As summer slips away and we all start obsessing over snow levels and LaNina forecasts, please be sure to set aside some time to get educated and make your voice heard on behalf of backcountry recreation opportunities in the North Cascades.
Here are 3 easy steps we all can take:
1. Get familiar with the Ross Lake Management Plan currently open for public comment. Send a comment letter with your thoughts. For what it is worth, I've found this to be a well developed and presented Environmental Impact Statement, and was pleased to see that the Park completed an analysis to determine whether expansion of the National Park into the National Recreation Area is warranted. Their conclusion is that it is not (See page 216 in the Appendices), and you can support that conclusion with your comment letter. More at:
parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkID=337&projectId=16940
2. Understand that there are entities investing significant resources to shape the future of North Cascades National Park well in advance of real opportunities for public involvement. In many cases, these organizations are representing local public opinion with very little actual outreach. One example is the National Park Conservation Association (NPCA) which is working to lobby the NPS to use the current Ross Lake Management Plan to expand the park boundaries. Learn more at:
www.npca.org/northwest/north-cascades.html
Unforuntately, this organization, like NC3, seems obsessed with selling their vision for protection based upon distorted visitation data and promises of economic prosperity for communities they know very little about. Do folks in Mazama really want to see a "gateway" of commercial strip development after so many years of working to protect the scenic rural character of the upper Methow Valley? Do you? Make sure that the National Park Service hears your voice.
3. Stay informed. Check out the new blog site at:
www.noparkexpansion.blogspot.com/
Sure, it has a bias just like all the others advocating for the expansion, but it appears to be oriented toward sharing factual information about the multiple proposals and approaches being launched to expand the boundaries of North Cascades National Park.
Just like travel in the backcountry, these issues require that we all take the time to pay attention and not find ourselves surprised by a dramatic change in conditions. Please take 15 minutes to share your thoughts on these important issues that will shape the future of outdoor recreation in our North Cascades.
Thanks!
