Your National Forests- Winter/Spring 2009 by National Forest Foundation

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ppp'gZmbhgZe_hk^lml'hk` WINTER – SPRING 2009

THE THIRSTY

WEST:

WILL THERE BE

WATER?

GOING TRO ICAL THIS WINTER ON EL YUNQUE

THE “I CAN T BE IEVE I MISSED THIS!” CORNER OF OREGON H ? ? B < B : E F :@: S B G > H ? M A > G :M B H G : E ? H K > L M ? H N G =:M B H G

Join the thousands of volunteers who play a part in helping to care for your National Forests ... everyday. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re one of the millions who love to camp, hike, ski, hunt, fish, or paddle, we invite you to stay informed and get involved.

BE A FRIEND

These forests belong to each of us. With use comes a responsibility to care for your National Forests. How will you exercise that responsibility? As a Friend of the Forest, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll show you how. Become a Friend of the Forest at www.nationalforests.org.

www.nationalforests.org Learn more about The National Forest Foundation at www.nationalforests.org.

nationalforests.org

INSIDE THIS EDITION

Campaign for National Forests

DEPARTMENTS 5 Volunteer Perspective Great Burn Study Group

6 Tree Spotlight Lodgepole pine

8 Forest News

Updates from our National Forests

10 Online Guide

New National Forest Foundation Web site and other great sites to visit

Top Left Photo by Sheila Broumley / iStockPhoto

4 Welcome

Top Right Photo by Aleksandar Kolundzija / iStockPhoto; Center Photo by U.S. Forest Service, Bugwood.org

Main Photo by Gene Lee / iStockPhoto

INTRODUCTIONS

Water demands challenge our National Forests

Tropical reprieve in El Yunque National Forest

Winter Photography Tips Tips for capturing winterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s beauty

15 Outdoor Health

Myths about cold weather

22 Donor Profile

Forests inspire giving

Mountain pine beetle plagues the West

26 Field Reports

National Forest Foundation partners in action

28 Ski Conservation Fund One dollar goes a long way

30 Rooms with a View Cabin and fire lookouts in the winter

Oregonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not-to-be-missed Wallowa-Whitman National Forest

YOUR NATIONAL FORESTS Official Magazine of the National Forest Foundation Editor-in-Chief Laura Henning Consulting Editor John Frandsen Contributors Sarah Bates, Beverly Dupree, John Frandsen, Chris Henning, Laura Henning, Adam Liljeblad, Meghan McGuire, Mary Mitsos, William J. Possiel, Jennifer Schoonen, Buck Tilton

32 Forest Perspectives

Changes in Lyman Glacier

Graphic Artist Jennifer Frandsen, Old Town Creative Communications, LLC

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Business Development Jeff Olson 406-542-2805, x17

NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION Building 27, Suite 3, Fort Missoula Road Missoula, Montana 59804 406-542-2805 We welcome your letters and feedback, however, we cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts or materials. ÂŠ 2008 National Forest Foundation and Old Town Creative Communications, LLC. No unauthorized reproduction of this material is allowed.

ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO ÂŠ David Jensen (www.djensenphotography.com) An old minerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cabin at the Lostine River headwaters in the Eagle Cap Wilderness Area. The metal roof and glacier-polished granite slab the cabin sits upon account for its preservation (similar cabins elsewhere in the region arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t in such good shape). The wheelbarrow leaning against the cabin almost suggests that the miners might return at any moment.

Your National Forests Magazine is printed on recycled paper with 30% post-consumer content. This magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FSC certification ensures the highest environmental and social standards have been followed in the wood sourcing, paper manufacturing and print production of this magazine. To learn more log on to www.fsc.org.

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WELCOME

VOLUNTEER PERSPECTIVE

FORESTS By Bill Possiel, NFF President

What is your favorite tree and why? Years ago while sitting with a group of colleagues under a native white oak in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, I learned that every person in the group had a favorite tree. While our favorites may change over the years as we are introduced to new forests and species, we share strong memories and emotions about our preferred trees. My favorite tree is the Port Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana), which I encountered for the first time 30 years ago while driving east out of Coos Bay, Oregon. The Port Orford is not a true cedar, but rather a cypress, and to this day I can close my eyes and picture the color, texture, and wide open understory that is characteristic of the Port Orford cedar’s forest type. Today in the wild, the species is seriously threatened by a root disease caused by an introduced fungal pathogen, which is spread primarily through human movement. Faced with increasing pressure from insects, disease, invasive plants and standeliminating fires—all exacerbated by climate change—our favorite trees and forest types require our attention and warrant our support to maintain their vitality. The National Forest Foundation is responding to this unprecedented challenge by establishing a campaign to care for our National Forests—Treasured Landscapes, Unforgettable Experiences.

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National Forest Foundation Building 27, Suite 3, Fort Missoula Road Missoula, Montana 59804 406-542-2805 William J. Possiel, President Mary Mitsos, Vice President Jeff Olson, Vice President Board of Directors Executive Committee Chairman, David Bell Operating Advisor Pegasus Capital Advisors (NY) & Advisor to Google Inc. Vice Chairman, Craig R. Barrett Chairman, Intel Corporation (AZ) Vice Chairman, John Hendricks Founder and Chairman, Discovery Communications, Inc. (MD) Treasurer, Bradley K. Johnson CFO, Recreational Equipment Inc. (WA) Secretary, Timothy Proctor Schieffelin Greenwich (CT) Committee Member, Peter Foreman Sirius LP (IL) Tiki Barber, Chairman, Tiki Ventures, LLC (NY); Hal Brierley, Chairman and CEO, Brierley+Partners (TX); Coleman Burke, President, Waterfront Properties (NY); Robert Cole, Partner, Collins Cockrel & Cole, P.C. (CO); Robert Feitler, Chairman of the Executive Committee, Weyco Group, Inc. (IL); Scott Fossel, Jackson (WY); Lee Fromson, Vice President of Gear and Apparel, Recreational Equipment Inc. (WA); Robert Katz, CEO, Vail Resorts (CO); Gail Kimbell, Chief, U.S. Forest Service (DC); Jeff Kohnstamm, President, Timberline Lodge (OR); David E. McIntyre, Vice President, Retired, Westvaco Corporation (SC); Jeff Paro, CEO, InterMedia Outdoors (NY); Susan Schnabel, Managing Director, Credit-Suisse (CA); Chad Weiss, Managing Director, JOG Capital Inc. (WY) The official magazine of the National Forest Foundation, Your National Forests Magazine, is published twice yearly by Old Town Creative Communications, LLC and the National Forest Foundation. Copyright © 2008 Your National Forests Magazine, Old Town Creative Communications, LLC and National Forest Foundation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in U.S.A. on 100% recycled paper containing 30% post-consumer content and using Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Certified paper and processes that adhere to the highest social and environmental standards. Please recycle or pass on to a friend.

