THE WILD CASCADES February - March 1972 2 THE WILD CASCADES Ju this issue - Ross PA*\ = CANAPIAMS ARCH THEIR. BACKS AT AM OTHER PUBLIC HEARING ©M ROSS DANA. THE SEATTLE CITY COOMCI L_ Er*\ERG>£S DESPLY SCARRED A* »T P'° NOT WANT TO PEvEUoP AK) ElOEI?5Y pOUicY AND IT STUBBORNLY DECiPfD TO PRbOSEXJ WITH H'OH Ross. PAPA -^ Page 4. CATH&PRAL PARK = AN/ EXPANDCP CAThEPRAL LAKES PROV'NCIAU PARA IS PROPOSED TUS T TO THE- MORTH OF THE. ONJITE.D STATE.S TAS.AY TEN WILDE.RWEFS AREA «*» Page 14 VjlLDERrtESS x "BRITISH CoLim&IA AND TttE UNITED 5TATES W>*£ 5APP£ft PARK= 8.C.'S TOvJAKO WILDERNESS NEW SAPPE« PARK PRESERVATION ACOPDSS TttC U.S.- CANADIAN TO PROTECT -TH-E; 0ORPER — "Page 9 CHlLLlWACK VALLEY ADJOiM/NG-THE NOI?TH CASCADES NATIONAL PAR K — "Pa<j«. to HI "' SHC£P AND "BIKES - A VERY SPIRITED EKCHAN&SC BETWEEN! THE A/ 3 C* S CHUCK, HESSEY AMD THE: u- ^. FOREST STvRulCE OVER ORAZlMGr AND TRAIL. T3IKES ~~* ?«.«,! S»g, COVER PHOTO: On the Mt. Dickerman Trail by Robert B. Pinter February-March 1972 3 CONGRESS CONDEMNS PARK WILDERN ESS "ENCLAVES"' We were present at an historic moment in the evolution of Wilderness for the nation's parks, monuments, forests, and wildlife ranges. It was the public hearing on 14 proposals for additions to the National Wilderness System, including those intended for the North Cascades National Park, and Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. Senator Frank Church chaired the meeting of his Public Lands Subcommittee which was receiving testimony in Washington, D. C. on May 5, 1972 from public and agency witnesses. The Senator stated he was "...especially concerned about the non-wilderness enclaves which seemed to pepper all of these national park proposals... I find no convincing rationale for this practice... many of these so-called wilderness "enclaves" are based on assumptions and policies of the Department of the Interior which are not in conformance with the directives and intent of Congress... what the Act intends and contemplates is that small private inholdings, mineral claims, grazing areas, and the like, which constitute established private rights or privi­ leges may be encompassed within the boundaries of a Wilderness Area, and need not be specially enclaved or otherwise segregated from the Wilderness Area within which they lie. " Senator Church further clarified the enclave issue by pointing out "Nothing in the Act or the legislative intent requires or forces the National Park Service or the Bureau of Sport Fish­ eries and Wildlife to carve out these kinds of non-wilderness enclaves — not for snow gauges and telemetering equipment, not for fire lookouts, not for ranger patrol cabins, not for pit toilets, or other minimum sanitary facilities, not for helispots or provision for occasional landing of management aircraft, not for provision of necessary potable and protected water supply, not for fish and wildlife management, such as watering holes, guzzlers, and fish traps, not for trailside shelters, if of a primitive kind and reasonably necessary to serve the purposes of the wilderness area (as opposed to simply for the comfort and convenience of park visitors). " He summarized by saying "... the concept of non-wilderness enclaves, at leastas embodied in these proposals, is undesirable, dangerous, inconsistent with the letter and intent of the Wil­ derness Act, and altogether unjustified. It may be that we will eventually see a need for such an interior exclusion in some future proposal; but for the kinds and types of facilities and uses I have mentioned, I find no justification for such enclaves at all. " "Buffer zones" also came under attack from Senator Church as he noted "... the Nation­ al Park Service is, again as a matter of blanket policy, setting the boundaries of its proposed wilderness units back from the edge of roads, developed areas and the park boundaries by buffer and threshold zones of varying widths. There is no requirement for that in the Wilderness Act. No other agency draws wilderness boundaries in this way, which has the effect of excluding the critical edge of wilderness from full statutory protection. As can be seen, this is a landmark statement which was heartily endorsed by all the major conservation organizations which were present at the hearing. Now our members must write letters, in support of Senator Church's excellent stand: (1) to Senator Henry M. Jackson (Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. 