Mt Persis Road: FS #62

[DCramer]

I received an email alerting me to the fact that the Forest Service is considering closing FS #62. There are many as yet undocumented climbs and the road serves as the primary access path for the Holoman Ridge routes. This of course is in addition to the non-rock climbing (hiking & mountaineering) uses for the road. Considering the recent gating of the Zekes Area this appears to be the start of a trend.


Looks like there is a very real plan for the FS to gate Road 62 (Mt Persis access) at the highway due to Longview Fiber request and complaints about shooting in the area. This would be a great loss to other users of the area.

You can register your opposition to the road closure by contacting District Ranger Barbara Busse at the Skykomish Ranger Station, 360-677-2414.

http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.p...asc&start=0 (http://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=7974952&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0)

[Don Graydon]

Forest Road 62 is now locked to the public. Following is a letter I sent to Skykomish District Ranger Barbara Busse, which outlines the issues involved. At the end is a list of people who could help reopen the road.

--------------------

August 3, 2009

Barbara Busse
Skykomish District Ranger
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
PO Box 305
Skykomish WA 98288

Re: Locking of Forest Road 62 near Index

Dear Barbara Busse,

I’d like to request the reopening of Forest Road 62 near Index. A new locked gate at US 2 now blocks public access. Longview Timber complained of dumping and illegal shooting and vandalism on their property along the road, and you approved the closure.

Road 62 leads for 5 miles to a point that has been used for decades as the trailhead for the spectacular summits of Mount Persis and Mount Index. The closure puts an end to normal ascents of Persis and the western route to Index. Longview is setting up a key system for approved recreational users, a time-consuming procedure that will effectively turn away most hikers and climbers.

The Mount Persis trail leads first through Longview Timber land before reaching National Forest that continues to the summit. Longview has never objected to this use, rightfully concluding that hikers aren’t the ones causing problems.

You are terming this a “temporary emergency closure” for one year. However, I’m not sure what the emergency is, since it looks to be based on complaints that don’t seem to be carefully documented. I asked Steve Tift of Longview Timber for specifics on problems and he offered only general comments about employees who are “nervous” about people with guns, that he has “heard of” hikers concerned about gunfire, that vandalism “happens.” He offered no instances where Longview reported illegal activity to the Snohomish County Sheriff. He seemed most concerned about dumping along the road.

Ten years ago the road was shut down by Longview Fibre (now Longview Timber). I worked with other climbers, the Forest Service and Longview to clean up dump sites and to monitor the road. The road was reopened and had been open for 10 years until the new closure.

There has to be a way to get rid of the locked gate. Here’s what I think: the Forest Service needs to recognize this is a public road that ought to be open to the public. Longview Timber needs to shoulder more responsibility for safeguarding its own property and to report problems to the sheriff. The sheriff, in turn, needs to act. The vast majority of citizens travel the road for legal purposes and ought to be able to use it, while the yahoos who cause problems for all of us need to be throttled with reports to the sheriff, tough signage, citizen monitoring.

Most public roads are bordered by private land, but problems on that private land aren’t a reason to close the road. Let’s work cooperatively to reopen Forest Road 62.

Sincerely,

Don Graydon
PO Box 166
Index WA 98256
360-793-9148
dongraydon@gmail.com

COPY TO:

Steve Tift
Longview Timber Corp.
1616 North 18th Street #108
Mount Vernon WA 98273
srtift@longviewtimber.com

Everett White
Realty specialist
U.S. Forest Service
215 Melody Lane
Wenatchee WA 98801

Neil Bresheare
Snohomish County
Environmental Services Section
Building K
8915 Cathcart Way
Snohomish, WA 98296
neiless@premier1.net

Dave Letcher
PO Box 384
Sultan WA 98294

Dave Somers
Snohomish County Councilman
District 5
3000 Rockefeller Avenue
M/S 609
Everett WA 98201
dave.somers@co.snohomish.wa.us

John Lovick
Sheriff
Snohomish County
3000 Rockefeller Avenue
M/S 606
Everett WA 98201

U.S. Rep. Rick Larson
2nd Congressional District
2930 Wetmore Ave, Suite 9F
Everett WA 98201
www.house.gov/larsen/contact

Bruce Albert
Mayor
Town of Index
PO Box 88
Index WA 98256
index@premier1.net


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Forum
WashingtonClimbers.org

Alex Linxwiler
President
The Mountaineers
7700 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle WA 98115
clubmail@mountaineers.org

Craig McKibben
President
Washington Trails Association
2019 Third Ave., Suite 100
Seattle WA 98121
elizabeth@wta.org

Wade Holden
President
Friends of the Trail
PO Box 1124
North Bend WA 98045
friendsot@centurytel.net

Ron Judd
Columnist
Seattle Times
PO Box 70
Seattle WA 98111
rjudd@seattletimes.com

Mark Yuasa
Outdoors writer
Seattle Times
PO Box 70
Seattle WA 98111
myuasa@seattletimes.com

Wayne Kruse
Outdoors writer
The Herald
PO Box 930
Everett WA 98206

Polly Keary
Editor
Monroe Monitor
PO Box 399
Monroe WA 98272
comp@monroemonitor.com

[Don Graydon]

GOOD NEWS for hikers and climbers:

The closed road that blocks vehicle access to the Mount Persis (and Mount Index traverse) trailhead will reopen in mid-July.

Peter Forbes, acting Skykomish district ranger, and Steve Tift of Longview Fibre both confirmed to me today that Road 62 near the town of Index will reopen when a one-year emergency closure expires. Expiration date is July 16.

Until that time, you can call Tift for permission to use the road for trailhead access.

The Forest Service okayed the closure after Longview complained of illegal dumping, shooting and vandalism. As hikers and climbers, we’ve got to keep an eye out for problems along the road and report them to Forbes (360-677-2414), Tift (360-770-1199) or the Snohomish County Sheriff (425-388-3393).