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Home , Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Eightmile Lake, Icicle Creek, The Enchantments

The Newsletter of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS) 2020 Issue No. 1 Karl Forsgaard Icicle Work Group threatens Wilderness by Rick McGuire

The the Wilderness. The continues under threat from Department of Ecology’s “Office Also in this issue: rebuilding of old dams in the of the ” is pouring watershed. Rebuilt millions of dollars into an effort Service limits camping at dams will allow for a dramatic to enlarge the dams, enlarge Blanca Lake...... 3 increase in the amount of the footprint of the lakes, and, water to be extracted from the most of all, increase the amount USFS action regarding Wilderness lakes. of water that can be taken from Enchantments overuse ...... 4 Efforts are ongoing by the the Wilderness. Ecology and the County are co-conveners of Massive development plans at Icicle-Peshastin Irrigation Mission Ridge...... 5 District (IPID), Chelan County, the Icicle Work Group (IWG) to pursue this scheme. and the state of Washington to Gold Creek Pond “restoration”....7 rebuild and enlarge dams in The taxpayers of Washington state are underwriting these efforts What is “Kittitas Conservation above: ALPS Board member to enlarge dams and lakes in a Trust”?...... 10 Thom Peters at Wilderness area. Part of the reason Miller river road washed out...... 11 dam. Continued on page 2

ALPINE 1 Icicle Work Group replacement are larger than the existing dams, thus allowing for threatens Wilderness more water to be taken. Ecology Continued from page 1 claims it is not making any water rights determinations. But by to rebuild the dams is to ensure paying for dams designed to take they are safe and do not threaten more water, Ecology is making a property and lives downstream, de facto determination that IPID something everyone supports. But has “rights” to water which it has on top of this is the goal of taking not been taking. out more water to pave the way If the Icicle project is allowed for more residential development to go ahead, it will result in in the Wenatchee valley. Both unprecedented impacts inside “domestic water supply” and the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. It “new home construction” are will also help turn a wonderful cited in documents (a State valley of orchards into just more Environmental Policy Act - “SEPA” suburbia. It will degrade what – checklist), released by Chelan makes the Wenatchee valley a County and the Washington pleasant place. Will that attractive Department of Ecology. valley just become yet another Karl Forsgaard All kinds of documents, paved-over paradise? Will the Alpine Lakes Wilderness boundary committees, and endless process Alpine Lakes Wilderness pay the sign on Eightmile Lake Trail. exist to make this look like an price for all that? effort to support orchards in the valley. Almost never mentioned is Icicle process updates of water rights would be a dam at that IPID has sufficient water for As previously reported (Alpine the current elevation (4667 feet) orchards, and can and does sell 2019 issue No. 1), IPID provided and a low pipe no lower than water to developers. And if they 30% design drawings in January the current elevation (4648 feet). get more water from the Alpine 2019 for the proposed new Making the dam any higher, or Lakes Wilderness, the extra water Eightmile dam, and said it would the low pipe any lower, would will go not to orchards but to soon provide 60% drawings, but allow the dam operator to store residential developments which, if as of September 2020 that has not and extract water beyond the history is any guide, will gradually yet happened; the 30% drawings amount it has a right to. However, supplant the orchards and turn the are still under discussion. IPID’s that baseline alternative design Wenatchee valley into yet another rented excavator is still sitting at has been absent from IWG extension of suburbia. the dam, in the wilderness, where documentation thus far, including The Alpine Lakes Wilderness it has been since May 2018. the current 30% drawings. will pay the price for this. IPID In a July 3, 2019 letter to IPID, In March 2020, Ecology received has recently backed off its claim the U.S. Forest Service wrote that it bids from contractors to write a that it should be able to construct had no authority to approve a dam project-level EIS for Eightmile roads to access the dams in the elevation higher than 4671 feet, or dam construction, while internally Wilderness. IPID continues to a low outlet pipe elevation lower requesting $1.5 million to pay for claim it has the “right” to increase than 4648 feet. IPID proposes to the EIS process; as of September the size of the dammed-up lakes, make the new dam four feet higher 2020, the winning bidder had not expanding its water extraction than the current dam (it has been yet been announced. A proposed beyond precedent. at 4667 feet since 1990), and make timeline submitted to Ecology Because IPID has not been the low pipe many feet lower than predicted it will take over a year to taking the amounts of water it it has ever been. conduct project-level scoping and claims it has a right to, there ALPS participated in a July 2019 prepare the draft and final EIS, i.e., is a very good case to be made “listening session” in Leavenworth construction may not be feasible that IPID has “relinquished” its with the USFS Regional Forester, prior to the summer of 2022. rights to increased levels of water other Forest Service personnel and In 2019, Chelan County hired withdrawal. The Department IWG members. In July 2020, ALPS two facilitators. The facilitators of Ecology is funding the dam reminded the Forest Service that interviewed IWG members replacements, and so far, all of the dam design that would most and presented findings and the proposed designs for dam simply reflect the relinquishment recommendations at IWG’s

