WashingtonSPRINGWild NEWSLETTER 2015 Including: Alpine Lakes Additions: Washington’s Next Generation of Wilderness Conservation Voices: Brad Tilden, CEO of Alaska Air Group Alpine Lakes Pale: Drinking in the Success 1 Washington Wild Dear Friends, Staff Nearing the end of 2014, as the excitement of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act and our own 35th Jim Hook anniversary as the state’s premier Wilderness grassroots Executive Director advocacy organization began to subside, we knew there was one additional item that would mark this year as truly Lana Dalton exceptional. Approved by the Senate and subject to continuing Administrative discussion in the House, we crossed our fingers hoping Assistant for the passage of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Additions. With less than two weeks to go before year-end, and more importantly the end of the current Lyndsay Gordon congressional session, we were thrilled to learn that President Barak Obama had signed the bill Brewshed® Program making it the law of the land. We now had 22,000 acres of new Wilderness and nearly 40 miles Manager of new Wild and Scenic River designations for the Pratt and the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie rivers. All this only 90 minutes from downtown Seattle! Tom Uniack Although a small addition in the context of the storied role we have played in the permanent Conservation Director protection of nearly three million acres of Wilderness in the state, there are several reasons that make this action significant. Only six percent of national forest designated as Wilderness Jill Wasberg in Washington falls in lower elevation lands lying below 3,000 feet. We took a step forward Alpine Lakes Additions: Development & with Wild Sky, a third of which was low-elevation forests. The Alpine Lakes additions topped Washington’s Next Generation of Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Communications that with more than half of its acreage comprised of low elevation watersheds. These varied elevations ensure continuity in extended old-growth forests, watersheds and species corridors Director that are so important in ensuring biodiversity and bracing for climate change. This Act is the On December 19, 2014, after an extended Congressional Those discussions culminated in a seminal meeting in first to combine Wild and Scenic River protections with Wilderness designations, reflecting session, legislation to designate additions to the Alpine 2000 between the statewide Wilderness community and our recently focused name and our mission which now states wild lands and water as our conservation focus. Lakes Wilderness Area near Snoqualmie Pass became Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) about doing the groundwork law. Cheers erupted from the Washington Wild offices in to develop the first of several new efforts to designate more But what makes Alpine Lakes truly noteworthy is the proximity of all these wild lands and the Greenwood Seattle neighborhood as seven years of Wilderness in Washington. Board of Directors waters to a major metropolitan area. We are not only blessed with these beautiful natural advocacy came to fruition. resources but benefit from their accessibility by a broad spectrum of the population. It is Two years later, Sen. Murray introduced flagship legislation The Alpine Lakes legislation will protect an additional to designate the 106,000-acre Wild Sky Wilderness near Roger Mellem, President remarkable to note that Seattle, of all the largest cities in America, has the most acres of Wilderness within a 100-mile radius. Within this footprint, Seattle has over 3.6 million acres of 22,000 acres of Wilderness adjoining the existing Alpine Stevens Pass. Ultimately it was signed into law in May of Doug North, Vice President Wilderness, more than twice either of the next two cities on the list, Phoenix and Denver. Lakes Wilderness Area and add 10 miles of the Pratt River 2008 ending a quarter-century drought of new Wilderness Brad Meissner, Treasurer and nearly 30 miles of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie designations on national forest lands in Washington State. Carla Villar, Secretary And the benefits go beyond the obvious recreational opportunities. We enjoy a healthier River to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The Nalani Askov economy because people want to live here for the quality of life, and businesses want to locate legislation will protect clean water, native trout habitat Adam Lenhardt here for strong communities to serve and good people to hire. Forty-five business leaders and world-class outdoor recreational opportunities in the Jessica Lundin signed a letter supporting the Alpine Lakes legislation because quality of life issues, like access closest mountain valley to the greater Seattle metropolitan Tim Overland to wild lands and waters, is a key component to attracting top talent and corresponding area. Mark Walters economic growth. Brad Tilden, Chairman and CEO of Alaska Air Group, adds in this issue’s Fritz Wollett Guest Voices column that western economies like Seattle, surrounded by protected wild But in truth, the designation represented much