Photos Courtesy of Great Burn Study Group

A CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL

This conservation campaign will revitalize our forests and strengthen our connection to the outdoors. It will allow Americans to get directly involved in the stewardship of our National Forests, while providing a vehicle for charitable foundations, corporations, and individuals to invest in the places that enrich our lives and provide important ecosystem services. As we initiate this campaign, two new corporate partnerships are significantly helping our effort by investing in tangible action and informing the American public about the importance of restoring forest resources that benefit us all. Plow & Hearth, a national retailer that carries unique products for the home, garden, and hearth, has created the Campaign to Reforest America which is providing generous support for our forest restoration activities. Through this campaign, Plow & Hearth will plant a tree for every order placed by their customers. The campaign will help reforest sites on the San Bernardino National Forest in California, the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan, and the Ocala National Forest in Florida, improving areas damaged by wildfire, enhancing wildlife habitat and revitalizing longleaf pine stands. Another corporate partner, Intelligent Global Pooling Systems (iGPS), is an innovator in the pallet industry that has reduced transportation costs and the wasteful use of wood by developing a durable, light and recyclable pallet. The company has made a commitment to help reforest several sites in the National Forest System by making a donation to the NFF every time an iGPS pallet is rented. Over the course of two years, we aim to plant at least 100,000 seedlings through this program, beginning with an area on the San Bernardino National Forest that was damaged by wildfire. In this era of heightened environmental awareness, we all want to know what we can do now to improve the condition of America’s backyard, our National Forests and Grasslands. Through our Friends of the Forest® initiative, we are offering a unique opportunity for the public to get involved and make a difference. And through the leadership of companies like Plow & Hearth and iGPS, we are initiating a forest restoration campaign that will yield benefits today and far into the future.

GREAT BURN STUDY GROUP: PROTECTING

OUR BACKYARD WILDERNESS In August 1910, the largest wildfire in recorded American history roared across two million acres in just over two days, forever changing the physical and social landscape of this Idaho and Montana border region. The area still bears the striking visual and ecological remnants of this massive fire, leading to the name “the Great Burn”. The 275,000-acre Great Burn area is part of a 1.8 million-acre complex of wild lands. The area is a critical wildlife corridor connecting the Selway-Bitterroot Ecosystem and the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. It contains nine designated or recommended Wild and Scenic Rivers and 42 Forest Service inventoried Roadless Areas within the Lolo, Clearwater and Idaho Panhandle National Forests. The Great Burn Study Group (GBSG) was formed in 1971 to protect this remote landscape of forests, rivers, mountains and wildlife. GBSG’s mission is two-fold and straight-forward: to achieve Wilderness designation for the Great Burn area and to conserve its wild and remote character. The first is long-term and complicated, but the second is at the forefront of our organization’s work.

By Beverly Dupree

GBSG looks for collaborative solutions to land management problems—solutions that preserve the ecological integrity of the lands while respecting the social and economic needs of the towns surrounding them. We maintain productive relationships with varied interests including those in timber and recreation. Our programs combine traditional grassroots work with a mainstream approach to building support for wild lands—moving beyond conservationists “talking to each other” to engaging the wider community. Through pragmatic work with citizens, elected officials, and agency decision makers, we have successfully helped steward this wild area. If you haven’t heard of the Great Burn Study Group, you’re not alone. Since we started thirtyseven years ago, we’ve maintained a low-profile. We don’t have a Web site, we don’t hold fancy fundraising events, and we don’t pursue the press. What we do is “sweat.” We work from the ground up; we know the land and we speak and act from the heart. GBSG has a strong on-the-ground presence in the Great Burn and in surrounding Roadless Areas through Forest Stewards, our year-round volunteer monitoring program. Forest Stewards monitor wildlife, vegetation, recreation and user impacts, specifically working on projects such as carnivore studies, whitebark pine inventories, and weed treatments. In 1999, we started with 12 volunteers. Last year, 250 volunteers helped make direct improvements to the forests. Although many of GBSG’s volunteers are older, we’ve had great success with programs targeted toward children and adolescents. We partnered with the local YWCA’s Girls Understanding Their Strengths (GUTS!) program to add community service and

GUTS! taking a break from trail work while backpacking in the Great Burn

adventure components. This year, two crews of GUTS! gals spent several days backpacking in the Great Burn while helping to rehabilitate a portion of a heavily eroded trail. Last year, GBSG helped bridge the disconnect between younger children and nature by hosting a Friends of the Forest Day. Thirty fifth-graders from a rural elementary school participated in the day’s activities which combined hands-on land improvement activities with a poetry reading based on the place-based poetry of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder. GBSG is dedicated to protecting the ecological integrity of this singular place— and to understanding and respecting the values of others who live here. Beverly Dupree is GBSG’s policy and field studies director

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TREE SPOTLIGHT

LODGEPOLE PINE

THE UPS, DOWNS AND TWISTS OF A TENACIOUS TREE All great stories come with an unexpected bogs—though it always prefers full sun. It is twist, and this one is no exception. Our tree the only conifer native to both Alaska and tale begins in the Rocky Mountains, where Mexico. In the Rockies, where the lodgepole vast stands of lodgepole pine grow uniformly is more prevalent, the trees may reach 70-80 straight and tall—lined up as tightly as the feet tall and about two feet in diameter. bristles on a hairbrush. The tree’s tapering, The lodgepole’s design makes it both arrow-straight trunk made highly susceptible to perfect poles for early fire and other damaging Native Americans framing influences, but also quick their lodges and setting up to regenerate after standteepees. And so arose the eliminating impacts. common name, lodgepole Relatively thin bark pine. enables wildfire to easily But a look at the take its toll, but it is fire lodgepole’s Latin name, that also fuels rebirth. Pinus contorta, presents a Fire clears the weak, contradiction. How does a diseased or insect-ridden tree so valued for its straight Lodgepole pine cones trees, while heat from the stature get a name meaning flames melts the cones’ twisted or contorted? pitchy seal, causing them to open and release The answer lives along the Pacific Northwest their seeds. As the new seedlings rapidly coast. Here the coastal wind and salt spray take over denuded landscapes, they sprout mold a much different lodgepole pine—a into the doghair-thick, even-aged stands shorter, bent and twisted tangle of branches that eventually again become vulnerable to implied by the tree’s Latin designation. wildfire. Prominent in both the Rocky Mountain For centuries, the lodgepole has persisted West and the Pacific Northwest, the lodgepole on a cycle of boom and bust. By nature, the pine actually comes in four varieties each lodgepole is not meant to be a long-living unique to their location and environment. tree, thriving instead on stand-clearing The lodgepole pine’s adaptability allows it to disturbances, like wildfire. Yet, despite their grow in dry, sandy soils as well as water-logged aggressive and hardy nature, today the tree’s

