Stehekin Road - Climber Access Editorial - Update

[Blake]

There's a bill in committee in congress, proposed by Rep. Doc Hastings, that would repair the Stehekin Road washout and restore a lot of great climber/hiker access. The Yakima Herald just ran an editorial in favor of the bill . Please let your congressional rep, and senators know your view on the issue! The bill goes before the House Committee on Natural Resources on Sept. 10. Washington members on the committee include Democrat Jay Inslee and Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers, so it's especially important to contact these two folks.

 

Doc steps up to the plate on Stehekin

 

August 4, 2009 by Scott Sandsberry

 

(Full Article Link)

 

The history in a nutshell: The pioneers built the old Stehekin Valley Road that follows the valley, overlooking the Stehekin River, well above the floodplain. In the 1930s, the feds came along with their infinite wisdom and transformed a critical 2 1/2-mile stretch of what the locals still call “the old wagon road” or “the detour road” into part of the then-new Pacific Crest Trail. Civilian Conservation Corps crews replaced that section of the road by running it down below, along the river … where it was bound to be washed out in time.

 

In 2003, that time came. After the flood washed out a chunk of the road, the Park Service promptly abandoned the road above that washout.

 

This bill would have the PCT, not the road, down along river’s edge. The road should never have been moved in the first place, and Hastings’ bill would allow the National Park Service to rectify a long-ago wrong — because the way the law is now, that road can’t be put back where it should have been all along.

 

The road cannot be moved, because of the wording in the 1988 Wilderness act. (This despite the fact that the 1988 act’s author, former senator and governor Dan Evans, has written in support of Doc’s bill to say the intent of the act was never to prevent this kind of problem-solving solution.) Doc’s bill would allow the road to be moved to its proper place — as originally built above the flood plain — and allow access to areas that, until then, will remain unseen by most of the Wilderness lovers who might otherwise enjoy them.

 

 

 

[prole]

Roads like this are just bolts writ large.

[Fairweather]

Good post. Thanks for the info!

[Off_White]

Thanks for the heads up Blake.

[goatboy]

Why is this in Spray?

[billcoe]

Why is this in Spray?

 

We must assume it would be because of the inevitable insane and inane Raindawg rant/Clown postings/personal attacks which must soon accompany it. I mean, if he finds bolts disturbing, he'll be real pissed at this large earthmoving project. Good luck to you all in getting the gov't turned backasswards again, thanks for the heads up Blake.

 

[Off_White]

I think the point in posting it here is for the sake of more exposure. Many more people read Spray than the Access Forum.