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Please
Contact
Governor Gregoire
The Stehekin Heritage organization is working with
Stehekin Valley residents and citizens throughout the state and
nation to encourage elected officials to support reopening an essential
recreation corridor in the North Cascades Mountains of Washington
State - the Upper Stehekin Valley Road.
As part of this effort, we are encouraging you to
write Governor Christine Gregoire and staff member, John Mankowski
(see addresses below) encouraging them to to meet with a delegation
of Stehekin residents for consultation concerning the upper valley
road. There is no doubt, the Governor's support is highly regarded
as we work to reopen this historic recreational corridor into the
heart of the North Cascade Mountains.
If you are aware of the importance of opening the
Upper Stehekin Valley Road, please write the Governor with a request
to meet with valley residents to discuss this critical issue. Access
to the North Cascades impacts not only Washington State residents
but citizens across the United States. Please ask the Governor and
John Mankowski to reply to questions you present.
During the next two weeks, the Stehekin Choice Online
Newspaper will publish letters from those who have already written
the Governor. Hopefully, these letters will inspire you to write
your own. If you are willing to have your letter published, please
send a copy to: rkscutt@gmail.com
.
Thank you for your thoughtful support.
Ron Scutt Editor Stehekin Choice
Governor Chris Gregoire
Office of the Governor
PO Box 40002
Olympia WA 98504
John Mankowski: john.mankowski@gov.wa.gov
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Honorable Chris
Gregoire,
Office of Governor
State of Washington
P.O. Box 40002
Olympia, WA 98504
Dear
Governor Gregoire,
I'm
writing to you about an issue in Stehekin, WA. I'm writing to tell
you why I think an important cultural asset is being lost because
a road has been closed by the North Cascades National Park.
I
hope you will meet with Stehekin residents and that you will support
our efforts to restore the North Cascades National Park's commitment
to maintaining the road.
Many
in the community feel the very viability of the Stehekin community
is at stake. I will let others speak to that issue. I would like
to tell you the story of how I first came to Stehekin as it demonstrates
some of Stehekin's special features that are being lost because
of the road closure.
My
wife and I were back-packers before children when we lived in California.
We particularly spent a lot of time in the Sierras and have traveled
to many national parks. After some initial attempts at backpacking
with kids we set aside that recreation for some time. Backpacking
with kids is difficult. Young children usually don't want to walk
in a straight line or walk at all. Plus there are many extras things
you need to take along and the kids are not usually going to be
carrying much if anything and will themselves often be carried.
In
1992 our two sons were 12 and 6 years old. My wife was recovering
from breast cancer. We were looking at the possibility of taking
a family trip to celebrate. We are long time members of the Sierra
Club and receive its monthly magazine which includes announcements
of trips it sponsors. One of the trips was advertised as a family
trip. It included a base camp at a hikers ranch (Stehekin Valley
Ranch) with transportation to the trail heads for hikes into the
high country as well as hikes intended for kids. This was an ideal
arrangement for us.
We've
been to many parks and I don't know of any others that can support
this kind of base camp activity with access to spectacular hikes.
It is really unique in that regard. We were able to do nature hikes
oriented for kids as well as get into the high country. We had a
wonderful time.
Without
the road, access to the high country is severely limited. Many of
the best day hikes now require 2 or 3 days with backpacks. These
are no longer available for families. The same is true for older
hikers.
Families
are the key to introducing future generations to the wonder and
value of these natural areas. If families are not involved National
park attendance will continue to decline. If these resources are
not valued the parks will not continue to be protected. The loss
to the human spirit as well as to the world would be substantial.
We
are at this juncture primarily because of a technicality. Prior
to this last flood the National Park Service has always asserted
its commitment to maintaining the road to Cotton Wood. The last
flood damaged one section of the road sufficiently making it infeasible
to maintain that section in its present location. Unfortunately
the Park Service interprets its language as disallowing relocation
of the road more than 100 feet even though other national parks
are able to do so when circumstances dictate. There is a suitable
site to relocate that section of the road (to a prior wagon road)
but it is beyond the 100 foot limit.
This
problem is being addressed in Congress through bill 3408 to allow
relocation of the road with the condition that there be no net loss
of wilderness.
I
hope you will meet with Stehekin residents and that you will support
our efforts to restore the North Cascades National Park's commitment
to maintaining the road.
Sincerely,
Bill
Griffiths
7 Silver Bay Road
Stehekin, Washington 98852
billgriffiths@gmail.com
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