buildings to the Lutheran Church for a camp. He was rejected twice, but af- ter his third letter, Howe Sound decided to donate the mining claim and buildings. By 1962, Holden Village had become a reality and was offering pro- gramming to summer guests.

Cascade Lookout ■ 15 n 1913, a 12-hour trip the road, transporting thousands of cattle across Snoqualmie Pass from Seattle to Ellens- the pass each year. Iburg was a record time. The formal Washington State Highway program It took 40 years of hard began in 1905. In June of 1905, Bert Harrison, — Corridor work to turn a wagon road Jr, probably quite exhausted from his journey into a state highway that from Indianapolis, drove the fi rst vehicle over crossed Snoqualmie Pass. Snoqualmie Pass. It took two days for the 1898 Through Time Although it still requires Fryer-Miller automobile to travel from the Kitti- lots of hard work to provide tas Valley to the pass. In 1909, 105 cars drove over Rebecca Wassell safe, effi cient transportation, Snoqualmie Pass, including a Model T Ford that and Kim Larned today it only takes 2 hours traveled from New York to Seattle in 23 days. to make the trip by car. Continued interest in improving the road al- M The path through Snoqualmie Pass was fi rst lowed the route to be graveled in its entirety by established by Native Americans who traveled on the mid-1920s. By the mid-1930s large portions foot across the Cascades. In the 1800s, European of the highway were paved. Winter of 1931-32 was settlers and miners established horse trails and the fi rst that allowed the pass to open year-round. wagon roads that allowed for transportation and By 1950, concrete snow sheds were built to allow trade. Each trail, stock driveway, and wagon road snow to slide over the roadway. followed the path of least resistance. Today, the old Sunset Highway is now Inter- Local residents, county governments, and small state 90. While the goal continues to be to allow private companies invested capital and personal quick and safe access over Snoqualmie Pass and tenacity into the construction of a reliable road across Washington State, there are new issues and w over Snoqualmie Pass. In 1865, Seattle residents concerns for state and federal managers in manag- raised $2500 to hire a 20-man crew to construct a ing this corridor. When the road was originally road from what is now North Bend to Snoqualmie built, the architects weren’t concerned about rec- Pass. An 1866 King County election was held to reation and environmental issues. As the highway extend the road to Seattle. The project passed 115 developed into Interstate 90 it became a signifi cant votes to four. barrier for wildlife, plants and water. Recently, M The wagon road to Ellensburg was completed federal and state agencies have been working on October 7, 1867, after a total investment of together to provide a safer interstate for drivers Historic photos of Snoqualmie Pass Road $15,000 in public revenue and $5,000 in private while developing innovative approaches to connect funds. Livestock sellers immediately made use of ecosystems north and south of the highway.

he historic town of Liberty and its nearby and thinning shade tolerant trees such as grand fi r. Protecting communities are considered at-risk for Over the past several decades, fi re exclusion, min- Twildland fi res. Located in the foothills of ing, grazing, and logging activities have resulted in the Cascade Mountains northeast of Cle Elum, the dense, fi re-prone forests. Liberty communities are surrounded by forested lands, a Through the development of the Swauk Basin majority of which are managed by the Okanogan Community Wildfi re Protection Plan (2005), Lib- Mark Gonzales, Fuels Specialist and Wenatchee National Forests. erty and its surrounding communities were identi- and Kim Larned, Public Affairs Specialist When the Healthy Forest Restoration Act fi ed as at-risk, and the management of the nearby (HFRA) was passed by Congress in 2003, it gave forest as a priority by the U.S. Forest Service. On the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Man- the Cle Elum District, various fuel treatments agement the authority and direction to reduce including thinning, pruning, machine and hand- hazardous fuels and restore healthy forest and piling, and prescribed fi re will soon be applied to rangeland conditions on public lands. approximately 1,526 acres of public lands adjacent A key component of the act is to provide fi nan- to these communities. A cial assistance to any community that has adopted The project, called the Liberty Wildland-Urban Community Wildfi re Protection Plans (CWPP) Interface (WUI) Fuels Reduction Project, is the like the one developed for the community of result of collaboration between the Forest Ser- Liberty. These plans require collaboration among vice, the Kittitas County Sheriff, Bureau of Land federal, state, and local agencies and communities Management, Kittitas County Emergency Man- to identify and prioritize hazardous fuel reduction agement, Kittitas County Fire District #7, and the projects that will protect communities at risk from Kittitas County Fire Marshall. wildfi re. Besides the important work of reducing hazard-W Fire is one of the many natural processes that ous fuels, there are other benefi ts of the project. created and maintained the ponderosa pine/Doug- Included in this project is weed monitoring and w las-fi r forests typical of the eastern Washington control. Researchers will study the effectiveness of Cascades, including the Swauk watershed. His- herbicide, hot foam, and native seeding manage- v torically, fi res in these forests burned at low to ment options for controlling weeds prior to and moderate intensities encouraging the growth of after fuel reduction activities. ghter with driptorch. Photo by Karen Wattenmaker by Photo with driptorch. ghter ponderosa pine, western larch, and Douglas-fi r, Firefi