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future looks uncertain. Scanning many mountainsides in the West, you’ll see rust-colored waves of dying trees spreading across the landscape. With the explosion of mountain pine beetle—bolstered by factors from fire suppression to climate change—the long-dominant lodgepole pine today is collapsing on a scale larger than ever before. (See p. 12 for more on the pine beetle epidemic.) Some argue this may be a natural cycle: the beetles have long played an integral role in prompting the sequence of die-off and rejuvenation that sustains healthy lodgepole forests, but that sequence still needs fire for cones to open and drop their seeds. For many people, the prospect of widespread lodgepole losses to beetle kill raises concerns about wildfire risk, not to mention diminished viewsheds, loss of wildlife habitat, and impacts on watersheds. A number of wildlife species roam these woods, seeking food and shelter, including squirrels, grouse, porcupines, deer and elk. Lodgepole forests also play a critical role in stabilizing soils and maintaining healthy watersheds. In the lodgepole die-off, forest communities see everything from their local economies to their quality of life at risk. The lodgepole pine’s use as teepee poles may have diminished, but today we still rely on the tree for diverse building uses— particularly as house logs, fence posts, utility poles, plywood and paneling. It has become a popular Lodgepole regrowth wood for craftsmen around after fire the country designing log furniture that adorns rustic lodges and resorts alike. In fact, many of these momand-pop businesses garner their log supply by culling dead and dying lodgepole from beetle-infested forests. Not commonly praised for its beauty, the lodgepole has made up for that fact with its

Photo by slworking2 / flickr

By Jennifer Schoonen

Main Photo by Chris Schnepf / University of Idaho / Bugwood.org; Center Photo by David T Gomez / iStockPhoto Top Right Photo by Paul Bolstad / University of Minnesota / Bugwood.org; Lower Photo by Steve Geer / iStockPhoto

Young lodgepole forest

resilience. The final twist in this story may not be in a name, but in a tree’s ability to rebound from the landscape-scale impacts of climate change, fire and insects. There are many reasons to hope for the lodgepole’s persistence. Seventy years ago, James E. Cole ranked the lodgepole’s spirit as reason number one: Although never large trees and not outstanding in any way excepting by the number of needles, lodgepole pines are, nevertheless, admired by mountaineers for their indomitable spirit in conquering and holding great expanses of inhospitable mountains, where evening memories of starlit skies seen through the blurred cloud of lodgepole pine foliage recur to brighten tedious days and to hasten the return to their midst.

THE CHAMP Located in California’s San Bernardino National Forest, the Champion lodgepole pine sprouted in about 1560—making it more than 440 years old. First named in 1963, the Champ is one of the largest known of its kind, stretching more than 100 feet tall and measuring nearly 20 feet in circumference. If you plan to visit the Big Bear Lake area, try out the short hike to see the Champ. For more information, visit: www.bigbearlake.net/hiking/#2 www.fs.fed.us/r5/sanbernardino/ recreation/hiking/ Looking up at the “Champ”

the National Forest Foundation would like to thank our new corporate partners:

EL PASO CORPORATION INTELLIGENT GLOBAL POOLING SYSTEMS INTERMEDIA OUTDOORS PLOW & HEARTH SOUTHWESTERN ENERGY STUBHUB

To learn how your company can get involved, call Jeff Olson, Vice President, Development at 406.542.2805 x 17

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FOREST NEWS

GUIDE FOREST MANAGEMENT

PRINCIPLES

A new policy will enable the Forest Service to address 21st century environmental issues more effectively and will guide forest management principles in virtually every region of the country. The directive focuses on factors such as adaptation to climate change; increased threats from wildfires, insects, pathogens, and invasive plants; and increased human usage of National Forests. The Forest Service hopes the guidelines will increase ecological resilience of National Forest System lands and associated resources. Healthy, resilient landscapes have a greater capacity to survive natural disturbances and large-scale threats, especially under changing and uncertain environmental conditions. www.fs.fed.us/restoration

Arkansas’ Buffalo River, a designated Wild & Scenic River

WILD & SCENIC RIVERS ACT TURNS 40 The Congressional Act that protects Wild and Scenic Rivers is having a birthday and many of the nation’s rivers are celebrating. Since its passage in 1968, the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act has protected 165 rivers and nearly 11,000 miles of river corridors in the United States. The Act predominately seeks to preserve the freeflowing nature of a river together with its adjacent environments. As a result of the Wild and Scenic

designation, many great rivers vital to our nation’s history are preserved for future enjoyment. The Missouri River explored by Lewis and Clark, the Tuolumne River loved by John Muir, and the Delaware, Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Rivers which cradled the American Revolution are a few of the noteworthy rivers that are protected by this visionary law. Find out if your favorite river is protected at www.rivers.gov.

SLIPPERY ELM BARK

Main Photo by David H. Lewis / iStockPhoto; Left Photo by G. Keith Douce, Univ. of Georgia, Bugwood.org; Slippery Elm Photos Courtesy of Daniel Boone National Forest

NEW POLICY TO

FOREST SERVICE ANNOUNCES

54 MILLION TO

CONSERVE AT-RISK FORESTS

In March, the Forest Service made available $54 million in grants for a voluntary land conservation program aimed at protecting 35 forests in 32 states. The Forest Legacy Program is designed to preserve working forests—those that provide clean water, forest products, fish and wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities. The program is the only federal grant program focused on the permanent protection of important private forestland. Most Forest Legacy Program projects are conserved through conservation easements, allowing landowners to keep their forestlands while protecting them from future development. Private

forest landowners are facing rising real estate prices, increased property taxes, and development pressure, resulting in conversion of forests to other land uses. “The Forest Legacy Program conserves open space which allows us to respond to climate change, improve water quality and flows, and connect children to nature,” said Forest Service Chief Abigail Kimbell. “The strength of the program is the cooperation between states, partners, and private landowners—all working together to protect environmentally and economically important forests that are threatened by conversion.” For a complete list of funded projects and information about the Forest Legacy Program, visit www.fs.fed.us/ cooperativeforestry/programs/loa/flp .

public lands in the eastern United States for decades, causing serious decline and even extinction of this plant in some forest areas. Other forest products commonly removed from National Forest lands include timber, mosses and lichens, wildflowers and rocks. The taking of natural resources from public land for resale is illegal without a permit. To read about theft in the Daniel Boone National Forest, visit the forest’s newsroom at www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone

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Damage to slippery elm trees from bark stripping.

FUNDED PROJECTS AS OF FEBRUARY 5, 2008

Alabama

10,127

Alaska

717

California

11,584

Colorado

541

Connecticut

7,347

Delaware

1,684

Florida

4,742

Georgia

13,790

Hawaii

37,055

Idaho

56,823

Illinois

493

Indiana

6,658

Iowa

1,339

Kentucky

2,661

Maine

646,896

Maryland

1,247

Massachusetts

5,822

Michigan Minnesota

The Forest Legacy Program aims to protect critical private forest lands through conservation easements.

