What is happening to Newhalem?

[adsell]

Just checking in to see if anyone knows anything about the situation up at Newhalem. It has been three years since anything has happened up there, last I heard they were waiting to finish a fish project before they could take the next step in discovery. They said they needed to assess cultural impact in case there was at sometime Native americans living amongst the boulders and cliffs.

[Andy Fitz]

The crags are located in the Ross Lake Nat'l Recreation Area (NRA), which is administered by the National Park Service (NPS). In 2002, the NPS asked climbers to voluntarily refrain from new route activity until it developed a climbing management plan for the NRA.

In November 2003, the NPS began the public process to create this plan by putting out a call for "scoping" comments in order for it to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). In short, under NEPA the NPS has to assess the environmental impacts of the decisions it might make as part of a climbing management plan. The scoping notice was to give the public a chance to help it figure out the relevant issues.

The Access Fund provided detailed comments in response to the scoping notice. I know some individual climbers sent in comments as well. At the same time, the big blowout landslide hit Highway 20. After that, the NPS employee who was working on the climbing management plan got diverted into working on a host of issues related to the highway restoration and hillside stabilization.

I've recently asked the NPS about the status of the climbing management plan effort. I'll post again when I get a response.

[Andy Fitz]

Latest word:

The National Park Service will begin work on a climbing management plan for the Ross Lake National Recreation Area this fall. This will affect crags in the Skagit River Gorge. The WCC and the Access Fund will be involved.

In the meantime, climbing remains open in the Gorge.

PLEASE NOTE: Climbers have been maintaining a voluntary moratorium on new route development until the climbing management plan is developed. Doing this has generated a lot of goodwill with the Park Service. Please respect this moratorium!!

[adsell]

Thanks Andy for the update.

What do we do now? Can we still give them a draft of a "working" management plan for them to use a template?

[Jonah Harrison]

We can, but we have to be aware that they won't be able to get to it until the fall. And the nice thing is that the people in charge there feel that having a separate CMP is the way to go for Newhalem. I think before giving them a CMP proposal, we should catalog all the current and potential climbing areas near there.

[adsell]

How detailed do they need to be? Should we use a GPS to pinpoint them or will rough description be suffeciant for them?


Any guidence here would be appreciated.

Andrew

[Jonah Harrison]

Even drawing circles on a quad would be good enough.

[adsell]

Ok I will try and get down to REI and pick ups some maps for NH.

[Jonah Harrison]

So who wants to head out to Newhalem some weekend in May to look at the proposed new climbing area and to get in a few routes?

We have to do a recon of the new area with the Park Service to determine the boundaries of the climbing area. I think the main developers, Andrew and David, should probably come out there, if possible.

[DCramer]

I'd be interested although I am not sure I can climb anything.

[DCramer]

Notice for public input:


September 28, 2006
For Immediate Release

Contact: Charles Beall, Acting Chief Interpreter, 360-856-5700 x.365


PARK SUPERINTENDENT REQUESTS PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT FOR FUTURE OF ROSS LAKE
NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

Superintendent Bill Paleck announced that the National Park Service,
together with its visitors, neighbors, and partners, is beginning the
process of crafting a vision for the future of Ross Lake National
Recreation Area (NRA). This vision will be contained within the form of
an
updated General Management Plan (GMP) for Ross Lake NRA. The GMP will be
a
broad-based plan that articulates and charts a course of action for Ross
Lake NRA?s management for the next fifteen to twenty years.

Ross Lake NRA is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National
Park Service Complex. Ross Lake NRA protects 118,000 acres, is the
corridor
for scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and
includes three reservoirs: Ross Lake, Diablo Lake, and Gorge Lake --
water
gateways to more remote areas. Ringed by mountains, most of this area is
designated wilderness and offers many outdoor recreation opportunities
along the upper reaches of the Skagit River, and between the north and
south units of North Cascades National Park.

The National Park Service strives to protect Ross Lake NRA?s diverse
resources and to provide today?s visitors and future generations with
the
opportunity to enjoy those resources. ?To succeed,? says Mr. Paleck, ?we
must first have a vision for the future and then plan and act to ensure
that our vision is achieved. We are reaching out for the public?s help
and
ideas as we develop an updated GMP for Ross Lake NRA.?

In October 2006, the National Park Service is hosting seven workshops in
the local North Cascades area, British Columbia, and Seattle. At these
workshops, the public will learn more about the general management
planning
process and be encouraged to share ideas, concerns, and thoughts about
Ross
Lake NRA. These public workshops are the first step in a three year
process
to develop the updated General Management Plan, and the public?s ideas
are
an essential component to the planning process.

Workshops are scheduled as follows:

Tuesday, October 17
Concrete, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Concrete Senior Center
45821 Railroad Street

Wednesday, October 18
Marblemount, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Marblemount Community Club
60099 State Route 20

Thursday, October 19
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
North Cascades National Park Service Complex Headquarters
810 State Route 20

Monday, October 23
Bellingham, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bellingham Senior Center
16315 Halleck Street

Tuesday, October 24
Surrey, British Columbia
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
Surrey Community Services
9815 140th Street

Wednesday, October 25
Chilliwack, British Columbia
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
Chilliwack Arts Council Lounge
45899 Henderson Avenue

Thursday, October 26
Seattle, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Seattle Mountaineers
Olympus Room
300 Third Street West

The public is also encouraged to visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov/rola
to
learn more about the Ross Lake National Recreation Area General
Management
Plan, to submit comments, and to sign up for the General Management Plan
mailing list.

The public can also call 360-856-5700, email
noca_superintendent@nps.gov,
or write:

Bill Paleck, Superintendent
North Cascades National Park Service Complex
810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284

[Jonah Harrison]

So who all can come to this? It would be great to have a nice turnout.

Jason Keith from the Access Fund is coming for the meeting, and I'll be there. Is anybody else available?

[DCramer]

Can anyone provide an update?