16 ■ Cascade Lookout magine that you are an optimistic miner stop- out fear of claim jumping, a concession to the hard ping for lunch along a well-traveled trail near winters. Gold! 100 Years ISwauk Creek, when you look down and see As was the fate of many mining communities, the fl ash of something in the water. Gold! the Swauk Mining District fell to the boom – bust Ben Goodman was the lucky miner whose dis- cycles all too familiar in the west. The Alaskan of Mining in covery at Swauk Creek triggered a fl ood of explo- Gold Rush, World War I, the nearby coal boom in ration that began in the mid-1800s and continues the towns of Cle Elum and Roslyn, and eventu- today. ally the Depression of the 1930s took their toll, Swauk Creek Swauk Creek is located northwest of Ellens- leaving only a few determined miners to work the burg, along Hwy 97 in the Wenatchee Mountains claims. A signifi cant pay strike in 1932 temporarily Kim Larned on the Cle Elum Ranger District. The Swauk renewed interest in the area. The last large discov- Public Affairs Specialist Mining District is unique in that it boasts three ery was found in 1954. methods of mining for the gold buried beneath the Today, operations in the historic Swauk land; the fairly common placer and lode mining, Mining District are similar in many ways to and the not so common pocket mining. Of the 200 the fi rst ventures in the area, although miners current mining claims on the Cle Elum Ranger and Forest Service personnel now work to- District, most are placer and lode operations. gether to permit mining while considering the Mining communities were some of the fi rst environmental consequences. Mining opera- towns established in Kittitas County. In the tions must be approved by the agency to en- Swauk basin two notable camps, Liberty and Mea- sure environmental regulations are understood ghersville, were much like other pioneer towns and enforced. Individuals currently exploring with a post offi ce, school, store, and community the area are mainly reworking the sites previ- center. ously high-graded by the early miners. The These early mining settlements predated the most recent patent of 1992 demonstrates that national mining laws of 1866 and 1872. a persistent individual can still fi nd an occa- In the absence of federal regulations, mining sional valuable deposit. camps developed their own system of control. One hundred years of mining on the Cle Miners and their claims were governed by mining Elum Ranger District, especially in Swauk districts that established codes which usually re- Creek, helped shape the landscape by estab- fl ected local conditions and attitudes. For instance, lishing settlements, infl uencing forest policy, in the Swauk Mining District, rules were amended and contributing to the rich cultural history of to allow claims to lie idle during the winter with- the area. Panning for gold in Swauk Creek

attention to the area, the Forest Service decided to name it “Art’s Dream,” after Dr. Kruckeberg. The exposed rock outcrop of Teanaway basalt Art’s Dream begins on the lower slopes of the foothills at an elevation of 2,400 feet, and climbs more than 2,700 Kim Larned feet to the summit of Sasse Ridge at 5,120 feet. Public Affairs Specialist Dry Creek, the only perennial water source within the fern site, fl ows down a narrow draw on the northern boundary into Lake Cle Elum. The six species of ferns found in this unique location are Aspidotis densa (Indian’s dream, or pod fern), Cheilanthes gracillima (lip-fern), Cryp- togramma acrostichoides (rock-brake), Cystoperis fragilis (rock or bladder-fern), Polypodium hespe- rium (licorice fern), Polystichum munitum (sword fern), and Woodsia scopulina (woodsia). Ferns growing in extreme environments, like these rock ferns, have modifi cations that help them conserve water. They have abundant hairs and scales, and wax-like deposits on the under- surface of the fronds. Lip-fern grows roots up to 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) in length and produces spores that are resistant to drying and can remain viable East side of Lake Cle Elum for up to 18 months. Pod fern, lip-fern, rock-brake, and woodsia Special Interest Botanical Area is being grow in open rocky depressions or in cracks where proposed for approximately 280 acres there is often little soil. They can be found tucked Aof National Forest System Lands on the into protected spaces between broken rocks and Art Kruckeberg. Photo by Joseph Freeman Cle Elum Ranger District. The dry, rocky site is clinging to ledges under overhangs. Pod fern has located on the east side of Lake Cle Elum in the specifi c habitat requirements in that it can tolerate, foothills of the central Cascade mountains. although it is not restricted to, the unusual soils The area is one of the richest known fern sites associated with serpentine rock. The ability to in eastern Washington in terms of both diversity grow in serpentine soils is specialized and affords and population size. Dr. Arthur Kruckeberg, a pod ferns less competition from other plants. professor emeritus of botany at the University of The licorice fern thrives in the damp cliff faces Washington, fi rst brought the site to the atten- and small seeps along parts of Dry Creek where tion of the Cle Elum Ranger District in July 2000, the stream channel is deeply incised. The rock when he said in a letter that, “there is no other fern, or bladder-fern can tolerate dry, rocky con- locality in eastern Washington as rich in fern di- ditions, but often grows on damp rock. The more versity, as is this massive, nearly treeless outcrop.” common sword fern is associated with a more When Dr. Kruckeberg originally suggested moist forest and deeper soils and is found in the that the Forest Service protect the rock outcrop forest near Dry Creek. as an important fern site, he proposed naming the With the increased recreation nearby and pend- area “Indian’s-Dream,” the common name of the ing sale of adjacent private property, designating Rock-brake fern. Photo by Gary A. Monroe small rock fern (Aspidotis densa) that grows there. the site as a Special Interest Botanical Area would However, in appreciation for his efforts in bringing offer protection of this unique fern habitat. Cascade