Mount Rainier Recovery Efforts
In November 2006, record setting rain fell throughout the Northwest, unleashing a torrent of damage on Olympic, North Cascades and Mount Rainier National Parks. Rain-swollen rivers and streams damaged critical park infrastructure such as roadways and buildings; campgrounds, bridges, boardwalks and picnic areas were heavily damaged or were completely swept away.
In response to the storms, and with the assistance of REI, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), The Mountaineers, the Student Conservation Association (SCA), Washington Trails Association (WTA) and Washington’s National Park Fund (the Fund) formed the Northwest Parks and Public Lands Storm Recovery Coalition (the Coalition) to facilitate the restoration of Northwest national parks and forests.
In 2007, our focus was primarily at Mount Rainier National Park due to the extreme damage inflicted on the park. By the end of the summer season, more than 1700 people donated more than 84,000 volunteer hours to storm recovery. Due to such a successful turnout, the Mount Rainier Recovery initiative was awarded the 2008 Cooperative Conservation Award (CCA) from the US Department of Interior. The CCA, the Interior Department’s highest award for partners, is presented to private citizens and organizational partners who support the agency’s mission and demonstrated significant contributions to its programs. On April 21st, Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne will officially present the award to the park and coalition partners in Washington D.C.
The December 2007 storms contributed to further damage in the Northwest national parks, especially Olympic National Park and Forest, where the Coalition intends to also extend its work this year. There are opportunities for everyone to get involved, from trail repair to contacting your elected representatives.
