Monday, August 30, 2010

Follow the Money

The following perspective was submitted to NOPE by a Mazama resident:

If you take the time to carefully review the recently released report titled, Increasing Rural Jobs and Income in the North Cascades: The Economic Impact of the American Alps Legacy Project, you may find yourself surprised to find that the champions of the American Alps Legacy Project are building their support for their proposed land grab on the back of the very highway corridor they fought so hard to prevent.

What is even more surprising is an apparent obsession with cramming more cars, motorcycles, and RV’s onto Highway 20, while distracting the reader with a dangling carrot of cash that will supposedly flow into local communities simply by capturing the highway corridor and branding it as “National Park.” How many more cars, trucks, RV’s and motorcycles you ask?

According to their own study, the advocates of Park expansion have a goal of increasing visitor trips to North Cascades National Park from the current level of 20,000 per year to over 940,000! Whether these “conservative” projections of growth are realistic or not is open to debate, but one thing is clear: this vision for Park expansion is banking on significant opportunities for private developers to create new commercial “gateway” centers at the new park entrance stations in Marblemount, Winthrop and Mazama.

“The intent is also to “bring the national park” closer to Methow Valley communities” (Increasing Rural Jobs and Income in the North Cascades: The Economic Impact of the American Alps Legacy Project).

If the American Alps Legacy project comes to be, the lasting legacy of a drive over the North Cascades will be highlighted by opportunities to sleep in chain hotels located within walking distance of go-cart tracks; pay entrance fees entitling one to park in spacious RV-friendly parking lots; amble like cattle on paved paths crowded with tourists pouring over “spoon-feeding” interpretive signs; and fierce competition for “amenities” in the form of picnic tables securely chained in the shade of composting toilets.

Don’t believe it? The following excerpts from the NC3 report further underscore this perverse vision for “conservation”; one of several that are simultaneously being supported by the National Parks Conservation Association and others influenced heavily by the National Park concessionaire industry.

“The American Alps Legacy Project proposes to change this by folding most of RLNRA into the national park while also adding important public recreation lands to the park that will bring the national park boundary much closer to the towns of Mazama, Winthrop, and Twisp. New visitor centers in Marblemount and Winthrop will make these towns true gateway communities to the national park” (AALP Economic Study).

“The Methow Valley is so far to the east of current park lands that local businesses do not focus on serving park visitors. With the park expansion, Winthrop and Mazama will be adjacent to the park and Twisp much closer. These new “gateway” communities, in turn, will be able to provide private support services to the increased park visitors” (AALP Economic Study).

The fact is, the only way to advance a proposal to expand North Cascades National Park through Congress is to “buy” the support of powerful interests like those who want nothing more than to “serve” those 940,000 visitors each year.

If NC3 and its partners really cared about the communities they claim to want to save from rural squalor, economic demise, and imagined “threats” to the lands currently being managed by the US Forest Service, they’d probably be spending more time explaining the merits of the soon-to-be-necessary, downtown by-pass to the Winthrop Town Council and Chamber of Commerce, and less time lobbying the King County Council, the Snohomish County Council and Republicans for Environmental Stewardship.

Like many so many efforts dreamed up from afar by those who know what is best for the rest of us, all you have to do to understand this proposal is follow the money.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Big Park

Proponents of expanding the North Cascades National Park would have one believe that there is "a great demand for moving the park boundaries closer to the Methow valley and Marblemount" (The Wild Cascades newsletter, Spring '09).
Well, that depends on who you and where you ask: In the local communities on both sides of the crest, it would not be a stretch to say there is a great deal of concern about plans to expand the park and turning these rural towns into "national park gateways," that would apparently, according to AALP supporters and their Economic Study, bring great economic prosperity to these regions (more on that later).
For better or for worse, the small hamlet of Stehekin at the north end of Lake Chelan provides an excellent and local example of what can occur with public land designation changes that brings the National Park Service into an existing community (in this case the formation of Lake Chelan National Recreation Area back in 1968 when the park was established). Surely, like other places across the country, becoming and developing into a national park gateway community is a double-edged sword – some sort of jobs and dollars come into play, but so do a host of growth and development concerns, like traffic congestion, pollution, crime issues and rapid growth. If you have been to places like West Yellowstone and Gaitlinburg, TN then you have experienced one example of a national park gateway community.
But maybe, one can argue, it would be different in Marblemount, Mazama and Winthrop. Who can really say 10 or 20 years from now what may happen to these communities after turning into national park gateways?
Folks in Stehekin can offer their perspective, and it seems like a mixed bag, for sure. This quote from a Seattle Times article back in 1991 offers some insight: "There were 1,700 acres in private hands when the 62,000-acre recreation area was created. But the Park Service has been buying private land, and it is now down to 477 acres."
Interesting.