Lookout ■ 17 he Silver Falls Recreation Complex is Escape to located just 31 miles up the Entiat Valley TRoad. Located in a perfect setting are the Silver Falls Silver Falls Campground, Silver Falls National Recreation Trail, and the Riverside Interpretive Trail. It is also the site of the Silver Falls Guard Station, a historic Recreation Area structure that was built in 1918 and now serves as a base of operations for fi re crews, trail crews, and Tom Graham campground hosts. Recreation Manager Silver Falls National Recreation Trail, located and it remains just as popular today! Civilian across the road from the Silver Falls Guard Sta- Conservation Corps (C.C.C.) workers installed tion, offers hikers views of Silver Falls, mature many of the facilities in the 1930s. Several struc- forests, large ponderosa pine trees, the Entiat tures remain including a log stove shelter, log reg- valley, and surrounding peaks. Silver Falls Creek is istration booth, two free standing camp stoves and a glaciated hanging valley with unique geological two refl ector-type fi replaces. The campground log features. Interpretive signing will be installed in stove shelter and the registration booth is the best the summer of 2006 that will explain local geo- know surviving examples of C.C.C. structures logic and hydrologic processes, riparian habitats, on the Mt. Baker –Snoqualmie and Wenatchee and general forest ecology. Hikers may reach the National Forests. top of the falls on a fully developed trail. Masonry Note: At times during the summer, there is a walls, benches, steps, two bridges, and viewpoints signifi cant mosquito population in this area, so make this walk a delight. bring repellent. Riverside Interpretive Trail, 1.4 miles in length, is located adjacent to the down-valley loop of the Excuse our mess! Silver Falls Campground. The trailhead facility The Silver Falls trailhead is undergoing a provides parking for 6-8 vehicles and a fully ac- complete renovation this summer. Improve- cessible toilet. The interpretive trail provides three ments will include realignment of the valley different diffi culty levels, from an easiest to more road to improve sight distance; expansion diffi cult barrier-free standard. Winding through of the visitor information kiosk; pedestrian areas of old growth forests and riparian habitats, cross walk leading to the trail; improvements the trail also provides views of young fi re-gener- to the parking lot surfacing; and installa- ated forests across the river. Twenty-two interpre- tion of a guard rail structure to separate road tive signs, resting benches, wooden boardwalk traffi c from the busy parking area. A new sections, and two observation platforms at river’s information kiosk was installed in the fall of edge further enhance the recreation experience. 2004. The remainder of the parking improve- The Silver Falls Campground is located on both ments will be completed the summer of 2005 sides of Silver Creek adjacent to the Entiat River and reconstruction of the access trail between and the Guard Station. Facilities include 31 devel- the parking area and the existing trail route Silver Falls oped camping sites, a picnic area, and reservation will be completed in the fall. Funds collected group site (containing a log stove shelter). The through the Recreation Fee program from campground was one of the fi rst developed on the National Forest recreation users are provid- Wenatchee National Forest. According to a 1931 ing a portion of the fi nancing for this project. report, 5000 campers a year used the campground,

ark Twain’s famous quote was printed on spread to encompass all ‘bureaucrats’. The list- “Whiskey’s for ribbons tied around celebratory one- ing of several species of fi sh as endangered was Mshot whiskey bottles and handed out on the horizon and there was heightened concern during the fi nalization of the Entiat Watershed amongst the landowners about increased regula- drinking, Plan. The quote was in jest however, because the tion of water rights and erosion of private prop- Entiat Planning Group has proved that this state- erty rights in the name of fi sheries protection. ment does not always hold true in the west. One of the local landowners, concerned about water’s for The daunting inch-thick plan, the result of 13 the adversarial atmosphere, advocated a more years of labor, synthesizes the numerous scientifi c cooperative and organized approach to ensure studies sponsored by the group. Included are the that locals had a say in how the Entiat Watershed fightingfi ghting over” history of land use in the basin, results from years would be managed in the future. Within a year, a of monitoring, and numerous restoration plans watershed group was formed. Today the orchard- Joni Vanderbilt for the Entiat Watershed. It is an amazing com- ists speak confi dently about juvenile chinook Hydrologist pendium of knowledge put together by a diverse rearing habitat and look forward to planting group of individuals ranging from local landown- riparian vegetation along the river bank. Likewise, ers, environmental organization representatives, the biologists have a better understanding of the and federal, tribal, and state employees. challenges facing orchardists and what it takes to But the group is not resting on its laurels as retain agricultural lands within the watershed. members continue to plug away at implementing From the beginning, the Forest Service has had the plan. The instream fl ows agreed upon in the a strong voice in the Planning Group. The recov- plan will become a part of the State of Washing- ery of anadromous salmon and bull trout is some- ton Code through a formal ‘rule-making’ process thing the agency has a vested interest in. With the during the spring of 2005. Grants for the restora- implementation of the Plan, the chances of re- tion of the full reach of the Entiat River are being covery within the Entiat Watershed will be vastly pursued, and stream surveys are being completed increased, largely by addressing issues on private in anticipation of this exciting