THEFT INCREASING The market for slippery elm bark has theft on the rise on National Forest lands. The bark is in high demand as an herbal remedy to improve digestion and remove toxins from the body. The inner layer of the bark is also used as a soothing agent for gastrointestinal inflictions and skin irritations. The theft of natural resources from National Forest lands is nothing new. Ginseng has been illegally removed from

ACRES PROTECTED THROUGH

FOREST LEGACY PROGRAM

Slippery elm bark after stripped from trees.

Illegally collected slippery elm bark, confiscated on Daniel Boone N.F.

Tool marks left after bark has been stripped.

360 59,531

Montana

164,785

New Hampshire

214,824

New Jersey

5,413

New Mexico

5,132

New York North Carolina

44,669 6,515

Ohio

436

Oregon

Pennsylvania

2,918

Puerto Rico

2,704

Rhode Island

1,690

South Carolina

32,251

Tennessee

38,243

Utah

53,928

Vermont

60,711

Virginia

5,770

Washington

14,795

Wisconsin

54,772

TOTAL

1,579,348

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ONLINE GUIDE

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

WEB SITE UPDATE

The next time you visit the National Forest Foundation’s Web site ( www. nationalforests.org) you’ll notice some big changes. In addition to new graphics and an exciting interactive format, you’ll find lots of new features: Up-to-date news and information from our National Forests and Grasslands An online directory of National Forests and Grasslands, with mapping navigation and space for you to share your own National Forest experience Listings of volunteer activities you can participate in Detailed information on conservation issues the NFF is addressing and how you can help As always, our Web site is a one-stop location for you to research and learn about our National Forests and Grasslands. In addition, visitors can easily sign-up to become a free Friend of the Forest, learn about grant opportunities or make an online donation. “This new site is a comprehensive resource for our Friends of the Forest and anyone wanting information on National Forests,” said NFF President Bill Possiel. “We’ve structured the site to be user friendly and attractive, much like a visit to a treasured National Forest.”

* * * *

WWW.NATIONALFORESTS.ORG

CONNECTING TO YOUR

NATIONAL FORESTS ONLINE

Besides the new NFF Web site, there are many other sites to visit for information on National Forests. Forest Service Scenic Byways

The National Scenic Byways Program helps to recognize, preserve and enhance selected roads throughout the U.S. that are deemed significant in terms of breathtaking views, or archeological, cultural, or historic features. The Web site provides a directory of National Scenic Byways that meander through our National Forest System. Start planning your next road trip now by visiting www.byways.org/ browse/byways/usfs.html.

U.S. Forest Service

National Forest Maps

The Forest Service Web site ( www. fs.fed.us) provides comprehensive information about each of our 155 National Forests and 22 Grasslands. From this portal, you can learn about the Forest Service’s efforts to care for our treasured public lands, as well as the recreation and cultural opportunities you can explore in our National Forests and Grasslands.

Visit the National Forest Store for a bounty of maps to help you get the most out of your next trip to a National Forest. It is fun and practical to learn more about the National Forest you are visiting by reviewing its land features and trail markings. Check out the Forest Service maps at www.nationalforeststore.com. Recreation Pass

Forest Service Nat’l Avalanche Center

The Forest Service National Avalanche Center Web site ( www.avalanche. org/~nac) is a great resource to learn the basic steps of how to recognize and travel safely in avalanche terrain. The site has education tracks geared toward skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers, and snowmobiles. After learning how to navigate avalanche terrain safely, you can go on a virtual tour to test your avalanche skills.

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For just $80, you can gain access to the most beautiful places in our country with an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. The Pass is honored at all U.S. Forest Service, Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and Bureau of Reclamation sites that charge entrance fees, such as National Monuments, National Parks, and day-use recreation sites. Buy one today at store.usgs.gov/pass.

Photos (from top to bottom) by Bernhard Weber, Armin Mandic, AVTG, Michael Braun, Natalia Bratslavsky / iStockPhoto

NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION

TIPS FOR WINTER

PHOTOGRAPHY The onset of winter changes the landscape d dscape and the ways we enjoy the outdoors. s.. The same holds true when photographing ng g the profoundly beautiful winter landscapes p pes of our National Forests. Consider these e ese ideas for adapting your photographs s to the winter season:

Cold Saps Energy Cold weather quickly drains camera batteries. Be sure to carry spare batteries and, better yet, keep extra batteries stored warmly in your pockets. If you have a small digital camera, carry it in an interior pocket.

Warm Up Slowly As anyone who wears glasses can tell you, entering a warm room after being outside in the cold causes condensation on lenses. Prevent internal moisture in your camera by placing it in a sealable plastic bag before you come indoors and let the camera warm to room temperature before opening the bag.

Come Early, Stay Late Good lighting is the key to great pictures. The best time of day to shoot outdoors in the snow is either early morning or late afternoon, when the low sun will add dramatic shadows and contrast to your shots. Keep the sun at a right angle to your subject early or late in the day and behind you when the sun is high in the sky.

Correct Exposure If you’re photographing a scene that’s primarily white, set your camera to overexpose to make features brighter. Otherwise, the camera’s built-in meter will set the scene at a lower reflectance, which results in underexposure, making the snow look dirty. Another trick is to use your flash to brighten the shot.

Add C Contrast While capturing a pristine blanket of snow sounds appealing, it could lead to a boring photo. Look for objects that add color and contrast to the shot. A red barn, colored rocks, or a deep blue sky can all add compelling contrast and interest to a photo.

Respect the Residents One of the draws of National Forests are wildlife. If you’re photographing animals in the winter, be sure to stay far enough away from them not to alter their behavior. Food is scarce in the winter and they shouldn’t

have to expend scarce energy running away from you! Your best options for quality wildlife images come when you back away and take a shot using a zoom lens.

Seize the Day Winter scenes are dynamic—take the shot when you see it! The light frost dusting a barren tree may look good in the morning but will be gone by afternoon. The best photos come because you are ready for opportunities that may arise at any point in your outside experiences.

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By Laura Henning

Climate change, global warming, green house gases or natural cycles— call it what you will, warmer winter weather means more than just a lack of snow. The milder temperatures we are experiencing coupled with years of drought are allowing a tiny creature to proliferate across our western forests, leaving rust-colored vistas of dead trees in its wake and causing many people to see “red.” The mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), is often referred to as a “bark beetle” because it spends the majority of its one-year life under the bark of pine trees. Although it attacks a variety of native pines such as ponderosa, sugar and western white, it favors the lodgepole with its dense stands of eligible host trees. (See article on page 6 for more on the lodgepole.) The insect is native to the western U.S. and plays a crucial role in forest regeneration. It attacks and kills older, weaker trees in a stand, allowing new, healthy trees to emerge. In normal times, the beetle’s population is kept in check through natural predators and cold temperatures. However, when this natural balance changes, a beetle outbreak occurs—historically every 10 to 30 years. While these infestations are part of a forest’s life cycle, the size and scale of the current epidemic set it apart from previous ones. In 2007 alone, the beetle killed 4 million acres of trees across Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. By comparison, 2007 wildfires affected 4.25 million acres in the same states.

