[RodF]

Do you love Enchanted Valley Chalet? Do you cherish one of the few surviving historic lookouts, trail shelters, homesteads or ranger stations within Wilderness?

Enchanted Valley Chalet, 2004

Green Mountain Lookout, 2010

Alas, not all do. Just read this.

released with author's permission

Please do not write the Park Service. They are fully aware that the writer is incorrect, mechanical hand tools such as winches (and more) are legal within Wilderness per NEPA process. And that the National Historic Preservation Act mandates they consider all possible alternatives to preserve sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as do NPS policy and regulations. The Superintendent, Regional Director and State Historic Preservation Officer are busy, grappling with the complex hydrologic, topographic, logistic, and most significant, legal constraints. Please do write Congress. For this is clearly not what Congress intended when they wrote the Wilderness Act section 4(a)(3) which defers to historic preservation laws. It is clearly not the intent of the legislation designating both Olympic Wilderness and Glacier Peak Wilderness; in Senate Committee testimony, their sponsors assured other senators that Wilderness designation will not interfere with the preservation of historic structures. Write your representative in support of the Green Mountain Lookout Heritage Preservation Act (H.R. 908 / S. 404). The Wilderness Society endorses it. Washington Trust for Historic Preservation endorses it. As do a long list of local groups. Both our Senators Cantwell and Murray and Representatives DelBene and Larsen have co-sponsored it. It has passed out of Committee in both the House and Senate. Ask your member of Congress to move it to a vote now. It saves Green Mountain Lookout. Much more important, it rebuilds public consensus in support of Wilderness by reasserting Congress' intent in passing these Wilderness designations. So it will help save Enchanted Valley Chalet, too. And who knows what's next. ------------ "The court's decision has the potential to adversely impact how federal agencies will manage historic resources on public lands in the future." - Washington Trust for Historic Preservation "It will be an all-hands-on-deck effort to save this historic landmark and we'll need all the help we can get." - The Wilderness Society

[bobbi]

thanks Rod... Enchanted Valley is beautiful but one reason i wanted to go there was to see the Chalet. i would be sad if it goes downriver. i think the Chalet was built before the place became a national park (is this correct?) the historical value of the Chalet is definitely worth saving...

[Bedivere]

I will definitely write in support of preserving these structures. I'm curious though - what was the intent of creating wilderness areas within the National Parks? The land was already preserved as National Park, so what was the thought process behind this extra layer of "protection?"

[Ski]

[Dane]

Wilderness: Finally, a place where human priorities trump natural processes.

[yorknl]

[Jaberwock]

I wouldn't mind seeing these structures disappear within wilderness areas.

[DIYSteve]

[RodF]

Are historic stuctures appropriate in park Wilderness? 85% Always or Usually 1% Never

Olympic NP visitor study 2000

OPA represents that 1%. To the 85% - write your Congressional representative. You can save Green Mountain Lookout, and perhaps Enchanted Valley Chalet.

[Kim Brown]

[HitTheTrail]

[cairn builder]

I've noticed you people throw a party every time you kick bikes off another trail. There's nothing you hate more than rocks being moved a few inches to create a pile. But these structures you personally use? To hell with the rules and regulations, save my precious! Let the river take the building. I'm writing NPS and my representatives to say as much. Have you ever thought maybe Starbucks should be allowed to build a franchise every mile our so on the trail? Maybe someone should put in some conveyor belts, like at the airport, for when you don't feel like walking. The wilderness needs certain improvements, doesn't it?

[JVesquire]

[Ski]

cairn builder, take a deep breath. you might want to consider switching to decaf.

[Cyclopath]

I'd love to go visit the chalet if it's still there in the summer. I didn't know about this place until recently, and I'd hate to miss the opportunity. But I feel like Dane is right.