project. land. Additionally, the river was not included on The planning group makes it look easy, al- the State’s list for temperature exceedances be- though it wasn’t always like this. Many factors cause of the Plan’s strategy for recovery, and this have come together to make the Entiat Water- issue will not complicate future forest projects. shed Planning Group the much heralded model A less quantifi able but perhaps the most valuable of success that it is today. One of the pivotal benefi t of the Entiat Watershed Planning effort has events occurred in 1992 when a valley orchardist been the change from an adversarial atmosphere cleared vegetation from within the ordinary high in the Entiat Valley, to one where local landown- water line without a permit from the Washington ers, environmental groups, and state and federal Entiat River Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). The agencies work together cooperatively to address all ensuing hub-bub resulted in a rift between Entiat aspects of watershed health. 18 ■ Cascade Lookout Valley Landowners and the WDFW that quickly orest visitors driving over Stormy Creek Before the project, the drop of the culvert and may have never noticed it fl owing beneath incorrect sizing prevented salmon and steelhead What’s the Big Fthe Entiat River Road. Stormy is a small from swimming through it and reaching the tributary that fl ows into the Entiat River near spawning and rearing habitat upstream. Forest river mile 18. Service biologists counted 225 fi sh, mostly steel- Deal About During October and November 2004, Chelan head, and a few Chinook and bull trout below the County Public Works replaced the Stormy Creek culvert. culvert with a bridge. The large construction effort The Stormy culvert replacement project was Stormy Creek? caused many people to wonder, “Why such a big identifi ed as the highest priority fi sh passage proj- effort for such a little creek?” A casual observer ect in the Entiat Watershed. Replacing the culvert Phil Archibald standing on the banks of this small stream may get with a bridge will give Chinook salmon, steel- fi sheries biologist the impression that there’s not much habitat value head, and bull trout access to high quality rearing in Stormy Creek. The creek’s annual peak fl ow in habitat. Of these listed endangered species, the spring is only 20 cubic feet per second (cfs), steelhead will receive the greatest benefi t and by October the average monthly fl ow declines because much of the newly-accessible to about 1 cfs. habitat is favorable for steelhead rearing. A bridge was chosen to balance cost with the engineering and load requirements associ- ated with the county road. The project will also allow more natural transport of water, sediment and woody debris through the reach. With completion of the project, approx- imately one-half mile of habitat has been reconnected and is now available for use. A future project will correct two other cul- vert barriers further upstream on Stormy Creek, opening up an additional 1.5 miles of habitat. A half a mile may not seem like a lot but, considering the importance of this type of fi sh habitat in the Entiat system and However, there’s much more to Stormy Creek how little of it exists, it is! The photo above is the new bridge over Stormy Creek. than meets the eye! The creek is one of only three The Stormy project was funded primarily by Photo at left shows the squashed shape, drop height, and perennial (year-round), fi sh-accessible tributar- a grant from the State Salmon Recovery Funding length of the old culvert at the Stormy Creek crossing on ies to the Entiat River that provides salmon and Board and supported by a cooperative partner- Entiat River Road acted as barrier to fi sh trying to move steelhead habitat. Lack of rearing habitat is the ship. The Chelan County Public Works Depart- upstream. primary limiting factor for salmon and steelhead ment sponsored and designed the project, and is productivity in the Entiat watershed. “Hanging administering the grant contract. Project partners valleys” that resulted from alpine glaciation in the included the US Forest Service (via a Wyden upper half of the Entiat watershed naturally make Amendment Watershed Restoration Agreement), many side streams and this type of habitat inacces- Bureau of Land Management, US Fish and Wild- sible to fi sh, so the few streams that fi sh can enter life Service, Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, and the are very important. Entiat Watershed Planning Unit.

t the edge of the eastern foothills of the Eventually a foundation was formed with a Cascade Mountains, basalt cliffs and ridges mission to examine and explain the ecological role Aknown as “breaks” mark the course of the of fi re in nature with particular emphasis on the Columbia Breaks mighty Columbia River. Pacifi c Northwest. Interpretation will showcase The Columbia Breaks form a natural boundary past, present, and future interactions of people between the semi-arid desert plateau of Eastern with fi re. Fire Interpretive Washington and the dense forests of the Cascades. Additional plans for the Center include install- The Cascades’ eastside has deep-cut canyons, knife- ing an information center, fi nishing the amphi- Center – edged ridges, and steep slopes. Middle and lower theater, and increasing signage. Plans and initial elevations support a forest of pine trees, scattered construction have begun for an extended hiking shrubs and lush grasses. Summers are hot and dry, trail to connect with other proposed trails in the with frequent dry lightning storms…and wildfi res. Entiat area. Located near the This non-profi t organization continues to grow Columbia River and the and develop with the support, partnering and help town of Entiat, Washing- of many people and organizations. The founda- ton on U.S. Highway 97A tion has appreciated the support of the following is the Columbia Breaks organizations and agencies: USDA Forest Service Fire Interpretive Center and Pacifi c NW Research Station, Chelan County (CBFIC). The Center