Recovery Update: Progress Being Made!

Significant progress is being made to reestablish public access to Mount Rainier National Park. To date, more than 45 work parties have been organized, with roughly 400 volunteers giving more than 3,000 hours to storm recovery. Thanks to everyone for all the great work.

The second issue of Mount Rainier National Park's volunteer newsletter is now available! This issue will introduce the Student Conservation Association and other partners who are instrumental in helping make the most effective use of our volunteers. Plus, Mount Rainier has new volunteer opportunities to announce--including a 4th of July parade to march in! The newsletter can be found here.

Coalition Calendar Online!

Check out our new events calendar! On it the coalition posts information on upcoming volunteer events, activities and work parties.

There are many exciting ways to get involved. Washington Trails events are posted in light green, Student Conservation Association activities are in light blue while the Park Service are in dark green. Fundraisers and other events are in grey and dark blue.

Several events are already posted through the end of June. July and August activities will be up shortly. Check it out and get involved.

On a different note, the Park Service at Olympic National Park announced yesterday that it will reopen the Heart of the Hills campground on June 22nd. This is great news for anyone who enjoys the Hurricane ridge area of the park.

The campground had been closed since December 15th, due hundreds of trees blown down during the wind storm.

Reopening the campground is a major step in the storm recovery, according to Park Superintendent Bill Laitner.

National Trails Day, HUGE SUCCESS!

Last Saturday was National Trails Day. Nearly 300 people volunteered to repair trails, bridges and other facilities throughout Washington's National Parks and Forests damaged during last fall's storms. Work parties deployed throughout the Cascades and Olympic Mountain Ranges. In all more than 2,000 volunteer hours were donated, tons of rocks, wood, and other material were moved and thousands of yards of trail were brushed, regraded and replanted.

Additional information on the day can be found here. Click here for pictures from one work party at Mount Rainier.

The storm recovery coalition would like to thank everyone who turned out. We couldn't do our work without you.

Beyond the Storm

Last night the NW Storm Recovery Coalition hosted a town hall meeting to update the public on the current state of recovery efforts at Washington's National Parks. Roughly 70 people turned out on a beautiful Seattle night to hear recovery reports from the Superintendents of Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades National Parks. A big thank you to Representatives Norm Dicks and Dave Obey who also were in attendance and provided insight into the Park Service appropriations process.

Pictures from the event can be found here.

The Beyond the Storm event comes on the heels of tomorrow's National Trails Day. Coalition partners will lead several work camps to repair storm damage throughout Washington State.