2 ALPINE September 2019 meeting, including proposed revision of Forest Service limits camping IWG operating rules; they also persuaded Icicle Creek Watershed at Blanca Lake Council to table its dispute resolution process regarding IWG process fouls. The U.S. Forest Service is taking pothole on the North Fork - steps to implement a camping Troublesome creek divide ridge In early 2020, the County’s closure at scenic Blanca Lake, along the trail to Blanca. How this hired facilitators began a series of above the North Fork Skykomish. will effect the area around Virgin meetings with several conservation lake is a question ALPS raised in nonprofits regarding the Eightmile Blanca Lake has long been a its comments to the Forest Service. dam. ALPS asked one of the very attractive and popular hiking ALPS recommended making the facilitators to stop describing destination, and was overrun years camping closure include the Virgin himself as “neutral” on the Icicle, ago. Overcrowding at the lake lake area as well. It may be that the because he is heavily invested in the Henry Jackson Wilderness Forest Service is just hoping that in the Yakima Workgroup and continues to worsen. Sanitation would be campers will find Virgin its Yakima Plan, and the Yakima problems and littering have gotten lake less attractive than Blanca Workgroup and Icicle Work Group out of control. Vandals have even itself. are related in many significant painted murals on rocks. The ways. crumbling away of the old logging Hopefully the Forest Service road system and the rise of social will be able to make the camping To uphold wilderness values media is concentrating ever higher closure work, and close Virgin lake and to oppose expansion of the levels of recreational use in fewer to camping if the problem simply human footprint in the Alpine and fewer places. Some places, like moves there. The accessible beauty Lakes Wilderness, ALPS has been Gothic Basin, Blanca Lake, and spots of the Cascades are being preparing for years to litigate worst of all, , mobbed, but that still leaves 95% Eightmile dam issues, and has are being loved to death and or more of the range a place where been paying its lawyers at the destruction. you’ll see no one from one year Bricklin & Newman law firm. to the next. But for the accessible ALPS has also been represented Hopefully the camping beauty spots, it’s now a case of, as pro bono by Earthjustice and limitation at Blanca will have some Yogi Berra said, “no one goes there the Western Environmental effect in limiting the damage, if anymore, it’s too crowded.” Law Center on the Icicle matter. enforced. Camping will still be In 2019, ALPS added another allowed at Virgin lake, a small coalition member, Wilderness Watch, to its attorney-client relationship regarding Icicle. ALPS is a tax-deductible 501c3 charitable organization; supporters can make tax-deductible donations to ALPS for the Icicle litigation fund.

Some of the old growth they missed in the Miller river valley. JIM SCARBOROUGH

ALPINE 3 USFS action regarding Enchantments overuse July 2020

This continues the story of the crisis in the Enchantments, previously covered in the 2019 Alpine in an article of the same title. That article gives an accounting of the Forest Service’s 1993 analysis of the problem, and subsequent Decision Notice of ‘No Significant Impact’. Since 2014, the Friends of the Enchantments (‘Friends’) have been presenting tabulated and pictorial evidence of gross overuse of the Enchantments