The problem isn’t confined to the United States. British Columbia, with its large expanse of lodgepole pine forests, is experiencing a similar beetle outbreak that has affected nearly 25 million acres.

A Perfect Storm

The current mountain pine beetle infestation arises from a “perfect storm” of forest conditions that have created an ideal environment for a wide-spread outbreak. First, drought conditions over much of the Western U.S. for the past decade have stressed aging forests, reducing trees’ defenses against the insect. In non-drought years, trees are better able to withstand beetle attacks by using water in their sap flow to rid themselves of the invaders. A second factor is warmer winter temperatures, which have caused a decline in the mortality of bark beetle larvae. Bark beetles have a natural antifreeze, which keeps them from freezing over the winter. But they can die during periods of extreme cold snaps—colder than 30 degrees below zero for up to two weeks. However, with the changing

Top Left Photo by Dave Powell, USFS; Center Photo Courtesy USFS Top Right Photo by Kenneth E. Gibson, USFS; Bottom Right Photo by Jeffrey J. Witcosky, USFS

Red

Background Photo Courtesy USFS; Tree Photo by Whitney Cranshaw

Seeing

Threats from Outbreak

climate, these episodes have become rare, allowing the insect to proliferate. The warmer temperatures are also allowing the beetle to move into higher elevations where they previously wouldn’t have survived. Finally, historical forest practices have played a part in the crisis. At the turn of the century, lodgepoles were used for railroad ties, mining and construction, which resulted in the clearing of many forests. The subsequent forest growth was protected by a policy of fire suppression, creating many lodgepole stands now approaching the 80-100 year-old mark—prime candidates for beetle attacks.

The first tell-tale sign of beetle infestation is also indicative of another looming threat: fire. “When the needles on the tree turn red, the fire risk is high,” said Robert Mangold, forest health protection director for the Forest Service. “Once the needles fall off, the danger goes down.” After ten years, the dead trees fall down, creating fuel load on the forest floor and again increasing the potential for large wildfires. These decaying trees have a very shallow root system, making them more susceptible to toppling in high winds. Falling trees create hazards that threaten public safety, especially in recreation areas. The high cost and labor necessary to treat these areas has forced the Forest Service to focus efforts on “high value” sites such as water sources, ski areas, campgrounds, roads, and wildland-urban interface areas.

No End in Sight

Although its progress can be slowed through practices such as thinning and pesticide applications, the beetle can’t be stopped. The current infestation will come to an end when habitat conditions become unfavorable—either through a serious cold snap or when the beetles run out of older trees to infest. When these events happen, the beetle populations will return to endemic (normal) levels. Current estimates place the damage induced by the beetle at 80 to 90 percent of the total lodgepole population. Clint Kyhl, bark beetle incident commander for the U.S. Forest Service, states that the current infestation in Wyoming and northern Colorado spans 1.5 million acres. He asserts that the beetle population will rapidly decline after killing most of the region’s 2.2 million acres of older lodgepole.

Volunteers work to clear a trail segment in a Wilderness Area near Dillon, Colorado.

“Our bottom line is to work on lessening the danger of falling trees and fire,” Mangold said. The strategy includes thinning trees along public roads as well as around power lines, utility corridors and microwave sites. Excessive dead trees in these areas could threaten activities both within and outside forest boundaries. This is apparent in Colorado and Wyoming, where 38 campgrounds were closed this past (story continued on page 14)

Pitch tubes can be seen on the bark of this tree along with boring dust at the foot of the tree.

Evidence of Attack Beetles create “pitch tubes” along the trunk where they enter a tree. These tubes resemble wads of bubblegum and are the tree’s defense against the beetle. A healthy tree is sometimes able to successfully ward off an attack by “pitching out” the beetles with its sap. However, drought-stressed trees cannot produce sufficient sap to ward off a mass attack. The presence of these pitch tubes, along with boring dust along the base of the tree are a sure sign that beetles have taken over. The attacking beetles carry a blue-stain fungus into the sapwood of the tree that blocks water absorption and reduces the tree’s pitch flow. The combined action of the feeding larvae and the introduced fungi kills the tree within a few weeks of the assault. The beetles also leave small holes in the bark when they exit the tree. Although the tree is dead at this point, its needles will remain green through the following winter. The needles fade to yellow in spring and turn red by late summer. Three to four years after the attack, the needles turn rusty brown and drop from the tree, leaving behind a gray skeleton.

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OUTDOOR HEALTH

Looking Ahead

While the current infestation creates shortterm hazards that threaten public safety, not all impacts of the epidemic are negative. It has brought together diverse groups of forest stakeholders to deal not only with the current outbreak, but also to develop strategies for reducing the size of future outbreaks and promoting overall forest health. Gary Severson from the Northwest Council of Governments in Colorado, one of the groups addressing the issue, states “Lodgepoles are stand-replacing trees that will always face these types of threats. Our job is to make sure that 100 years from now, our great-grandchildren aren’t facing the same challenge we are today.” Ultimately, the current mountain pine beetle outbreak will help thin old tree stands and encourage the growth of new species, allowing a healthier, more resilient forest ecosystem to emerge. Trees will grow again, creating the rich canopy of green conifers we’re accustomed to. Until then, forest visitors will have to take comfort in knowing that the red they see is simply a sign of nature at work.

Beetle Life Cycle The bark beetle life cycle begins in midsummer when adult mountain beetles leave the dead trees in which they developed to seek homes for the next generation. When a female beetle finds a suitable tree, she releases pheromones which attract both males and other females, igniting a coordinated mass attack on the tree. If the attack is successful, the beetles bore into the tree’s bark to mate and build egg galleries. Each beetle couple will produce about 75-100 eggs, which hatch into grublike larvae. The larvae tunnel away from the egg galleries, feeding on the phloem layer

of the tree—the layer under the bark that transports the tree’s nutrients. The larvae overwinter in the bark and transform into pupae in early summer. After a few more weeks spent under the bark, the mature adults emerge from the infested tree to seek and attack new host trees. In an epidemic cycle, one tree can produce enough beetles to kill ten additional trees.

Beetle larvae feeding on phloem

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Myth: Hypothermia kills you within minutes of falling into icy water.

Main Photo by Huburt Grüner Left Photo by Oleg Ivanov / iStockPhoto; Illustrations by Kemie Monolinea & appleuzr / iStockPhoto

Top Photo by Dave Powell, USFS; Left Photo Courtesy USFS; Bottom Right Photo by G. D. Amman, USFS

summer in the Arapaho-Roosevelt, White River and Medicine Bow National Forests. Crews consisting of hot shot fire crews, department of corrections inmates, and youth conservation corps helped clear trees surrounding these campgrounds, significantly changing the landscape and altering the recreation experience for many.

COLD WEATHER

By Buck Tilton

MYTHS & MISINFORMATION Your favorite forest beckons on a cold winter day. Heed the call, yes, and go prepared not only with the proper clothing and gear but also with the proper knowledge.