more. It Rene Yoakum lands and waters, have outperformed the rest of the U.S. economy in key measures of growth- is the second installment of a focused statewide approach employment, population and personal income during the last four decades. to protect additional Wilderness that began 15 years ago. Our mission is complex, often frustrating and requires patience. But we must stay the course On the shores of Lake Wenatchee in 1999, Washington to get the job done because the payoffs and benefits to our beautiful state justify the hard work. Wild held a special meeting for Wilderness activists Looking ahead we see significant opportunity in the Wild Olympics legislation as we visualize around the state to discuss and identify opportunities Cover art by results which bring new extensions of wild lands and waters, and the important benefits our for new Wilderness designations, especially on national Roy Hughes work can bring to our community. Your engagement in our mission and support of our work forest lands. The last Forest Service-designated Wilderness Graphic design by makes the difference. in Washington had come in the 1984 Washington State Yours for a wild Washington, Wilderness Act. Darcey Hughes Photos by Kevin Gergahty (top left, bottom left, and bottom 2 Jim right), Charlie Raines (top right), and Karen Sykes (above). 3 In 2007, while Wild Sky was still moving through Congress, the natural beauty at Snoqualmie Pass our Washington Wild and local Wilderness advocates worked skiers and other visitors so greatly value.” to develop a proposal with Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA08) to Like Wild Sky, the Alpine Lakes additions add to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area. The Middle Fork demonstrated a strong show of bipartisan Valley near the town of North Bend is one of the closest support from key members of the mountain valleys to Puget Sound population centers and Washington congressional delegation. a growing recreation destination. A bill to protect 22,000 Republican Rep. Reichert teamed up with acres of Wilderness and the Pratt River for current and Democrats Sen. Murray and Rep. Suzan future generations was introduced by Rep. Reichert in DelBene (D-WA01) to lead in passing November of 2007. this bill into law. A little over a year later, Sen. Murray would join Rep. Reichert introducing a bill that added a Wild and Scenic Washington’s River Rivers designation for the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River. Renaissance Old-growth forests along the Middle Fork Trail within the Alpine Lakes Additions. More than 50 percent of the acreage Photo courtesy of Trevor Ducken. The Alpine Lakes additions marks of the Alpine Lakes Additions is another important step forward in comprised of forests and watershed regional tourist economies.” The result of this outreach the evolution of wild lands and waters below 3,000 feet of elevation. manifested itself in more than 300 local endorsements from proposals in Washington with its Kayaker paddles the recently designated Middle Fork elected officials, sportsmen, local businesses, faith leaders inclusion of federal river protections. Snoqualmie River. Photo by Tom O’Keefe. Outreach to Local Stakeholders and conservation and recreation groups. While Oregon has 2,000 miles of designated Wild and River designation on the Olympic Peninsula. Unbelievably, Scenic rivers, Washington has just 250 miles. Recognizing Like the Wild Sky Wilderness, the Alpine Lakes proposal if the bill passes, they would be the first designated rivers on Protecting Low-Elevation Forests and the potential to increase the number of protected miles employed many of the same hallmark strategic approaches. this iconic landscape. through collaboration, Washington Wild worked with Significant outreach was emphasized from the start with Watersheds American Whitewater and American Rivers to lead a one- local stakeholders before legislation was introduced. As a Preserving and Enhancing Recreational The proposal also focused on protecting underrepresented, day workshop on November 8, 2008, to bring statewide result, private landowners, Alpental Ski Area, Washington Access low-elevation Wilderness. Out of all the national forest Wilderness and Wild and Scenic River advocates together Department of Transportation, Mt. Baker Snoqualmie Wilderness areas previously designated statewide, only to discuss, understand and commit to the power of Greater attention has been paid with the Alpine Lakes National Forest and the local communities like the cities of six percent of the total included low-elevation (i.e., below pursuing both Wilderness and river protections in public additions to preserving recreation access to the very North Bend and Snoqualmie provided valuable input. 3,000 feet) forests and watersheds. The Wild Sky Wilderness land proposals. places we are trying to protect. After all, a major reason “By reaching out early and often to local stakeholders like deliberately included 30 percent of its acreage as low- Washington Wild works so hard to preserve our wild lands “As someone who has explored hundreds of river miles the Snoqualmie Tribe, King County Search and Rescue elevation forests.