Commissioners, Washington State Department is home to two restored of Natural Resources, Washington Conservation historic lookouts (Chelan Corps, AmeriCorps, Port of Chelan County Butte in photo and Bad- Community Foundation for North Central ger Mountain), a half- Washington, USDI Bureau of Land Manage- A Dream Becoming mile self-guided “Trail of ment, Chelan and Douglas County Fire Districts, Fire and Forest” interpre- Colville Confederated Tribes, Washington Heritage tive trail, a natural amphi- Society, Entiat Valley Chamber of Commerce, Reality theater, and information Wenatchee Valley Museum and Cultural Center, kiosks. An educational curriculum and video for Washington State Parks, The Wenatchee World, Peggy Whitmore classrooms that focuses on fi re was developed by USDI National Park Service, and Audubon Society CBFIC the Forest Service and local educators, and is being The CBFIC foundation continues to dream and utilized by area schools. work toward a “world-class” interpretive center The concept and inspiration for this unique in- that will offer interpretive exhibits and facilities terpretive center began in 1990 when Nancy Belt, to serve the local community, schools, tourists, then an assistant fi re dispatcher for the Wenatchee fi re-involved agencies and researchers. For more National Forest, received a feasibility grant from information on this ambitious project visit Co- the Forest Service to study the possibility of lumbia Breaks Fire Interpretive Center website at: building a fi re interpretive center. www.wildfi recenter.org Cascade Lookout ■ 19 his year we celebrate the Forest Service’s sion Ridge area) where nearly 30,000 sheep entered History of fi rst 100 years, a history rich in culture and the forest annually. Early Forest Service rangers Tchange. As we look forward to the future, instituted grazing allotments to control use and let’s take a quick look back at our local history in eliminate overgrazing. Ecological concerns and Wenatchee River Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth. changing markets have left only a few bands of In 1908, the Wenatchee National Forest was sheep on the district during the summer grazing established and built its fi rst Forest Supervisor’s seasons today. Ranger District Offi ce in Leavenworth. At that time, the Lake Groves of huge cedar old growth continues to Wenatchee, Icicle, Peshastin, Entiat, Liberty, Chi- grow in the Lake Wenatchee area, as well as abun- Susan Peterson waukum, Whittier, and Liberty Ranger Districts dant forests of pine in the lower valleys. Many Public Affairs Specialist were created. Lake Wenatchee’s fi rst ranger station sawmills once existed throughout the area, the was named “Dirty Face Ranger Station” in honor largest being in Leavenworth. It produced over 250 of the mountain peak that towered above, and for train cars of logs a day at its peak. Timber harvest a local pioneer. By 1920, Leavenworth Ranger Dis- peaked in the period from 1950 to 1980. In recent trict was created by absorbing the Chumstick and years, timber harvest has been tied to ecosystem Icicle districts. The Cashmere Ranger District was management and primarily involves thinning to created, and the Supervisor’s offi ce was relocated reduce fi re hazard and improve forest health. to Wenatchee as a more central location. Since World War I, there has been a steadily Additional alignments occurred through the increasing demand for recreation and facilities like decades, the most recent being the merger of the trails, campgrounds, and restrooms. Many of the Lake Wenatchee & Leavenworth Districts. In 2004, earliest such facilities were constructed by the Ci- these two districts became offi cially known as the vilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and some Wenatchee River Ranger District. The District is of these fi ne structures remain in service today. headquartered in Leavenworth and is one of the The construction of the Pacifi c Crest Trail in the largest districts on the Okanogan & Wenatchee 1960s was a major recreation improvement on the National Forest, covering 729,000 acres. district. The District has a long history of mining, graz- Today, Wenatchee River District employees ing and timber production. The Blewett Mining work on a wide range of management tasks, District still has active claims and legends of gold. including recreation, ecosystem management, Stop and read the interpretive sign about the old prescribed burning and fi re suppression, wildlife, arrastra and the town of Blewett when traveling fi sheries, water quality, soils, and noxious weed Dirty Face Ranger Station in 1922 Highway 97. eradication. Through it all, the district remains One of the most active grazing areas in the true to its mission of “caring for the land and early 1900s began at the corral near Beehive (Mis- serving people.”

he White River, a major tributary to Lake White River Wenatchee and critical habitat for many fi sh Tand bird species, is considered a priority watershed for protection and restoration among - Finding its Washington State salmon recovery planners. Of special emphasis are the fl oodplains and wetland complexes in the White River valley. Course By defi nition, restoration means “a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unim- Susan Peterson paired condition; or a putting back into a former Public Affairs Specialist position.” In this case, the reference is for work that was accomplished in the White River drainage. Over the last three years, the restrial species by accelerating the growth of trees Wenatchee River Ranger District, into old growth forest conditions and developing aided by cooperative efforts of an understory growth of diverse tree species. The eight organizations and individu- interpretive trail helps visitors learn about the im- als, completed a variety of projects portance of managing the White River ecosystem, in the watershed that contributed and about the plants and animals that live there. to “returning the White River to its An excellent example of a unique restoration former condition.” project