On a humorous note, here is a spoof video to enjoy that is a bit over the top, but perhaps poignant as well: Big Park

Friday, August 27, 2010

Contribute to NOPE

Interested in contributing your perspective to the NOPE blog regarding your concerns or opposition to any expansion of the North Cascades National Park?
You can contribute your thoughts by sending an email to NOPE (noparkexpansion.gmail.com). After editing, it will be posted on the blog. You can identify yourself by name, occupation or where you live, or remain anonymous.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Recreation restrictions and changes

Expanding the boundaries of the North Cascades National Park, particularly using what are currently Forest Service lands on both sides of the park, would undoubtedly impact existing recreational uses.

"There will likely be some new restrictions associated with park or wilderness status, but most current uses can be accommodated." The Wild Cascades (a publication of NCCC), Spring '09.

Despite vague and misleading assurances from park expansion proponents about some of the potential impacts, many being negative ones, on various existing recreational uses, it is important to remember that down the road, more restrictions could come under an expanded park scenario.

Current recreational uses and potential or definite changes if the park is expanded:

Backpacking/camping: More rules and restrictions, including required permits for overnight trips and group size limitations. With the proposed expansion and predicted increase in visitation, it would be difficult to obtain an overnight permit for certain areas. While some may view permits as a minor inconvenience, others see them as a hassle and a major issue of principle.

Hiking and backcountry camping with dogs: Would be restricted or prohibited altogether. Dogs are frowned upon and generally not allowed in national parks. Currently, many accessible areas off the Highway 20 corridor are ideal for outings with dogs and many folks take advantage of this.

Hunting: Would be restricted or prohibited altogether. "Hunting is allowed in wilderness areas, but not in parks. Unfortunately, there are major safety concerns when hunting occurs in the area with high-use hiking trails." (TWC, Spring '09).

Snowmobiling: Most likely would see restrictions over time on the Highway 20 corridor. Clearly, AALP proponents are not snowmobiling fans despite statements like, "the American Alps Legacy Project has already given a nod to snowmobiles by excluding Harts Pass and Barron Mine" and "the American Alps proposal will accept environmentally compatible access to the Harts Pass road." So after decades of snowmobiling in places like Harts Pass, snowmobilers will be relieved to know they will be able to continue this activity as long as it is "environmentally compatible."

Heli-skiing: Likely end to heli-ski operation (North Cascade Heli, Inc.). AALP backers imply supporting continued heli-skiing until the current ten-year permit comes up for renewal in 2016. But if the park is expanded before then, any Forest Service-issued permit will become null and void, thus voicing support for the continuation of heli-skiing is a moot point. "Incompatible uses, such as downhill skiing and motorized recreation, are also popular and slowly encroaching on pristine non-motorized recreation areas adjacent to the current park" (from NCCC website).

Backcountry skiing: Especially using snowmobile access, could eventually face restrictions. "And so it is with the profusion of high tech ski gear that the back country is not as protected as it used to be, even 10 years ago. I see there is a new usage challenge to consider as we work to protect and enhance our North Cascades" (NCCC board member Tom Hammond, July '10).

Climbing: Would face greater management oversight at popular areas like Washington Pass, including potential fixed anchor bans and route development restrictions.

