“We discovered that most states in the US charge a fee for people to access their State Parks and other state-managed recreation lands,” said Lauren Braden. “Fifteen states have no fee at all. Washington’s $30 Discover Pass is on the lower end, cost-wise, of states that have a fee. We believe that the Discover Pass stacks up pretty well and appears to be a good value.”
In her introduction, Forest Supervisor Becki Heath stressed the importance of public comment, saying “I can’t emphasize enough how important what you tell us will be in shaping the alternatives,” referring to the management alternatives that the forests will present to the public in the form of a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS).
The crew will split into small teams and hike the surrounding trails, carrying cross-cut saws and axes which you’ll use to remove trees from the trails that were brought down by last winter’s storms. Still, the week is not all work. During your one week here, you’ll certainly get to log some extra miles on your boots – all the while taking in the breathtakingly beautiful surroundings.
At the start of 2011, Washington’s hikers faced the daunting proposition of losing access to our state lands, from Deception Pass to Mount Si to Frenchman Coulee to Beacon Rock. Each day brought a new list of potential closures and various proposed solutions, from per person fees to agency consolidation to higher license renewal donations. Hikers had questions: Would parks be open? Would we pay to visit them? How much?
It’s ridiculous how lucky we are to live and backpack in Washington. Really.
WTA protects hiking trails and wild lands, takes volunteers out to maintain trails, and promotes hiking as a healthy, fun way to explore the outdoors.
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