The Newsletter of the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS) 2009 Issue No. 1 By Thom Peters In a previous edition of this newsletter (2008 issue #1), we reported on planning initiated by the state for an off-road vehicle “park” in the Reiter Foothills north of Index and Gold Bar. Even without State Park designation, these lands have been overrun for years, with hundreds of miles of routes carved into state forest land. Another unfortunate fact is that Reiter is located just above spawning grounds of the Skykomish River. Nonetheless, a process was put in motion that included an advisory committee comprised almost entirely of motorized recreation advocates. The last Reiter Foothills Recreation Planning committee meeting took place on May 20, 2009. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) proposed two draft planning maps for the area for discussion purposes. The maps show a number of ideas that have been suggested by committee members at planning meetings. The suggestions have not been approved by the agency or agreed to by the planning committee. Those of us who represent the environmental community favor concept map “D”. It proposes approximately 1,090 acres for Continued on page 2 Also in this issue: Legislation Revived for Westside REITER FOREST Wilderness Addition ............................3 National Environmental Policy Act Review of Off-Road Vehicle Management ........................................4 UPDATE ALPS Seeks Money for Highway 2 Parcels .................................................5 Forests at Risk of Conversion to Karl Forsgaard Non-Forest Use ...................................7 On your State lands (a future State Park?), these trees Trustees Election Ballot ......................9 are being killed by ORVs. Tye Valley Tunnel .............................10 ALPINE 1 • Design all trails to have bridges Reiter Forest, continued from page 1 or culverts at stream crossings. • Consider a vehicle width limitation for motorized vehicles on trails. • Utilize seasonal trail closures to minimize potential environmental impact. • Consider the provision of motorized use areas for children and novice riders adjacent to motorized facilities to facilitate safe supervision. DNR has already taken some actions to try to manage the Karl Forsgaard situation, including: A very bad apple. • Camping is allowed only in two temporarily designated areas in the gravel pit and the upper staging area. non-motorized areas, and by motorcycles. • Sani-cans have been installed approximately 1,040 acres for • Provide positive sign in the designated temporary motorized areas and appears messaging that communicates camping areas. more balanced in its approach. information related to trail The entire Reiter Foothills area closures including why specific • Off-road use is limited to is approximately 10,000 acres. enforcement or management daylight hours only. Concept map “E” proposes 830 activities are taking place. • Officers and DNR staff will acres for non-motorized areas be issuing citations instead of and 1,040 acres for motorized • Pursue additional opportunities warnings for illegal activities. areas. One of the main distinctions to partner with enforcement between the two map proposals is personnel from adjacent • DNR staff posted more signs to that map “D” provides separate municipalities, U.S. Forest clearly indicate areas that are trailheads for non-motorized and Service, Washington not trails and where off-road motorized trails, whereas map “E” Department of Fish and use cannot occur. Wildlife, Snohomish County, combines the two. • Last but not least, the gate to and Snohomish County Sheriff’s DNR’s May Creek Mainline It needs to be emphasized that Office. the motorized community is not Road has been permanently happy about either proposal. They • Assess feasibility of a closed to street vehicles. obviously prefer the status quo of campground designed for the “Wild West” atmosphere that motorized use in a location The public will have an has been going on for decades in adjoining the motorized trail opportunity to become involved the area. system. and provide comments this July • Develop a protection strategy when DNR intends to publish There are a number of things for aquifer recharge protection their proposed alternatives that could be done to improve areas (Index aquifer recharge in complying with the State conditions in and around the area). Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Reiter Foothills. The proposed • Encourage separation of SEPA is the state policy that strategies include: recreation uses through requires state and local agencies to • Initiate an education and campground and facility consider the likely environmental enforcement strategy prior to design (i.e. facilities designed consequences of a proposal development using methods specifically for equestrian, before approving or denying the such as gate management, a motorized and non-motorized proposal. To follow or participate strategy for keeping users on users, and day-use versus in this process, go to www.dnr. trails, and enforcement patrols overnight use). wa.gov/recreation. 