National Park Service Park News U.S. Department of the Interior Lassen Volcanic National Park Peak Experiences May - November 2008 The offi cial newspaper of Lassen Volcanic National Park Artist Rendering Welcome to Lassen Volcanic It’s Easy Being Green National Park! Take a moment, close your eyes, and imagine visitors and spread the word on building green what a green building might look like. Did you and operating in a more sustainable way,” said Thank you for choosing to visit your see something painted green? Did it have straw Ric. With sustainability on their minds, Dan and national park. I invite you to stay a little bail walls and grass growing on the roof, or was Ric “reduced, reused, and recycled” their way to longer and really get to know Lassen it a complex modern structure with angular create a building that required less raw materials, Volcanic National Park on a deeper level. The landscape of the park is as diverse metallic walls and a shiny fi nished surface? Did used local raw materials when possible, and as the ways you can enjoy it. Here you a picture even come to mind? Do you need will operate using less water and energy than a will fi nd opportunities to visit over fi fty some help? The new Kohm Yah-mah-nee visitor standard building of its size. tranquil mountain lakes, hike trails that have sweeping vistas or go deep into old- center (pictured above under construction in growth forests, explore active hydrothermal November 2007) has met the high environmental With plenty of forethought, the removal of the areas, camp under the brilliant night sky, standards for a Leadership in Energy and Lassen Chalet from the current visitor center fi sh in slow-rolling mountain streams, and experience a peace and quiet that only Environmental Design (LEED) certifi cation site yielded 1,500 tons of reusable concrete, Lassen Volcanic can provide. from the U.S. Green Building Council. The asphalt, and gravel, saving 60 dump-trucks from visitor center is a platinum-targeted green driving 60 miles round-trip from Chester. Over Many of my fondest childhood memories involve my family and the great outdoors. building, the highest LEED rating that can be 50 tons of steel removed from the old chalet It is amazing how simple activities such as bestowed upon a building. When completed, were diverted from the landfi ll and recycled at picnicking along the shore of Lake Helen the building will simply look like most of the a local scrap yard at no cost to the park. The or hiking to Bumpass Hell can transform into lasting memories that you and your buildings in the park. But, it will showcase a new visitor center will have 90% recycled glass family will cherish for years to come. This multitude of energy conservation strategies and counter tops, will be built almost entirely out of summer, look for a variety of in-park be the product of a long string of sustainable local lumber from sustainable forests certifi ed activities designed to connect kids with nature. From an expanded Junior Ranger design, construction, and operational practices. by the Forest Stewardship Council, and will program to a “Sense of Wonder” activity use decorative stone trucked in directly from that promotes nature awareness through the “Is this the most sustainable way to do this?” local sources near Red Bluff . The visitor center use of the senses, we are here to help create Project Manager Ric Alesch of the National is sited on previously disturbed land with an those special memories. Ask a ranger or read about these activities and more on page Park Service Denver Service Center and Chief existing utilities infrastructure, reducing the three of this newspaper. of Maintenance Dan Jones, asked that question environmental impact and the need for new before they made any decision about the design support infrastructure. (Continued on page 2) I know you will enjoy your visit to the park. This will be my fi rst summer since and construction of the visitor center. Ric and arriving here last fall; maybe we will see each Dan were both aware that in the United States, other on the trails. buildings account for 39% of total energy This newspaper is made possible by a consumption, 30% of raw materials use, and donation from the Lassen Association. Darlene M. Koontz 39% of total C0 emissions. “We wanted to do 2 www.lassenassociation.org Superintendent better,” said Dan Jones. “The National Park Lassen Service has a rare opportunity to reach many Association CONTENTS: Contact Information and Park Profi le • page 2 Hiking Trails • page 8 Ranger and Junior Ranger Program Schedule • page 3 Camping and Backpacking • page 9 Services and Facilities • page 4 Recommended Reading • pages 10-11 Our Partners, Local Businesses • page 5-7 Park and Area Map, Green Tips • page 