Myth: You lose most of your body heat through your head. If you haven’t heard this one, you probably haven’t dressed for the cold... ever. The amount of total body heat you can lose through your head, according to the myth, varies from half to as much as 85 percent. But your head accounts for only 10 percent of your total body surface! And, guess what, that’s exactly how much body heat you lose from your head—10 percent. You do not lose heat faster or more easily from your uncovered head. But 10 percent is more than enough to be concerned about, and ears and noses remain high on the list of favored sites for frostbite. Bundle up your noggin.

Myth: Drinking hot liquids warms you faster than drinking cold liquids. There should be little misunderstanding about hydration: you must be drinking to maximize internal heat production and to perform at your best. You need at least as much fluid in winter as in summer.

It is, however, almost impossible to drink enough hot liquid to raise the temperature of your body’s core. And you can drink cool water much faster than you can sip down a hot drink. Yes, there is a psychological lift gained from a warm mug, but don’t count on it to warm you up inside. Most of the time, drink cool or cold liquid, preferably water, to stay warm in winter.

Myth: A little nip of alcohol helps prevent cold injury. Sipping your favored alcoholic beverage on a winter trail might make you feel good, but it is dangerous outside in cold weather. Alcohol opens up blood vessels in your skin (the warm blush of drinking), but that encourages loss of heat from your skin. And alcohol lowers your core temp a bit. “Ah,” you say, “what if I’m dressed appropriately?” You might not lose a dangerous amount of heat if your skin is adequately protected, but you will lose the keen edge of mental sharpness. Save the toddy for chats by the fireplace at home, or at least until camp is well set and you only have to crawl to your sleeping bag. Even then, moderation in all things.

Those who die within minutes of plunging into deeply cold water drown: they panic, inhale, go down, and never come up. Hypothermia, the dangerous lowering of your body’s core temperature, takes at least a half hour to become a problem, even in ice water. Gordon Giesbrecht, Ph.D., the guru of cold-weather medical research, suggests using the first minute after an unintentional coldwater dunking to calm down and control your breathing. Then, he says, use the next 10 minutes trying to get out of the water. After 10 minutes, the cold will have sapped your ability to move usefully. If you can’t get out, try to relax and float. You have about an hour more of consciousness. Those wearing a personal flotation device might survive long enough to be rescued.

Myth: In a hard, cold wind, your skin freezes faster. Actually, this is partially true. High-speed wind dramatically lowers the temperature of your unprotected skin. And the faster the wind, the more quickly your skin cools. However, there is no incremental difference in the effect of wind on your skin at wind speeds over 40 miles per hour. But winds that high drive most people into shelter anyway. The myth is this: a cold wind can cause frostbite in temps above freezing. Wind increases the rate of heat lost, but it will not lower your skin temp below the ambient temperature. If the thermometer reads above freezing, a high wind can cause you great discomfort, but it will not freeze your skin.

Buck Tilton, MS, is the author of more than two dozen books including Wilderness First Responder, and is co-founder of the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS.

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UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

By Jennifer Schoonen

Share your favorite National Forest stories: Let us know about your unforgettable experiences in America’s National Forests. Whether it’s a place new or familiar, a family campout or a whitewater adventure— we’d love to feature your voice from the forest. Drop us a line at: editor@natlforests.org 16 RHNK G:MBHG:E ?HK>LML PBGM>K LIKBG@ +))2 ppp'gZmbhgZe_hk^lml'hk` Q

This small forest harbors 240 species of native trees, 150 species of ferns, and 50 species of orchids. In the damp and decaying undergrowth, more than 500 types of fungi—from mushrooms to wood ears—thrive. Like brilliant green fireworks, bromeliads of many varieties burst out of the trunks and branches of larger trees. Showy birds of paradise, pink impatiens, and spiky, orange-red lobster claws (Heliconia) provide pops of color amidst an emerald backdrop. El Yunque presents four forest types to explore: at lower elevations, 100-foothigh tree canopies overshadow giant ferns, while at the highest points, fierce winds, copious rain and low-hanging cloud cover create tangled patches of dwarfed trees and vegetation stunted by the harsh conditions. The palm forest dominates the steep slopes in between. Here the distinctive Sierra palms shoot bundles of tentacle-like prop roots into the ground, helping them cling

Photo Left by Jacom Stephens / iStockPhoto; Main Photo by Marilyn Nieves / iStockPhoto; Leaves by Khaong Hoang / iStockPhoto

“After a hike or walk through the tropical weather, it is refreshing in the summer months to cool off in the river’s clear pools or stand under a waterfall and feel the water pounding on my shoulders like a refreshing massage.” Victor Cuevas

When biologist Victor Cuevas laces up his hiking boots and hits the trail, his National Forest experience reflects little of what you’d expect. To reach his tropical setting and rushing waterfalls, you’d have to cross an ocean—but nevertheless, this destination is a long-time member of the National Forest System family. America’s only tropical rain forest, where Cuevas oversees visitor information services, is Puerto Rico’s Caribbean National Forest, otherwise known as “El Yunque.” At just 28,000 acres, El Yunque is America’s smallest National Forest, but packed with far more biological diversity than most. Set within the rugged Luquillo Mountains, this landscape receives more than 200 inches of precipitation each year. All that water nurtures a verdant jungle of dense foliage and bright flowers bisected by shadowy trails for the adventurous hiker. Rushing rivers lead to numerous waterfalls and settle into rocky pools that are popular cooling off spots for locals and visitors alike.

Top Photo by John Rodriguez / iStockPhoto; Tree Frog by Kris Hanke / iStockPhoto Waterfall by Blair Howard / iStockPhoto

TROPICAL REPRIEVE EL YUNQUE S WATER WORLD

El Yunque rainforest as seen from the Vieques ferry

“As I walk through the tropical rain forest here, “ the air seems to be bursting with sound, especially the bananaquits, Puerto Rican tody, and water thrushes overlapping with the sound of rushing water.” Small tree frogs are called “coquis.”

to cliffs and unstable soils. A journey with Victor Cuevas through El Yunque tantalizes the ears as much as the eyes. With 67 native bird species, visitors are apt to hear songs unlike any in mainland National Forests. A lucky few travelers may hear the squawks of the hidden treasure of this forest. El Yunque serves as the last stronghold of the endangered Puerto Rican parrot—a vivid green bird with a splash of red across its face—that now numbers fewer than 40 individuals in the wild. Nighttime offers its own spectacular symphony as dusk incites the high-pitched chirping “co-kee” serenade of thousands of coquis, which are tiny, native tree frogs. For the ultimate view, Cuevas might guide you up the trail to Mount Britton. The climb to the Mount Britton observation tower leads you through the Sierra palm forest, across bubbling streams and into the dwarfed, cloud forest. An old stone tower stands coated in orange lichens, beckoning you to the upper observation deck. From here, you can see much of El Yunque’s

