Carbon River Corridor Charette in Partnership with the Mt
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National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Mount Rainier National Park • Washington Carbon River Corridor Charette In partnership with the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest February and March 2003 MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT This document is the fourth in a series of stud- · Section 106 of the National Historic Preser- ies of the highway corridors leading to Mount vation Act (NHPA) Rainier National Park. The study focused on · The National Environmental Policy Act the Carbon River corridor on the north side of (NEPA) the park, looking at portions of the SR 165, SR · Washington State Environmental Policy 162, and SR 410 corridors. The study included Act (SEPA) public outreach, with participation from the communities of Wilkeson, Orting, South Prai- All of the ideas included here would also gen- rie, and Buckley, as well as the Puyallup Tribe erally require additional public input, permit- and several participating agencies. ting, and design prior to any implementation. The study explored a variety of opportunities Therefore, until affected historic, cultural, and to improve the visitor experience in the cor- natural resources are identified and avoidance ridor, and to strengthen the relationship be- or mitigation strategies are negotiated with tween local communities and the park. regional Native American tribes and other interested parties, the recommendations and The National Park Service partnered with the visions that follow remain subject to design US Forest Service and local jurisdictions to changes, relocation, or termination resulting complete the study through a two-week “cha- from federal, state, and local policies and laws rette” process. Public workshops, stakeholder designed to ensure that tribal and other his- meetings, and interviews were followed by a toric, cultural, and natural resources are given week of intense idea generation and develop- appropriate consideration and protection. ment of concepts and visualizations for poten- tial activities in the corridor. All recommendations in this document are collective ideas generated by the project par- ticipants and are conceptual in nature. Con- sequently, they may contain inaccuracies or omissions. A formal draft document was not distributed prior to the release of this final document. If advanced, recommendations would require planning, and compliance with a variety of environmental review including, but not limited to: The charette process included public meetings throughout the corridor MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE i ii MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE GENERAL STATEMENTS FROM THE MUCKLESHOOT AND PUYALLUP INDIAN TRIBES ON THE CHARETTE PERSPECTIVE OF THE MUCKLESHOOT TRIBE OF PERSPECTIVE OF THE PUYALLUP TRIBE OF INDIANS ON THE CARBON RIVER INDIANS ON THE CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE CORRIDOR CHARETTE The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe does not sup- The Carbon River is the middle river within a Puyallup tribal connections to every portion of port the proposals conceptualized in this docu- three-pronged river system referred to as the the Carbon River basin persist strongly today, ment. Formal tribal consultation is required Puyallup River watershed. For the Puyallup although comparatively reduced due to prop- for federal agency undertakings under NHPA, Tribe, the Carbon River basin is a region that erty ownership patterns and basic limitations NEPA, and other federal and state laws and has always been treasured as an area of ongo- upon tribal access and/or available uses. It is policies. To date, only limited consultation has ing traditional cultural significance that is cen- significant for the Puyallup tribal community taken place, as planning and design activities tral within the tribes’ traditional homelands. that key traditional practices and the natural for specific corridor components have not yet and cultural resource elements they rely upon occurred. The area under discussion is of pri- Historically, the indigenous people of the Car- do have some reserved protections. Of particu- mary treaty and traditional importance to the bon River basin were primarily displaced to lar concern to the Puyallup are adverse impacts Tribe, which has expressed its grave concerns the Puyallup Indian Reservation after it was to local tribal cultural opportunities related to regarding the potential direct and indirect established in December 1856. The Puyallup native plants, fisheries, and wildlife, and also effects of the developments conceptualized Tribe recognizes the entire Carbon River ba- tribal traditional cultural properties, sacred here. These include potential adverse effects sin as an area of great cultural value which is sites and/or special places; especially impor- to historic, archeological and traditional cul- linked both geographically and hydrologically tant is determining adverse effects in terms of tural resources, as well as to natural resources to the overall lower Puyallup River valley since cultural needs of the tribes’ still forthcoming and related values in the project area. It is im- each of the three separate rivers of the greater future generations. portant that planners and project proponents Puyallup watershed system all join together understand that the Muckleshoot Tribe does here. Local ethnographic and historic informa- The intent of the charette process and the vi- not see themselves as part of the stakeholder tion emphasizes that tribal residences existed sion presented via the charette document are group and has not subscribed to the visions both downwards of the foothill areas, as well not congruent with Puyallup tribal needs in the and values expressed here. Additional stud- as throughout the overall Carbon River basin Carbon River region in that concepts nurturing ies addressing the Tribe’s concerns will be re- area. Wapato John - of the Puyallup village future urban growth and tourism in fashions quired prior to finalization of any component sited near the forks of the Puyallup/Carbon that conflict with tribal natural and cultural re- designs. Rivers - described Puyallup territory as reach- source needs expected in the same geographic ing to both Mount Rainier and the Cascade area are effectively highlighted. Altogether, the Mountains crest. Early written descriptions of Puyallup Tribe recognizes the Carbon River the region oftentimes referred to the Carbon Charette document does not initiate any ac- River as the main branch of the river (com- tions on an official basis, and that any future pared to the Puyallup branch). Since a time actions should still be subject to tribal consul- immemorial, the Carbon River and its tribu- tation requirements; therefore the Puyallup tary systems have served as central features of Tribe expects that it will be properly included the cultural landscape of the Puyallup Indians; in all such related reviews and consultations, all-importantly, the Carbon River was also the whenever pertinent and/or appropriate in the most direct link between the lower Puyallup future. valley and the overall Mount Rainier region. MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE iii iv MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK CARBON RIVER CORRIDOR CHARETTE TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction . 1 The Roads to Rainier. 2 The Transportation Perspective . 4 Park, Forest, and Gateway Partnerships . 4 The Carbon River Charette Process . 5 The Charette Team . 6 Charette Activities. 6 The Carbon River Corridor Region . 7 The Carbon River Gateway Region . 8 The Foothills Trail . 9 Corridor History. 10 Gateway Communities in the Carbon River Region. 13 Park & Public Lands Issues. 15 Contemporary Native American Perspectives . 17 Public Lands, Gateway Communities & the Challenge of Growth . 18 Charette Outcomes . 19 Charette Outcomes. 20 Corridor-Wide Opportunities . 20 Regional Heritage Framework . 20 Carbon River Corridor Alternative Transportation . 22 Mt. Rainier Boundary Adjustment Area. 29 Fairfax Townsite . 30 Carbon River Conservation Framework. 31 Wilkeson–The Center of Coal Country . 33 Orting–”Blue Highways” Gateway to Mt. Rainier . ..