was the engineering of a logjam made of Three of the fi ve completed native materials that will help prevent the White projects focused on roads that were River from further eroding its stream bank and constructed many years ago. These threatening private land. roads were disrupting the natural The logjam was anchored underneath the White processes of the White River, and its River roadbed and extended out into the river. fl oodplain and wetlands. Projects in- Approximately 100 large logs of varying sizes and cluded culvert and road fi ll removal, old root wads were strategically placed in trenches Photo above shows completed logjam project. road decompaction, and native plant restoration. and woven together by an excavator. Road fi ll was Photo at right shows same view before The Oxbow Restoration Project restored the project—the road completely washed away. placed on top of the logs and riparian plants were Photo below of logs being placed and anchored connection between the White River and its fl ood- used for revegetation. The entire work was done in in old roadbed. plain, including old oxbow channels. Fish and one week and looks completely natural. other aquatic species have regained access to these Each of these projects improved watershed places of refuge where they can rear their young, health in the White River by maintaining natural or escape the stronger currents. The Canyon river and fl oodplain functions without negatively Creek Spur Roads Project restored other wetland impacting habitat conditions for fi sh and wildlife connections by removing culverts and “treating” or damaging the aesthetic nature of the White the roads that were constructed through them. River Valley. These two projects removed a total of fi ve miles of We’d like to thank and acknowledge our part- road and over 50 culverts, and restored hydrologic ners for their commitment to restoring the White connectivity between hillslopes, wetlands, and River. They are Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, fl oodplains in the White River. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Salmon Projects that did not focus on roads included Recovery Funding Board, 3M Company, Tall Tim- thinning 73 acres of a thirty-year-old Douglas-fi r ber Ranch, Watershed Art, Upper Basin Birders, plantation, and the opening of the Ware Walk In- and Mary Ware. (photo 4) Logjam covered with 20 ■ Cascade Lookout terpretive Tail. The thinning project benefi ts ter- fi ll and replanted. d estled in the east slopes of Washington’s By August, USFWS funded the original $72,000 Cascade Mountains, the Bavarian style request with an additional $100,000 to begin Neighbors Unite Nvillage of Leavenworth is surrounded by implementation. a mosaic of private property and federal lands. In Amy’s team began visiting the private landown- the last 10 years, there has been a dramatic in- ers to assess the fi re risk around their homes. By to Reduce Risk crease of new homes constructed in forested areas October, the team had evaluated all properties in close to town. Major forest fi res in 1994, 2001 the original grant area and by November, hom- and 2004 were a threat to life and property. Over eowners received assessment and recommendation of Catastrophic the past 50 years, six fi res have started within the packets tailored to their individual properties. “neighborhood” area surrounding the town of The work was completed under budget, allowing Leavenworth. the team to begin assessing home sites in the next WildfiresWildfi res Alarmed by the recent history of catastrophic neighborhood, the Chumstick Valley. wildfi res, dangerous amounts of forest fuel Pamela Amoss build-up, and drought conditions, local residents Reducing Fuel Load and Leavenworth Neighborhoods sought help for reducing risks from wildfi re. In The next step was to hire a contractor to super- Fuel Project members 2003 a group of neighbors, assisted by employees vise the actual work of reducing the combustible of Chelan Country Conservation District, Fire materials around homes in the target area. By District #3, U.S. Forest Service, and U.S. Fish and 2004, a local forester, Arnie Arneson, was selected Wildlife Service (USFWS), requested a $72,000 to supervise the completion phase. Arnie helps grant from the National Fire Plan Community As- private landowners choose suitable levels of fuel sistance-Wildland Urban Interface Program to as- reduction and improve forest health on their lands. sess and treat the hazardous fuel loading in a local Demonstration plots were developed at Red-Tail neighborhood. Representing an area from Moun- Canyon Farm near Leavenworth that showed tain Home Ridge to Icicle Creek, members of the different levels of treatments. Teams worked on “Leavenworth Neighborhoods Fuel Project,” have neighborhood lands, thinning and pruning trees; a vision of providing stepping-stones for other cutting brush; piling, chipping or burning slash. neighborhoods to apply for grants to treat their The grant was made possible because many of the own dangerous fuel concentrations. neighbors matched funds using their own “sweat equity” and added privately funded fuels reduc- Assessing the Risk of Fuel Loads tion projects. Work continues in advance of the In May of 2003, the steering committee hired 2005 wildfi re season. Amy Starkovich, an expert in fuel loads, to be project coordinator and assess the risks in the Success project area. At a well-attended public meeting The success of the Leavenworth Neighbor- with the Wildland Urban Interface Field Coordi- hoods Fuels Project is apparent in the reduction of nator for the Pacifi c Northwest Region, the prin- fuels near homes, which decreases the potential for ciples of fuel reduction were explained and project loss from catastrophic wildfi re. Best of all, other implementation was described. Another group of neighborhood groups in the Wenatchee River ba- neighbors located in the Chumstick Valley formed sin are now applying for National Fire Plan funds their own group, and joined in the grant process. in hopes of repeating the success.

