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RodF
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RodF
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PostTue Dec 27, 2016 2:01 pm 
Daniel J. Evans Olympic National Park Wilderness Act signed by President Obama President Barack Obama signed the Daniel J. Evans Olympic National Park Wilderness Act, which re-designates the 1,370 square miles Olympic Wilderness in the State of Washington as the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness. Comprising more than 95% of Olympic National Park, it is the largest wilderness area in the State of Washington. The designation honors the former member of the Washington State House of Representatives, former three-term governor and U.S. Senator and former president of Evergreen State College. The bill, and a companion bill in the House, were supported by the state’s entire Congressional delegation. As governor in 1974, Evans supported enlarging the NPS wilderness proposal to include roadless areas on the Mt. Angeles and in the Queets and Quinault valleys, and to include Enchanted Valley Chalet. As senator, Evans revived the wilderness proposal, held local hearings was floor sponsor of the Washington Parks Wilderness Act of 1988, designating wilderness within Olympic, Mt. Rainier and North Cascades National Parks. His testimony in support of Olympic National Park's plan to retain 32 trail shelters (of which only 18 survive today) is part of the express legislative intent of Olympic Wilderness. Evans also co-sponsored the Washington State Wilderness Act of 1984, designating nearly a million acres in 22 Wilderness areas within the state's National Forests, and sponsored 1986 legislation rationalizing the boundaries of Olympic National Park with Olympic National Forest to geographic features, and enlarging the Park. Evans has hiked extensively in Olympic National Park wilderness, first as a boy scout, then as Hike Master at BSA Camp Parsons near Brinnon, then with his family while in public service and later in retirement. His life-long love of wilderness, sparked in Olympic, led to a long list of accomplishments in conservation throughout a lifetime of public service.
Daniel J. Evans, 1999
Daniel J. Evans, 1999

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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RodF
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PostTue Dec 27, 2016 2:11 pm 
On Dec. 9, I met with Olympic NP acting Supt. Lee Taylor, to advocate for the immediate reopening of Olympic Hot Springs Road, the Elwha entrance to the Park. Although repairs were completed two months ago, it remains gated closed by the Park. It provides access to popular winter dayhike destinations including Humes Ranch, Goblin Gates and Olympic Hot Springs. This is a fitting time to recall Dan Evan's reasons for supporting access to our national parks.
Dan Evans, in testimony before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Land, July 7, 2009, wrote:
I served as United States Senator for the state of Washington from 1983 to 1989. During that time I served as a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee of the Senate, which has jurisdiction over our National Park system. While on the committee I initiated and became prime sponsor of a bill to create wilderness areas within the three national parks of Washington state, Olympic, Rainier, and North Cascades. It was my intent to ensure that undue development would not occur within those national parks. I also recognized that access to trails and vistas within those parks was vital and carefully excluded those road rights-of-way from wilderness boundaries. Normally, road reconstruction and minor relocation would be accommodated within these 100 foot right of ways but on rare occasions natural catastrophes could require modification of wilderness boundaries to allow road relocations. It was my intent when I sponsored the Park Wilderness Bill of 1988 to protect the unique features of these splendid Parks but not to make access more difficult for those seeking the unusual experience of a wilderness Park. For almost 70 years I have hiked and climbed in the National Parks of Washington state and have a strong and continuing desire to maintain their integrity... I believe very strongly that continued protection of our wilderness National Parks depends on the active support of visitors, hikers, and climbers who act as champions for our National Parks. If we make access substantially more difficult we reduce the number of visitors and ultimately the numbers of citizens and taxpayers who know enough about these parks to want to protect them. Sincerely Daniel J. Evans, U.S. Senator 1983-1989.

"of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt" - John Muir "the wild is not the opposite of cultivated. It is the opposite of the captivated” - Vandana Shiva
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puzzlr
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puzzlr
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PostWed Dec 28, 2016 1:39 am 
Well deserved. I'm grateful that Dan Evans shut down plans for a Middle Fork dam after 13 years of controversy. This action with significant impact today isn't even mentioned in his HistoryLink bio. The impetus for the dam was the huge 1959 flood, the biggest since non-natives have been living and building structures in the Snoqualmie flood plain.
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trestle
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PostWed Dec 28, 2016 11:27 am 
RodF wrote:
Although repairs were completed two months ago, it remains gated closed by the Park.
The Park and its road crews! rant.gif Quite possibly the worst staff and program in the entire NPS.

"Life favors the prepared." - Edna Mode
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