20510) asking him to support Church's stand and requesting that your letter be made a part of the May 5 hearing record; (2) to Assistant Secretary of the Interior Nathanial Reed (Interior Building, Washington, D. C. 20240) thanking him for acknowledging to Senator Church that he would "have no difficulty" in redrafting the park pro­ posals to conform with Senator Church's directions; (3) to Congressman Lloyd Meeds and to Tom Foley (House Office Building, Washington, D. C. 20515); requesting their support when these issues come before the House Interior Committee; (4) to Senator Church thanking him for his fine work on behalf of the preservation of an intact wilderness system within the North Cascades National Park and other units of the National Park System. P. L>. G. 4 THE WILD CASCADES HIGH ROSS City Council votes to reopen Ross Dam discussion Seattle Times, February 8, 1972 cause Ross Lake to back up the dam. then moved to set. The City Council voted make Goldsworthy's letter to Chapman indicated he ex­ yesterday to reopen discus­ into Canadian territory. the Council a "Council file" pects to oppose raising the sions on the controversial Dr. Patrick Goldsworthy, and "go from there." She president of the North Cas­ dam, but said he wants to High Ross Dam project. said she still favors raising investigate further. He re­ cades Conservation Council, Ross Dam, but conceded quested a report of the sta­ The Council voted, 7 to 1. had sought reconsideration in favor of a resolution by that opponents now appear tus of the project before the Councilwoman Jeanette Wil­ of the matter after the re­ to have a Council majority. Federal Power Commission liams which, in essence, cent election of Bruce Chap­ The Council then passed and the Canadian' govern­ means the Council will re­ man and John Miller to the ment. Council. Mrs. Williams' motion, with consider its earlier decision Hill casting the only dissent­ A request by City Light for in favor of raising Ross Councilman Tim Hill authorization of the project Dam. If the Council should sparked yesterday's discus­ ing vote. He argued that she now is pending before the reverse itself, it would mean sion by formally moving for was calling for "a meeting, Federal Power Commission. the death of the project. a March 6 hearing on the is­ not a decision" on the issue. Mayor Wes Uhlman, who The Council voted, 6 to 2, sue. However, since Hill Councilman Wayne Larkin opposed the project earlier, in December, 1970, to direct originally voted against the was absent during the dis­ said his stand "rem ins un­ cussion. changed." The plan co raise City Light to seek a license project, Council rules prohib­ ited him from initiating re­ The issue will come betore the dam has been tought by for the project from the Fed­ consideration and his motion the Council's Committee of conservationists on both eral Power Commission. City could not be put to a vote. the Whole next Monday, sides of the border. Light plans to raise the dam Mrs. Williams, who earlier when a date for a public 122'/, feet, which would had voted in lavor of raising hearing is expected to be Ross Dam Hearing in March Seattle Post-Intelligencer. February 15, 1975 lunch with City Light peo­ BY LARRY McCARTEN year ago applied to the cil's earlier action, in Federal Power Commis­ ple about this — let's get it The first official move to out into the open." applying to the FPC tor a sion for a permit to add the higher dam, can be re­ bar the raising of Ross 122 feet to the height of the In the audience at the Dam came yesterday, structure, on the Skagit council session was John scinded without having to when five City Councilmen River. Nelson, former superin­ suspend council rules. voted to hold a public hear­ tendent of City Light, who Tuai said yesterday lie Councilman Tim Hill, an believes it would involve ing on the matter some­ avowed foe of the high resigned Dec. 31. There time late in March. were reports that Mayor a motion to reconsider, and dam. made the motion for pointed out such a motion Whatever form the cam­ Hie hearing. He was sup­ Wes I'hlman, who also op- paign against a high Ross ported by Bruce Chapman. noses a higher dam. let has to come from the pre­ Dam takes, the fact that Phyllis Lamphere. Sam Nelson go because of dif­ vailing side, and within a five of the nine council Smith and John Miller. ferences with him over week after the original vote. members oppose adding Opposing Hie motion, be­ raising the dam. 122 feet to the structure ap­ sides Tuai. were Wayne Miller later told a news­ He suggested the oppos­ parently foredooms the Larkin. George Cooley and man that as far as he's ing five would have to project. Jeanette Williams. concerned, "the hearing is move to suspend the rules. The fight promises to be Tuai declared his five already going on — with all But Smith noted he bitter and possibly lengthy colleagues, were they to this behind-doors lobby­ wasn't present, nor had — although, with the coun­ kill off the higher dam, ing." Miller and Chapman yet cil majority opposed to a "will have to answer as to Tuai later told reporters been elected, when the high dam, the controversy where we are to get more that he.