Mountain biking: Currently, mountain biking options in the proposed expansion areas are limited, but classic outings on the West Fork of the Methow and Cutthroat trails could eventually be closed under Park Service management.

Paragliding: Popular flying areas near Washington Pass would no longer be open to paragliders as this recreational use is not allowed in the park.

Driving the NCH: The current Windshield Wilderness experience will be negatively impacted with the increase in traffic, congestion, noise and motor pollution along the North Cascades Highway (suggested name change to North Cascades Parkway) with the increased visitation promoted by AALP proponents as a result of an expanded national park.

AALP supporters argue that there are long-term concerns (20 to 50 years from now) like mining, logging and hydroelectric projects threatening the "federally unprotected" public lands outside the current park boundaries. Similarly, one can argue that years from now, or less, many types of existing recreational use on these public lands could be impacted, restricted or prohibited to one degree or another, despite assurances that little will change, with a radical land designation change from forest service lands to national park lands as suggested by the American Alps proposal.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Quotes and such


From time to time we will be posting quotes and tidbits related to the proposed park expansion.
Here are two:

 “The planning task force [in forming the NCNP] reached an agreement with Okanogan and Skagit county commissioners to limit commercial development along the Highway 20 corridor near the entrances to the park complex "to avoid creating another West Yellowstone or Estes Park" in gateway towns like Winthrop and Marblemount.” – Contested Terrain (David Louter).

“The fundamental need is for management of the citizenry.” – Marc Bardsley, NCCC president, in 2001

 

NCNP history and the AALP


The North Cascades National Park was established in 1968 after a contentious and historic multi-year battle. Land at the time was under Forest Service rule and many people in the rural communities on both sides of the crest were against the formation of the park and surrounding wilderness areas.
The North Cascades National Park Service Complex is comprised of 684,000 acres of remote and wild land. It includes the park's north and south units, as well as Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas. These "complementary protected lands are untied by a contiguous overlay" of the Stephen Mather Wilderness.
Also created in 1968 were the adjacent Pasayten Wilderness of 550,000 acres and the enlargement of the Glacier Peak Wilderness to 464,000 acres. In the 1980’s, more designated wilderness was established, also with opposition in nearby local communities, with the Chelan-Sawtooths and Mt. Baker wilderness areas.
     Currently, the NCNPS Complex is administered by the National Park Service of the Department of the Interior. All other land in the proposed expansion area is under the jurisdiction of the United States Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture except along the North Cascade Highway, where the Washington State Department of Transportation is involved, as well as a few county roads like part of Cascade River Road.

The American Alps Legacy Project currently proposed by the North Cascades Conservation Council (NCCC), along with the Mountaineers (a "non-profit" outdoor activity club), would ultimately expand the NCNP to over 300,000 acres by including the RLNRA and adjoining USFS lands. The project would ultimately need legislative approval by Congress and the President.
The reasons given for the expansion are two-fold: One is to secure NPS-type protections for what they believe are potential long-term threats like logging, mining, hydroelectric projects and climate change. The second reason is to increase visitation to the park through developing greater amenities and access in the front-county of the proposed “study areas” and the gateway communities outside the new park boundaries and theoretically helping these rural areas economically while encouraging families and children to appreciate their public heritage. 
Proponents of the AALP state they will have a final proposal due out this summer.

Welcome to the NOPE blog

Greetings!
This blog has been created to have a place for posting information, as well as opinions, about and against plans to expand the North Cascades National Park
There has been a lot of information and propaganda coming out from the main group (North Cascades Conservation Council) proposing some sort of expansion of the NCNP. This group's effort is known as the American Alps Legacy Project, which would seek to possibly reconfigure the boundaries of the North Cascades National Park by over 300,000 acres, usurping United States Forest Service lands on both sides of the park as well as folding the Ross Lake Recreation Area into national park land. This is a complicated and dramatic land designation change with many implications and consequences regarding, not only existing recreational use, but the development and growth impact on the existing "gateway communities" that border this expanded NCNP scenario.

Stayed tuned to this blog for points and perspectives against any expansion of the North Cascades National Park.