Completing the Park: The American Alps Legacy Project

Oddly enough, most visitors to the North Cascades never actually enter the North Cascades National Park. The North Cascades Highway stays within the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and the scenic highway corridor to the east, which is outside the jurisdiction of the National Park Service. The only car-accessible area of the park is along the upper Cascade River Road leading to the Cascade Pass trailhead.

The beautiful 30-mile scenic Highway 20 corridor from Ross Lake to Early Winters did not receive the long-term protection from development that comes with park designation. Important lowlands, like the Cascade River valley, were excluded from the park. Several pristine valleys including Thunder and Big Beaver Creeks were designated as part of the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, instead of park.

Permanent Protection Is Needed

Completing the park is not an abstract goal. Major portions of the study area are protected only by administrative provisions of the National Forest Service that can be changed by future administrations. Additional protections are needed to assure a permanent and fully functioning North Cascades ecosystem, as well as all the other amenities we have come to appreciate.

Upper Snowy Lake (L) marks one of the true headwaters of the Skagit River in the US. Just beyond, the snowfields below Mt. Hardy mark the true headwaters of the Methow River--a critical area by any measure. The entire area is unprotected.

Watershed protection and wildlife conservation are among the driving forces for park completion. One of the most cost effective ways to preserve and restore the Puget Sound is to fully protect headwater streams in the North Cascades, such as Granite Creek, Canyon Creek, and the upper Cascade River (all in the American Alps study area). Lowland forests are critically important as over wintering habitat for mountain goats, elk, deer, wolves, cougars, and other species. Spotted owls and marbled murrelets nest in lowland old growth forests.

New conservation threats have also arisen in the past four decades. Energy shortages and high costs are prompting calls for hydropower dams that threaten pristine rivers and streams. Wind farms are becoming economically viable and could come to dominate scenic views in North Cascades mountain passes, as they have in the San Bernadino Mountains. Global warming is disrupting natural wildlife habitats and travel corridors, threatening the movement and survival of some species in the North Cascades. Shrinking glaciers are reducing water availability, threatening fresh water habitats for salmon, and prompting calls for new water storage dams in the North Cascades.

Recreation Opportunities Must Be Preserved

Recreation is also an essential aspect of the North Cascades National Park. Major Puget Sound population increases may overrun the limited recreation resources available in the North Cascades. Hiking, wildlife viewing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, and climbing are all extremely popular. Opportunities for these outdoor activities must be preserved and expanded in the North Cascades. Incompatible uses, such as downhill skiing and motorized recreation, are also popular and are slowly encroaching on pristine non-motorized recreation areas adjacent to the current park.

The North Cascades National Park also provides unparalleled opportunities for economic development in adjacent gateway communities. Businesses in the Skagit and Methow Valleys could prosper with greater state, national, and international awareness of the North Cascades National Park and its recreation amenities. Green jobs in this new recreation-based economy can replace those lost from extraction-based economies of past decades.

A New Campaign

N3C is committed to a community-based approach to conservation. Partnering with other conservation and recreation groups will strengthen park advocacy. Carefully assessing the land (i.e., ground truthing) and obtaining background information on alternative land uses and values will strengthen the park proposal. Building bridges with economic interests and addressing the concerns of other stakeholders will facilitate broad community support for park completion. Securing public feedback on the park proposal will help mobilize support for change. All of these are in our plan of action.

Much progress has already been made toward completing the North Cascades National Park. The map gallery shows the American Alps study area. The American Alps study area includes only public lands. Ground truthing of these public lands is nearly complete and extensive information has been collected on other uses and values associated with the study area. New partnerships are being established with multiple conservation and recreation groups. Outreach with local elected officials and other community leaders has been initiated.