terrain to the Forest Service, and Natalie Williams requesting they implement a Quiet rainy day at Snow Lake trailhead.. Day Use permit system, as the 1993 report recommends: “Areas In July 2019 the Forest Service announcement of their intention to may be added to the permit responded by inviting ALPS, change public use/parking along system if monitoring detects Friends, and a cross-section of Eightmile Road to alleviate an further resource damage or large the Alpine Lakes Wilderness unsafe condition, to commence increases I user pressure on (ALW) users to a discussion of the Sept. 3, 2019. This author drove pristine areas.” The USFS’ Oct. entire ALW. Glenn Casamassa, along the Icicle in early 2020, and 2018 ‘Enchantments Permit Area R6 Regional Forester presided. noted parking on both sides of the Visitor Use Data Analysis 2007- The meeting concluded with Mr. road, creating a one-lane, unsafe 2017’ concluded that the Alpine Casamassa recommending that condition with no turnarounds. Lakes Management Plan for the we all form an ‘Enchantments The Forest Service was contacted, Enchantments was being violated Coalition’ and come to an 80% and responded that the ticketing 99% of the time in the Primitive consensus for recommendation effort requires three rangers, and areas, and 93% of the time in the to the USFS. The acting OWNF staffing is down due to Covid19, semi-Primitive areas. As in 1993, super in July was Scott Tangeberg. so they were unable to continue no action is mandated. “Further I made sure he had copies of our the program. OWNF is so short on assessment” is recommended. 2016 and 2017 data and letters staff, there are no climbing rangers In April 2019, Friends and ALPS to hand off to his successor. He this year. The six rangers they have petitioned the Forest Service to returned to California and has do overnight enforcement. One take effective action via a letter been succeeded by Kirstin Bail. ranger is posted at each (Snow and to Mike Williams, Okanogan She has experience with a heavy Colchuck) trailhead for education. use area of Arizona known as Wenatchee National Forest In Sept. 2019, OWNF printed Red Canyon. Erick Walker is the (OWNF) Supervisor. We presented a new flyer showing ‘Alternate OWNF Deputy superintendent, a chronological summary of Trails’ near Leavenworth to try and Suzanne Cable, the new the use and protections of the to take some of the load off the Recreation Manager were very Enchantments. We recapped the Enchantments. 2013 spike in use, and the resulting interested in our plea for help damage observed in 2014. We but could only wish us good Our contact reported that presented the ecological data for luck forming a ‘coalition’. Bryan Fiscal Year 2021 was planned how small overuse results in long- Mulligan is the OWNF Public to be the follow-up year to the lasting, big impacts to the fragile Services staff officer, and did Enchantments Permit Area Visitor landscape. The letter was copied not release minutes, charts, or a Use Data Analysis report released to District Rangers, Rec Managers, summary after the meeting. in Oct. 2018, but that is now delayed due to lack of staff. One Regional Managers, and our The next week, July 29, Congresspersons. 2019, OWNF staff released an Continued on page 9

4 ALPINE Mission Ridge plans massive development By Gus Bekker

‘Stop’ or ‘significantly could best represent the interests Cashmere – would overpopulate downsize’ the proposed of backcountry enthusiasts who and potentially ruin the recreation development. currently use the public lands on the public lands adjacent to the around the ski area near Clara ski area, create parking issues for In brief, those were the two Lake, Mission Peak, Stemilt the trails providing access to these options that resonated with Basin, and Squilchuck Park. The areas, and eliminate snowshoe the 60 outdoor recreationalists conversation gave attendees and ski routes on public lands who gathered on March 5 at the chance to voice or write that currently benefit Wenatchee the Wenatchee Valley Museum down benefits, opportunities, citizens. Skiers in the audience for a community conversation concerns, and issues revolving noted the development barely about Mission Ridge’s proposed around Mission Ridge’s proposed adds to the skiable terrain, but plans to develop a village with a development. Many more concerns would more than double the 4,000-person bed-base adjacent to than benefits arose during the two- number of visitors skiing the the current ski area. hour meeting. same terrain. During non-winter months, residents and weekend The meeting, sponsored by The recreational issues revolved around how a village with 4,000 warriors who would be mountain El Sendero Backcountry Ski and biking, hiking, and trail running Snowshoe Club, was organized pillows – a potential population to help the club determine how it center equal to the city of Continued on page 6