Victor Cuevas varied forest landscape, a great portion of Puerto Rico, and both the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea. The hike itself offers a breadth of natural beauty—which is a good thing because the mountain’s frequent cloud cover limits the view from the top. “One of my favorite places is the Icacos River. I prefer quiet experiences with nature, and this area provides a very peaceful environment for me which is excellent for meditation,” says Cuevas. With a year-round tropical climate, 10,000 acres of designated rain forest wilderness, and three Wild and Scenic Rivers, El Yunque promises a memorable National Forest experience. If you want to savor the pools, flora and fauna of El Yunque firsthand, a good place to start is the El Portal Visitor Center in Rio Grande, approximately 25 miles from San Juan. Immersed in the rain forest, this visitor complex allows you to explore and study both the ground and canopy levels of the rain forest environment. To plan your trip or learn more, visit: www.fs.fed.us/r8/caribbean/

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FORESTS IN HOT WATER Climate change, water, and our National Forests by Sarah Bates

thirsty. And its limited water resources work very, very hard. Snow blankets the spine of the continent, melts into headwater streams that flow to mainstem rivers, and snakes through dry desert canyons on its way to the ocean. On its journey, the water is dammed and diverted, piped over great distances, and put to work to meet diverse and growing human needs. Western sage Wallace Stegner observed, “Water is the true wealth in a dry land; without it, land is worthless or nearly so.” Historically, many of the choices made about managing this precious resource have not adequately reflected its value. Legal rules developed during the Gold Rush provide important protection for established water users but do not take into account changing public values for water or the health of the rivers and aquifers from which water is drawn. Priorities for development often leave until too late consideration of the reliability of water supplies to serve new residents—let alone a meaningful analysis of the impacts of obtaining water from various sources. At the heart of the matter, as Marc Reisner artfully observed in his book Cadillac Desert, Westerners have lived in a state of denial about the region’s aridity, establishing a society whose “very existence is premised on epic liberties taken with water.” Today, it appears, the bill for this extravagance is coming due, and Westerners face important choices about how to live in an arid landscape. There is no doubt that our National Forest lands will play a crucial role in addressing the pressures facing a warming West.

Main Photo by Mike Dabell / iStockPhoto; Right Photo by Eric Foltz / iStockPhoto

The American West is

Forests for Water

Ask the average person about the main product of our National Forests, and you’re likely to hear, “wood.” In fact, a University of California study of National Forests in the Sierra Nevada found that the most valuable commodity resource they produced was water. National Forest lands are the largest single supplier of water in this nation. Sixty-six million Americans rely on National Forests for their water supplies. In the current parlance of “ecosystem services,” watersheds are superstars. Forested lands capture and hold winter snow more effectively than the largest manmade reservoirs. Their absorbent soils work like a sponge as the snow melts in the spring— providing a natural cleansing filter, replenishing underground aquifers, and regulating runoff to prevent floods and erosion and to ensure water flows during the warmer and drier seasons later in the year. Trees and other forest vegetation along streams provide shade to cool the water for native fish, as well as protective cover and nesting habitat for riparian wildlife. In fact, the National Forest reserves were established more than a century ago “to protect and enhance water supplies, reduce flooding, secure favorable conditions of water flow, protect the forests from fires and depredations, and provide a continuous supply of timber.” Gifford Pinchot and his cadre of professional foresters knew that headwaters country required careful management—and that the waters flowing from the high elevation forests would sustain diverse human and environmental needs. Not that it was entirely clear how this relationship worked. In the early days, curious beliefs about climate and hydrology prevailed. For example, one of the ideas of encouraging shelter-belt cultivation in the Great Plains was the notion that planting trees would bring increased rainfall. That idea—similar to the widely held notion that “rain follows the plow”—was disproved after tragic failures of dryland agriculture during recurring droughts. Further research and experimentation revealed a complex relationship between streamflows and such factors as forest cover, fire patterns, timber management, and road construction. Watershed protection and restoration are now top priorities in Forest Service management and planning. Today, just as late 19th century droughts and early 20th century wildfires challenged assumptions of settlers and resource managers, new and emerging information about climate change are forcing a hard look at water

resources and the role of forests in watershed protection. Before considering the newest challenges, it’s important to understand a little more about the larger fabric of the conversation. With apologies to Raymond Carver, it’s what we talk about when we talk about water.

Western Water Wars

According to Nevada State Archivist Guy Rocha, Mark Twain did not actually say that “Whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting over,” although that quote is persistently attributed to him. “If Twain didn’t say it,” Roch remarks, “he should have.” No less a truisim (and equally difficult to attribute) is the oft-repeated saying that “Water flows uphill to money.” Indeed, water—and the mighty battles and empire building inspired by its scarcity in the West—has sparked its own literature, legal and technical disciplines, and cultural traditions. No one, it seems, is dispassionate about water. Today’s water disputes are deeply rooted in historical circumstances and practices. Rules governing water use trace back to the mining camps of the 19th century. They have evolved over time. Modern water law includes a strong federal regulatory component, some level of protection for instream flows, and consideration of public values for water and related resources. Despite these changes, western water policy remains fundamentally anchored in the idea that water will be available wherever and whenever it is needed. The ambitious spirit of the Reclamation Era lives on in the multi-pronged efforts of Las Vegas to obtain water to satisfy one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in the United States. At the right price, the thinking goes, there is always more water to be had. And, with very few exceptions, that has so far been true. Today, several new realities in this region are challenging old assumptions. The West is the fastest-growing region in the country, and six of the 10 fastest-growing states are located in the persistently water-short Colorado River Basin. Most of the region’s water withdrawals are for agricultural irrigation, but an increasing share is devoted to watering bluegrass lawns and filling the swimming pools of Sunbelt migrants. And, although western cities have embraced conservation programs and waterwise landscaping in a big way, several western states have per capita water use rates far above the national average.

“Water is the true wealth in a dry land; without it, land is worthless or nearly so.”

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Low Flows, Hot Forests

A growing body of scientific studies in recent years concludes that global climate changes are already impacting western water resources. One consortium of experts on the subject— the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC—reports that the earth as a whole is warming, and that average Northern Hemisphere temperatures during the second half of the 20th century were very likely higher than during any other 50-year period in the last 500 years and likely the highest in at least the past 1,300 years. All currently available predictions agree that this warming trend will continue, and that drought and wet years will become more extreme. The IPCC’s most recent report stated with “high confidence” that arid and semi-arid areas such as the American West “are particularly exposed to the impacts of climate change and are projected to suffer a decrease of water resources due to climate change.” We’ve all seen dramatic photos of glaciers retreating in high mountain settings, but the impacts of a warming world are showing up in our own backyards. In my hometown of Missoula, Montana, rivers dropped and warmed dramatically in the hot and record-breaking summer of 2007, prompting widespread closures to fishing and boating. Extreme temperatures and dry conditions sparked fires in nearby National Forests that darkened our skies and closed popular open space to all recreation. We were cranky, suffering from summertime cabin fever. While there is some disagreement, many predict more of this, with serious impacts on the water flowing through our National Forests. Likely changes include: snowlines, with more *Higher-elevation precipitation falling as rain instead of snow in the winter, and earlier, “flashy” runoff patterns;

and erosion during high runoff *Flooding events, causing murkier rivers and damaging riparian habitat;

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streamflows during the hottest months *Low of the summer and early fall, with related fish kills and water quality problems;

forest conditions with more insect *Drier infestations, leading to larger and more

frequent forest fires, which in turn increase sedimentation and remove shading vegetation along streams.