12 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Lassen Volcanic National Park P.O. Box 100 Mineral, CA 96063 Welcome to Lassen Volcanic National Park Fees at Work in Your Park! Welcome We put your fee dollars to work. Eighty percent of your National Park Service entrance and campground fees fund vital projects right here at U.S. Department Bienvenue Lassen Volcanic National Park. of the Interior Fees have funded the installation of exhibits at the new Bienvenidos visitor center, Loomis Museum, and wayside exhibit panels throughout the park. They have paid for construction of the new Wilkommen Southwest Entrance Station, and the repair and upgrade of roads, campgrounds, trails, picnic areas, and restrooms. Benvenuti Entrance Fee Options • 7-day pass for Lassen Volcanic National Park: $10 per vehicle/motorcycle or $5 per person on foot, bicycle, or bus. • Annual pass for Lassen Volcanic National Park and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area: $25 admits all passengers in a private vehicle for one year from month of purchase. • America The Beautiful pass: $80: Provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an entrance or standard amenity fee for a year, beginning from the date of sale. The pass admits the pass holder/s and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder plus 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free). The pass can be obtained in person at the park, by calling 1-888-ASK-USGS, ext. 1, or via the Internet at http://store.usgs.gov/pass. • Lifetime Interagency Passes: Senior (62 years old and over) $10.00; Access (Permanently disabled) Free (Continued from front page) ventilation and an earth-friendly cooling In addition to reducing, reusing, and partial heating system using the natural and recycling raw materials, the LEED temperature of the earth via a ground certifi cation assesses how the facility performs loop heat pump system with pipes buried and the ways in which it meets environmental underground in a revegetated area just north Contact Information sustainability goals. Additional green of the visitor center. enhancements to the visitor center include: • An off -site solar panel grid was installed as Information • The landscaping design, including part of this project, and generates about 40% Park Headquarters (year-round) species selection, placement and distribution, of its electricity during the year. is modeled after natural vegetation in the (530) 595-4444 • A computer-controlled daylight adjacent red fi r forest. The plantings will harvesting system, with no incandescent- Loomis Museum (summer only) consist of native species and groupings that based lamp fi xtures, dims the lights when (530) 595-4444 ext. 5180 require no irrigation and serve important natural daylight provides enough light to meet ecological functions such as soil stabilization, all or part of what is required. Fax Number improving the fertility of disturbed soils, • The fi rst exhibit lighting system in the (530) 595-3262 reducing the likelihood that exotic species will National Parks to use only ultra long-lasting establish in disturbed areas, and facilitating and energy-effi cient LED lamps. Website natural succession and attraction of additional www.nps.gov/lavo native species to the re-vegetated areas. The National Park Service is committed • Water conserving fi xtures such as to demonstrate how these new technologies, Email Address waterless urinals, dual fl ush and ultra low fl ush products, and practices can balance the needs [email protected] toilets, and low fl ow faucets with automatic of our visitors with energy effi ciency and sensors have been installed. stewardship of the environment well beyond Mailing Address • Finish materials with a high recycle park boundaries. A lot of hard work resulted Lassen Volcanic National Park content, such as countertops, carpet, and in the many sustainable design, construction, P.O. Box 100 restroom tiles, were selected when possible. and operational practices built into the Kohm Mineral, CA 96063-0100 • The roof’s overhangs were designed to Yah-mah-nee visitor center. However, it is shade windows during the summer months easy being green. Just start with the simple Park Profi le to prevent unwanted heat gain. During the question: “Is this the most sustainable way Lassen Volcanic National Park was fi rst winter months when the sun angle is low, to do this?” The future of the earth is in your established as Cinder Cone and Lassen direct light will help heat the building. hands. To learn more about simple energy Peak National Monuments in 1907. Lassen • The building is cooled by natural saving things you can do, see page 11. Volcanic became a national park in 1916 because of its signifi cance as an active volcanic landscape.