ast summer, the Fischer Fire threatened An Interdisciplinary Team was chartered to homes and communities as it burned across evaluate the environmental effects of recovering Fire and Renewal L16,500 acres of federal, state and private the economic value of the dead and dying trees land over a period of three weeks. Burning just in the fi re area. Removing fi re-killed and dam- north of Highway 2, between the communities aged trees through salvage logging could provide Susan Peterson of Leavenworth and Wenatchee, the Fischer Fire saw-timber and other wood products to local and Public Affairs Specialist became the top priority fi re in the nation. The fi re regional economies (esti- was human caused, although accidental, and heavi- mated over 2 million dollars ly impacted property owners and natural resources. after logging costs). Fischer Fire took advantage of decades of fuel The team identifi ed a accumulation and burned hot enough to replace need to improve road-side entire forest stands on almost half of the for- safety within the fi re area. ested area. At the height of the fi refi ghting effort A large number of dead and (August 18-21, 2004), over 1,800 fi refi ghters, 11 dying trees located next to helicopters, 119 fi re engines, 22 bulldozers, and roads pose a future hazard 47 water tenders were assigned to the fi re. Smoke to the public and would be eand fl ames were highly visible and people were removed. Tree planting in allowed an intimate look at the unbridled power of the more severely burned a wildland wildfi re. When it was over, 11,000 acres areas is a high priority. In of National Forest Lands on the Wenatchee River many areas seed sources for Ranger District had burned. Douglas-fi r and ponderosa Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation (BAER) pine are not available for work began before the fi re was even contained. natural revegetation. Emergency rehabilitation includes only treatments An environmental that are immediately needed to prevent or reduce analysis has been completed Photo above shows potential damages due to the effects of wildfi re incorporating advice and comments from the how Fischer Fire on the watershed. Such potential damages include public. The decision was made to allow salvage burned next to fl ooding and erosion. The sooner rehabilitation logging in the fi re area. This work began in May fruit orchards. work begins after a wildfi re, the quicker recovery in order to recover the economic value of the Photo at left is on the land. dead and dying timber. For more information on is Fischer Fire Fire severity and assessment of damage to roads this project, please contact the Wenatchee River burning in Ollala within the Fischer Fire area began immediately Ranger District. Canyon area. and concentrated on improving water drainage and Note: There are no road restrictions in effect stabilizing roads to reduce runoff and sedimenta- for the Fischer Fire area, however off-road travel tion. Fire containment lines and fi refi ghter safety will be restricted throughout 2005 to allow newly zones were rehabilitated, water bars were installed planted vegetation to establish on fi relines and to prevent erosion, areas were seeded, and native other disturbed areas. shrub seedlings were planted. Cascade Lookout ■ 21 he morning is cool and clear. Snow crunch- framed prints, and the fl agstone hearth of a small Reunion with an es beneath my feet as I walk the unshoveled cast iron stove break the wide space of green walls. Tfl agstone pathway beneath tall pine and fi r I gather some wood and crumple paper to light trees to the cabin. I stop to unlock the door, and a fi re in the stove, then fi ll the kettle with fresh Old Friend the gurgle of the American River fi lls the void left water from a fi ve-gallon jug. The fi re catches on by my footsteps. I pause to listen, then kick the my fi rst attempt -- a rare event. I move into the snow from my feet and step inside the American small bedroom, turning on lights as I go, and Jacqueline Beidl River Guard Station. climb narrow stairs to the second story loft. I Archaeology and Recreation The 1941 Civilian Conservation Corps struc- switch on a small electric heater then spin a slow ture was built for summer For- circle, hands on hips, admiring our work. We est Guards on fi re and recreation might have fi nished the job in a day had we not patrol. It is not well insulated, run out of sheet rock. Already it feels cozier up though the freshly painted walls here, the bright white of the slanting walls bro- and furnishings left by volunteers ken only by seams and screw holes still in need of Bunny and Gordon over the sum- tape and paint. I look forward to installing a fresh mer lend the cabin warmth despite linoleum fl oor, and replacing the naked bulb with the chill. Thrift store light fi xtures, a frosted glass dome light. table, chairs, and sleeper sofa all I head back downstairs, careful not to slip on evoke a distant era. Two hand- broken boards, and make a mental note to install crafted woodcarvings, a couple of the new steps soon. I barely glance at a closed door off the bedroom that hides a dilapidated and The historic American River Guard unsightly shower. In the summer we will restore Station, located off Highway 410 at its running water and make repairs to the bathroom, junction with Bumping River Road, but right now this seems a long way off. I stop by is eligible for listing on the National the stove to add another piece of wood, warm- Register of Historic Places. Forest employees and volunteers are working ing my hands for a minute, then move into the to ready it for public rental in 2006. kitchen. I begin to measure and mark the new sub For more information, contact fl oor for cutting. The air inside begins to warm as Jacqueline Beidl at (509) 653-1432. the cabin settles itself around me, and I grow lost in the job at hand.

