Seattle, WA -The Washington State Legislature has released a sign-on letter urging Washington's Congressional delegation to work for the appropriations needed "to repair and restore Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks to their former stature and full grandeur."
The letter coincides with a Seattle "Town Hall" on Thursday, May 31 at The Mountaineers, which will feature the three Superintendents of North Cascades, Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks, with Congressman Norm Dicks in attendance. The event, hosted by the Northwest Parks and Public Lands Recovery Coalition, will update the public on the ongoing restoration programs in the parks and answer public questions about the process.
"Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades National Parks are an integral part of Washington's economy, environment, and quality of life," said David G. Graves, Northwest field representative for the National Parks Conservation Association. "They are part of our identity as Northwesterner's, and should be restored to their full glory."
The Washington legislature's letter, written in conjunction with the National Parks Conservation Association, notes that non-resident visitors to Washington's national parks contributed over $1.2 million dollars to the state economy in 2005 alone. Now, with the summer vacation season starting, completion of the repairs is vital in order to ensure visitor safety and ease of access to Washington's heavily visited parks.
Increased funding would allow Mount Rainier National Park to reconstruct the trail at the Grove of the Patriarchs and Olympic National Park to reopen all the loops at the Heart O' the Hills campground.
The signed letter included 23 members of the state Senate and 27 members of the state House of Representatives and was circulated by Senator Ken Jacobsen and Representative Dave Upthegrove.
For updated information on Northwest parks and public lands recovery, including the town hall event, please visit: http://nwstormrecoverycoalition.blogspot.com/
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