2 ALPINE Legislation Revived for Westside Wilderness Additions By Don Parks To recap, the new bill would of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie On March 26 of this year, add about 22,000 acres to the as a component of the Wild Senator Patty Murray and Alpine Lakes Wilderness in the and Scenic River System. Wild Representative Dave Reichert three river drainages. ALPS and Scenic River status will jointly introduced legislation supported the addition of these prevent dam construction and (S.721 and H.R.1769) to provide lands to the Wilderness during the formally recognize the important additional statutory protection for Congressional campaign of 1975- recreational and natural values the west side of the Alpine Lakes 76, but they were left out of the of the Middle Fork Valley. The Area. 1976 Wilderness bill for a number portion of the Middle Fork to of reasons. One of these was the be protected will extend from Representative Reichert had added acquisition cost of private National Forest land at the introduced a bill last November to land, then mostly in Weyerhaeuser Cascade Crest to DNR holdings add parts of the Middle and South hands. Since the 1980s, all of below Mailbox Peak. Forks of the Snoqualmie River, and the intermingled private lands all of the Pratt River, to the Alpine At the time of this writing, within the national forest have the bills had been referred to Lakes Wilderness. His bill also been acquired, and the area being sought to protect the Pratt within committees in the House and considered for Wilderness is now Senate but no hearings had the Wild and Scenic River System. in solid Federal ownership. The That bill, although sponsored been scheduled. Stay tuned for Pratt and the Middle Fork contain developments! You can follow by many in the Washington large areas of low-elevation forests delegation, did not receive a progress by dialing in website (50% of it is below 3,000 feet, and http://www.thomas.gov/. Search hearing or other consideration, and 20% below 2000 feet) that are so it died in the last Congress. under bill number (S.721 or H.R. unusual in Washington Wilderness 1769) or word/phase ‘Alpine The outlook for the new bill areas. ALPS has played a lead Lakes.’ Double click on either bill is far more promising, due to a role in the development of the number to bring up the text of the number of recent developments. boundaries for this outstanding legislation, Congressional Actions The new legislation is identical to Wilderness addition. log, the Congressional Research the 2007 legislation except that the The proposal for Wild River Summary, Congressional Budget Middle Fork Snoqualmie River status for the Pratt is unchanged Office reports, Committee Reports, has also been added as a Wild and from the 2007 legislation. An etc. Scenic River. exciting change is the addition Colchuck Lake from Aasgard Pass. Rick Jerabek ALPINE 3 National Environmental Policy Act Review of Off-Road Vehicle Management By Charlie Raymond that the Forest Service would need demotorization is very limited, In March, the Okanogan- to monitor. Furthermore, the with about 15 miles of currently- Wenatchee National Forest mixed-use of roads poses serious motorized trails being closed and initiated environmental analysis safety issues. Environmental a net of 15 miles to be converted to required by the National groups including the Alpine non-motorized status. Most of that Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Protection Society (ALPS) is in a single district, the Entiat. for implementing the National expressed grave concerns about Around the Alpine Lakes Area, Forest Service Travel Management such large increases in ORV the proposed additional ORV Rule. This Rule was issued in 2005 presence. Even with the present opportunities are relatively small, in recognition that unmanaged extent of ORV access to trails and the most notable being about 2 off-road vehicle (ORV) recreation roads, Forest Service resources miles of road opened to non-street is one of the largest threats to are inadequate to monitor and legal motorcycles in Jungle Creek, the National Forest System. The prevent serious impacts such as a tributary of the North Fork of Rule mandates that unrestricted, ground disturbance, sediment the Teanaway River. The next cross-country, motorized travel be delivery to streams, wildlife step for the Forest Service is to prohibited nationally on National habitat fragmentation, loss of quiet refine