ivestock grazing is a long-standing tradi- A Family tional use of National Forest lands. It is Lperhaps the most deep-rooted and historic of the multiple uses mandated by law for federal Tradition lands. Ranch families and Forest Service families have lived together in the same communities for almost fi ve generations. Many of these ranch fami- Carla Jaeger lies were there when the administration of grazing Range Technician was transferred to the Forest Service in 1905. and Jodi Leingang The history of grazing on the Naches District Ecologist can be found in many forms across the landscape. Many roads and trails that exist today were originally Egg Mountain. The Decoto’s were issued a special trails created by cattle and use permit in 1918. They were authorized to make sheep. Mountains, streams, necessary improvements to better manage the ev- and meadows were often eryday tasks, including riding to move and gather named after the pioneers who the cattle. The fi rst cabin was constructed in 1926, frequented them, many of which greatly improved living conditions. The whom ran livestock op- cabin is now known as the Riders Cabin. Finally, erations. The people who in 1959, Willis Decoto constructed what is now continue this way of life are the main cabin. Both cabins are located at Cow living examples of those who Camp just south of Rimrock Lake. developed the west. Although all livestock permittees on the Naches District today have a long history of raising livestock on Forest Service admin- istered grazing allotments, the Tieton Cattle allotment Bob Decoto operated by the Decoto family has the longest. In 2004, the family proudly observed the 100th year celebration of their fi rst registered brand. The Decoto Family came to the Yakima Valley in the 1890s where they fi rst began raising cattle in west Yakima. When Ray Decoto fi rst started grazing the Tieton Basin there were close to 20 individuals who ran small herds of livestock in the area. In the early 1900s, the family began driving Today, the Decoto cattle are moved onto the cattle to the high country to graze for the sum- allotment in the same manner as they were in the mer months. During the grazing season of June early 1900s. The cattle are pushed many miles through October, the family endured all types of from their home range and back again by cow- weather and made regular trips to town for sup- boys on horseback. The trip hasn’t become any plies which they kept cold in a spring close to the easier over the decades. Long days and rugged camp. On most days the riders would spend (and terrain often leaves the horse and rider exhausted still do) a minimum of 6 hours a day in the saddle. or even injured. Bob Decoto is the last permit- By1912, Ray Decoto and his family established tee on the Naches District to “drive” livestock in 22 ■ Cascade Lookout a camp with corrals and tents at the base of Goose this manner. ark, menacing clouds build over the District staff use the reconnaissance informa- mountains of central Washington and tion to perform Stage I (“Go/No Go”) of the Rattlesnake Dorganize into a thunderstorm on July 18, analysis by answering three questions: 2004. Lightning peppers the landscape and a strike Is the fi re of natural origin? Answer: Yes. fi nds a receptive target—a moss-draped tree or Is there an approved fi re management plan and Peaks Wildland dead snag. Smoldering unnoticed for days, an open is the fi re in an area suitable for managing a fi re? fl ame emerges and grows, eventually emitting Answer: Yes. enough smoke to prompt a July 26, 2004, report Are their any other factors that would limit Fire Use of smoke near Rattlesnake Peaks in the remote the agency’s ability to manage the fi re (threat to southeastern portion of the William O. Douglas life, property, resources; complexity/unacceptable Randall Shepard risks; proximity of other fi res or District Ranger other issues)? Answer: No. The Forest Supervisor and Re- gional Offi ce concur with the fi nd- ings and Rattlesnake Peaks advanc- es to the next stage. Two advisors are assigned to the incident--one a qualifi ed fi re use manager and the other skilled in long-term fi re be- havior prediction. Specifi c objec- tives (desired effects) and concerns are identifi ed and weighed. Once again, the decision is to continue and commit to managing the fi re for the long term. Stage III of the WFU process entails assigning a specialized ten- to-twenty person Wildand Fire Wilderness on the Naches Ranger District. Aerial Use Team to manage daily operations and prepare reconnaissance identifi es a fi re burning in a patch- a detailed management plan for the fi re. The team work of trees and alpine meadows high on the is assisted in these efforts by Fire Use Mod- steep south face of the peak. Fire managers must ules—ten-person crews outfi tted for extended now decide how to safely and effectively respond. stays in remote locations skilled in fi re suppression Following nearly a century of well-intentioned and fi eld data collection. Utilizing both current aggressive suppression, fi re remains a signifi - and historic data to feed sophisticated computer cant force in forested ecosystems, especially in models, the plan identifi es specifi c locations and the American west. Ironically, past suppression actions necessary to keep the fi re within estab- successes are emerging as major contributors to lished geographic boundaries. The objective is to a growing number of large, destructive wildland minimize the effort required to safely keep the fi re fi res. Unnaturally dense forests grown in the within those limits. absence of fi re coupled with extended drought are The primary strategy is slow the key ingredients in the millions of acres of forest rate of spread or guide the fi re into and thousands of homes that have burned over the areas that will allow it to continue past two decades. burning without posing an undue Drought is beyond human control; however, risk. On the ground, Wildland Fire managers are recognizing the benefi ts of reducing Use managers employ many stan- the density of potential forest fuels. Consistent dard fi re suppression methods, but with other management requirements, thinning typically in a more subtle manner. dense forests and re-introducing low-intensity This often involves construction of “controlled” burning are the most commonly strategically located segments of fi re used tools. The Forest Service and other federal line or use of natural barriers, burn- agencies have been dramatically accelerating their ing out and helicopter water drops efforts to reduce fuels, especially adjacent to vul- to slow or direct the fi re. Should nerable communities. these efforts not succeed, there are Another lesser-known approach to controlled contingency plans to convert to full burning is Wildland Fire Use (WFU). suppression as needed. WFU refers to both a management process and Rattlesnake Peaks was the fi rst Photos, top to bottom, show progression a fi re event. Similar to an intentionally- ignited WFU in the Pacifi c Northwest Region to reach of Rattlesnake Peaks Fire controlled burn, this process requires meeting Stage III. Two Fire Use Management Teams, four stringent criteria and the development of a plan for Fire Use Modules and three helicopters were as- safe and effective implementation. This is accom- signed to Rattlesnake Peaks. Fire was allowed to plished through three progressively more detailed play its natural role on nearly 800 acres within the stages of evaluation. The Rattlesnake Peaks fi re Rattlesnake and Hindoo Creek drainages before serves as a good example of this process. a series of late August and September wet thun- derstorms brought the event to a successful conclusion. In addition, this experience will help refi ne and improve future management of Wildland Fire Use.

Cascade Lookout ■ 23