ALPINE 5 Mission Ridge Continued from page 5

1. The project is not a ski area expansion as touted but a real estate development belonging to Tamarack Saddle LLC. The development adds a paltry 20 acres of new novice terrain while adding permanent and temporary housing for over 4,000. 2. The development is surrounded by public lands and the threat of human caused wildfire threatens the development itself and the larger community down valley. 3. As now proposed the development violates the International Fire Code requiring at least two access roads into and out of the Gus Bekker development. Backcountry areas of Mission Ridge which will be harmed by Mission Ridge real estate development. 4. The project plans to draw water from the upper reaches of the Squilchuck drainage. out of the village would seriously issues, housing issues for locals Squilchuck irrigation district impact the migration, calving, and and minimum-wage employees, already runs at a deficit in the mating of the Colockum elk herd. sewage issues, and infrastructure summer meaning the existing The non-recreational issues costs borne by taxpayers during water rights are already not that surfaced were even more fires were among the other issues fully met. voiced. troubling. The wildfire issue 5. Traffic along the only was discussed – the proposed Near the end of the meeting, access road, according to development not only increases a straw poll was taken to help the proposals’s own study, the odds of wildfire but in the dry- El Sendero gauge the ultimate will increase five to six-fold. forest environment a village of this sentiments of those in the This will destroy the rural size with only one access road (as audience. Three-quarters of the atmosphere of the Squilchuck proposed) could easily be a death audience felt there are so many drainage. trap during a catastrophic summer problems that neither Chelan fire. Water was discussed – the County nor the Forest Service The meeting ended with club water rights for the Squilchuck should approve the current organizers emphasizing that the drainage are already tapped out proposal. A quarter of the audience Mission Ridge development would and the summer needs of the felt a drastically downsized village forever change the character of resort would take water from those with a quarter or a third of the the ski hill, the recreation on living down valley with senior proposed bed base might be viable the surrounding public lands, rights. Some in the audience, if it also made Mission Ridge more and the complexion of the entire who have seen how four-season financially robust. No one in the community. The moderator closed resorts throughout the West have audience expressed support for the by encouraging participation in the completely changed the face of development as it currently stands. process through public comment. El Sendero put together a guide the pre-existing community as Unfortunately the development to public comment for both USFS affluent second-home owners approach proposed by Mission scoping comments and Chelan escalate the cost of living, said the Ridge management generates County Scoping comments. We proposed development steps away more problems than it solves: from beneficial tourism into the domain of over-tourism. Traffic Continued on page 10

6 ALPINE Robert Mecklenburg

The “restoration” of Gold Creek By Rick McGuire

Readers of Alpine will likely , supposedly to the pond has become quite an recall previous stories covering restore water flows in Gold Creek attraction. An ADA accessible, the “Yakima Integrated Plan” and help fish. paved trail goes around it. Gold a gigantic scheme to secure Gold Creek pond is not natural. Creek pond is especially popular additional subsidized water for It formed after the site was used among what have been called non- agribusiness in the Yakima valley. as a gravel source for construction traditional outdoor visitors. People Yakima Plan proponents claim it of Interstate 90. Usually when who are new to the is “supported by everyone.” And people use big machines to tear and who may not be very familiar with lavish funding from both up and alter the earth, the results with where to go to experience state and Federal governments, range from bad to awful. But on nature seem especially drawn to boosters’ efforts to buy off a very few occasions, something it. People who have difficulty in everyone in sight have mostly, good comes from it. Gold Creek escaping the city often manage though not entirely, succeeded. pond is one of those rare cases of to find it, and seem to enjoy it One small but quite harmful happenstance. immensely. Families with young children are always seen there. Old chapter of the Yakima Plan Gold Creek pond may never story is the “Gold Creek Valley people like it, many of whom can be featured in a calendar of scenic be seen walking slowly around the Restoration” project to be wonders, but it has an accessible undertaken under the auspices beauty of its own. In the decades Continued on page 8 of the U.S. Forest Service. The since the gravel extraction ended, Forest Service has sent out a notice water has filled the depression, that it is considering a project to trees have grown up, plants above: Gold Creek Pond in fill in Gold Creek pond, east of and birds have come back, and the Spring.

ALPINE 7 Cold Creek Pond proposes to draw down the water innovation. It would make the Continued on page 7 level of Lake Kachess far below old central planners of the Soviet what has occurred in the past, Union proud. pond, perhaps remembering the turning much of it into a mudflat It looks as though Gold Creek days when they ran up and down for much of the year. All of this pond is to be sacrificed for the surrounding mountains. is to take more water from the this wastefulness. Because the Yakima watershed. Gold Creek pond is a nice place, Bumping Lake, Kachess Lake, beloved by many. It provides Other places use irrigation and other parts of the Plan are so a way for a large and diverse water much more effectively than obviously, undeniably harmful, number of people to connect with the Yakima valley. Places like the Plan supporters are desperately nature, even if it is an artificial Israel, Portugal, South Africa, looking for ways to apply green addition to the landscape. In terms Australia and others produce lipstick. They cannot hide the of hours of enjoyment delivered much more food per unit of fact that the Kachess pumping per acre, it may top the list in the water, and far, far more economic station will lower down that lake Cascades. value per unit of water. But in the to levels lethal to bull trout there. Yakima watershed, agriculture A project to supposedly “help” All of this is now threatened seems stuck in the 19th century. bull trout at Gold Creek has been by the Forest Service and the Wasteful overhead sprinklers cooked up to divert attention imperatives of the Yakima Plan. throw water at low value crops away from what they are doing The deep pocketed proponents such as hay. Conservation is to Kachess. It is “restoration” in of the Plan are always looking for rejected out of hand. The Yakima name only, a destructive project ways to improve its image. The Plan is designed to further pushed by bureaucracies that want Plan proposes to enlarge Bumping entrench the status quo. It is the to look green in order to keep Lake and thus drown a significant opposite of free enterprise and acreage of old growth forest. It Continued on page 10 Robert Mecklenburg Enjoying the view at Gold Creek Pond.

8 ALPINE the money flowing in. Money is there, in plenty. The Washington Department of Ecology’s “Office of the Columbia River” is richly funded, and Federal agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and others, have the full printing press of the U.S. government behind them. That money, 14 to 18 million dollars of it (almost guaranteed to go much higher), will be spent on a project to maintain about 50 fish, a project with virtually no chance of success. The Yakima Plan supporters have seized upon the fact that parts of Gold Creek go Robert Mecklenburg underground in summer, trapping some fish in diminishing pools. Gold Creek Pond in winter. They blame the Gold Creek pond success, to spend $400,000 per for the creek going dry despite fish and destroy one of the the fact that the dry bed section most popular attractions in the of Gold Creek begins 1.25 miles Cascades. Why? To greenwash away from, and 70 feet above the the Yakima Plan, and keep various bureaucracies, “non-profit” NGOs pond. There are pictures from as Enchantments overuse long ago as 1936, long before Gold and for-profit private contractors Continued from page 4 Creek pond existed, showing a dry on the gravy train. We live in a time when words have lost their bed of Gold Creek. can only hope that the budget meaning. “Restoration” is used to will carry over, and staff will be The population of bull trout describe every kind of destructive available in Fiscal Year 2022. There they claim will be saved does project, from logging to is a plan to release a new email face other, real world, threats. and now the end of Gold Creek inviting all the same ALW users The fish are trapped by the dam pond. We are long past the point to another meeting like the one in at Keechelus reservoir. The where the word restoration should July 2019. It is hoped that this Fall/ drawdown of that reservoir cuts set off alarm bells everywhere. off another part of Gold Creek, Winter, the OWNF will release a downstream of the pond, from So-called science is routinely User Management proposal that reaching the reservoir for about cherry picked, and sometimes will elicit responses from these 130 days out of the year. That downright falsified, for whatever groups. agenda serves the interests of those is conveniently ignored by the And so the crisis goes on. Will who stand to gain. “Information” project proponents. massive overuse and resource is found everywhere, even as truth degradation simply be the “new Something between 50,000 gets ever scarcer. The Yakima Plan, normal” for the Enchantments? and 100,000 dump truck loads of and this part of it, are outright ALPS and Friends of the material will be required to refill frauds on the the public. A few Enchantments are not giving up on Gold Creek pond. Even those most will benefit by getting more cheap addressing the problem. Day use involved in pushing the project, water while Gold Creek pond needs to be regulated and limited the Kittitas Conservation Trust and multiple other places in the if the Enchantments are to survive. and their contractor, Natural Cascades pay the price. Systems Design, admit that —Natalie Williams completely refilling the pond may For more info on this not do anything to change the destructive project, see the underground flowing reach of the “Friends of Gold Creek Pond” Gold Creek. website, https://www.facebook. com/savegoldcreekpond/. So here we have a proposal, with practically no chance of

ALPINE 9 What is “Kittitas Conservation Trust”?

A nonprofit organization Most of those were likely good so deep that there was no turning called Kittitas Conservation projects, by themselves. But KCT’s back, even as it became apparent Trust appears to be one of the website says little about what the that this mitigation project would main proponents pushing the bigger picture was behind them, or do nothing to help bull trout, but “restoration” project at Gold what the tradeoffs may have been. could still be spun for PR. Creek. Who, and what are they? In recent years, a whole It is often hard to tell the The term nonprofit calls industry has sprung up in difference between for-profit and to mind images of dedicated “environmental mitigation.” A non-profit entities. The non-profit individuals working for a worthy well funded but destructive project model can actually be the more cause on a shoestring, maybe hires these firms, both for-profit lucrative of the two. It would be behind old surplus desks in some and non-profit, to do various kinds interesting to know more about barely heated, low rent basement of good deeds, often rather small the Kittitas Conservation Trust. office. But not all “nonprofits” fit ones. Cameras roll, tours are led, What is their budget? How much that picture. Anytime there is a and stories generated about how are their employees paid, both huge, well funded project like the great these projects are. Attention in salaries and other kinds of Yakima Integrated Plan, armies is diverted away from whatever compensation? Where does their of consultants always follow, the real project is. It’s a sensible money come from? The Bureau of looking for business in designing, strategy. Reclamation? Where does it all go? planning, managing, and selling Occasionally the mitigation “Transparency” is a term the product to the public. KCT’s projects become harmful in we often hear. KCT’s website is role in the Yakima Plan appears themselves. The Yakima Plan opaque about finances. There to be to come up with projects projects are undeniably hurting are plenty of pictures of various to make the Plan look more bull trout in the Yakima basin, projects, but very little about who environmentally friendly. especially at Lake Kachess. Since pays for it all. Maybe someday According to KCT’s website, there are only three places where they will add a section about their the organization was formed to bull trout are barely hanging on funding, throwing light on the provide mitigation for the huge in the Yakima basin, there wasn’t backstories behind those attractive Suncadia development near much choice in locating a bull images. CleElum. The website also lists trout mitigation project. Gold a number of river restoration Creek was chosen. Money was projects completed since 2002 in spent, then more and more money. the upper basin. Perhaps they found themselves in

Mission Ridge Since this article was written —Gus Bekker is an ALPS board member and also president Continued from page 6 Chelan County has issued a determination of significance of El Sendero Backcountry Ski and Snowshoe Club. were encouraged to see later that for the proposed development the County received 74 meaningful triggering SEPA review, and comment letters pointing out issued a 30-day public comment code violations, and harm to the period which Tamarack Saddle environment, neighborhood, ski LLC objected to (wanting only experience and community. a 21-day comment period). The proposed road to access the private This development will development, which must be permanently impact Wenatchee’s constructed on National Forest future and that future should not land, is undergoing NEPA review. represent just the values of vocal In addition, Tamarack Saddle business interests – it should has filed a claim against Chelan represent the values of the entire County for damages in an amount community. just over seven million dollars.

10 ALPINE Miller river road washed out

Yet another of the logging roads in the Alpine Lakes area has washed out. The upstream approach to the Miller river road bridge over the east fork of the Miller has been partially washed away. Construction of the road, and previous logging pushed a creek out of its natural bed. The new creek channel crosses the Miller road. A culvert was installed to carry the creek water under the road, but it failed as nearly all culverts do. This sent water down along the Miller road to the bridge, where it carried away a large portion of the fill material on the upstream side of the bridge. The Miller road was constructed in 1961. Four large clearcuts were laid out in the choicest spots, the trees were cut, but the rest of the valley has largely escaped logging. As Cascades river valleys go, the Miller still has quite a bit of old growth forest. At one time there were grand plans to build the road past Lake Dorothy and over a pass to Snoqualmie lake and link up with the Middle Fork Snoqualmie road.

This was part of a Forest Service RICK McGUIRE scheme to build “recreation” roads in an effort to head off designation unclear what the Forest Service Approach to East Fork Miller of the National plans are for this washout. The River bridge. Park. Once it became clear that the road is signed as closed and Park would be limited in extent, dangerous, but there are only the plans were abandoned and few lightweight barricades which of these roads were ever finished. get moved aside. High clearance Like all Cascades logging roads, vehicles can still navigate what is the Miller road was constructed left of the road. Whatever happens, on the cheap, without proper it will only be a matter of time till drainage, and with fill material another storm sends more of the consisting of stumps and whatever road down into the river. dirt was at hand. It’s amazing it has lasted as long as it has. It’s

ALPINE 11 alps Non Profit alpine lakes protection society US Postage PO Box 27646 PAID , WA 98165 Seattle WA Permit 1445

ALPS Officers & Trustees: Board Members: Thom Peters President: Rick McGuire Gus Bekker Charlie Raymond Secretary: Natalie Williams Kevin Geraghty Frank Swart Treasurer: Frank Swart Rick McGuire Natalie Williams

The newsletter of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS). ALPS is dedicated to protection of the Alpine Lakes area in Washington’s Cascades. Editor: Rick McGuire Layout: Pat Hutson To join ALPS or renew membership, send $15 to: Alpine Lakes Protection Society PO Box 27646 Seattle, WA 98165 For information, send email to: [email protected] Robert Mecklenburg Gold Creek Pond. 12 PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ALPINE