Perhaps the most important point to draw from climate scientists’ work and related scientific reflections is that climate change challenges our fundamental assumptions about the conditions around us. This is especially important in the world of water management, which bases projections for future water supplies on past hydrological conditions. It may well be that what were considered extreme drought or flood conditions in the past are now the “new normal,” demanding a nimble approach to management that our current policies are ill-equipped to support. Recall the discussion earlier about the nature of water wars—and that was based on an assumption that historical conditions would continue. Even with last winter’s abundant snowpack, the region’s thirst continues to grow. Climate scientists caution the public and policy makers not to confuse “weather” with “climate,” pointing out that the larger trends of warming and drying will not be reversed by a single year or two of normal precipitation. And they caution that the impacts are likely to get worse, regardless of the laudable efforts now underway to reduce greenhouse gases and take other mitigation measures. There is a “lag time” to the impacts of current emission levels, so the warming trends are likely to continue for decades to come. Our grandchildren and their progeny hope that small fact will not derail our motivation to take action to ensure a livable planet in 50 or 100 years. But, in the meantime, the realities of near-term changes demand action.

Tending the Waters

The first important step in addressing climate change impacts is simply to acknowledge this area of concern. This sounds simple, but as recently as 2000, a substantial Forest Service report on water in our National Forests contained no references to climate change or variability. Happily, that is changing. The current Chief of the Forest Service, Abigail Kimbell, has laid out three emphasis areas for the agency: climate change, kids and nature, and water. A bulletin issued by the agency in June 2008 announces a forthcoming report on the subjects. “Actions

Left Photo by Dave Logan / iStockPhoto; Right Photo by Reuben Schulz / iStockPhoto

In brief, the region’s limited water supplies are already in short supply and are sought out by more and more people moving in. What could possibly make the situation tougher? The answer: Warming temperatures and diminished water supplies. The sky is not falling, but our atmosphere is changing. And, as John Muir stated more succinctly than our Nobel-winning climate scientists, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”

taken now can minimize potential negative impacts and unlock new opportunities,” the bulletin concludes, and “they must include a focus on water.”

restoration of rivers and their environs to insure continued benefits from their essential ecosystem services. We’re seeing positive movement in this direction. The Washington Water Trust, It may well be that what were for example, works with communities to mitigate the impact of new development by considered extreme drought or purchasing water rights from existing users and converting them to instream flows. ood conditions in the past are Last spring, the California now the “new normal,” demanding Assembly debated legislation 2153) that would take this a nimble approach to management idea(A.B. to a much grander scale, calling for virtually all water required for new growth that our current policies are to be fully offset with water-use efficiency ill-equipped to support. in existing buildings or development of new climate resilient water supplies such as water What sorts of actions might this include? recycling—in other words, a “no net depletion” The agency proposes a strategy that includes: mandate. We will see more of this. Reining in our Preparing for change by including climate water appetite is the cheapest and easiest change scenarios in forest planning and by source of “new” water for the future, and has identifying watersheds at risk for impacts. the benefit of mitigating our carbon footprint. Moving water from its source to where Advancing and sharing knowledge about people live is tremendously energy-expensive, water and climate change through improved consuming electricity from sources such as data gathering, research, and cooperation coal-burning power plants, which contribute between resource managers and scientists to to climate change and end up exacerbating keep track of changes on the ground. the problem. Managing for resilience and adaptability, At the same time, we will also see more with an emphasis on restoring degraded aggressive efforts to advance technologies to ecosystems to reestablish natural processes reduce waste and stretch our limited water and ecosystem services that will help respond supplies further. Although the “go-go” decades to changing conditions. of dam-building and ambitious reclamation projects are past, new uncertainties about Supporting entrepreneurial initiatives, precipitation and streamflows likely will making better use of demonstration projects require creative new approaches to water to learn about adaptive responses to new storage and re-use. Think underground conditions. reservoirs and “water banks” holding deposits Connecting with partners and the public made during wet times for withdrawal later. to encourage water conservation and largerNational Forests—our nation’s waterscale management responses that reach shed—will play a crucial role in helping us across traditional boundary lines. respond to climate change. Their legacy of conservation, culture of stewardship, and On the last point, I’m reminded of an experience with innovative partnerships can observation I heard from King County, help guide us toward a more sustainable water Washington executive, Ron Simms. “When future. it comes to responding to climate change,” he remarked, “there are no solo acts.” Sarah Bates has written extensively about natural The key take-away message about climate resources law and policy, ranging from the book change and water is that we need to make far Overtapped Oasis: Reform or Revolution for Western better use of this precious resource, stop taking Water with Marc Reisner in 1990 to recent law review it for granted, and take every possible measure articles and reports on strategies to integrate land use to make sure that the water flowing in forest and water decisions. This article was adapted from streams continues to flow. an essay originally published on Headwaters News on This likely will require some reforms to March 8, 2008, parts of which have also appeared in the laws and policies that guide water use— her blogs on ScienceProgress.org encouraging more efficient use of alreadydeveloped water, more thoughtful and watersensitive land use planning and development decisions, and meaningful protection and

* * * * *

National Forest lands are the largest single supplier of water in this nation. Sixty-six million Americans rely on National Forests for their water supplies.

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DONOR PROFILE

OREGON’S

NFF donor Elizabeth Hartwig gets her “spiritual

“END OF THE ROAD”

Main Photo by Andy Kunkle

Dodd Creek, on the Chattahoochee National Forest

WALLOWA-WHITMAN NATIONAL FOREST By Meghan McGuire

food” from frequent hikes in the North Georgia mountains.

“I really value the feeling I get from being outside...”

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Sheep Photo hoto by Paul Tessier / iStockPhoto iStockP Photo

INSPIRE GENEROSITY

Ph Pho Phot ho oto ob byy Ma M Marc Shandr S Sh handr an and nd dro, dr ro, Creat ative ve Commons, 2. 2.0 .0 0

NORTH GEORGIA FORESTS

Thunderous rushing waters urge hikers up the trail along Dodd Creek, as waterfall after waterfall speak the promise of the jackpot to come. Here in North Georgia’s hardwoods, spring is colored by lavender asters, pink geraniums, and snowy white trillium, while fall glows red with sourwood trees. In all seasons, the Raven Cliffs Falls trail lures many hikers out of Atlanta for the breathtaking journey along Dodd Creek and the awesome culmination of that journey. At trail’s end, Raven Cliffs Falls plummets through a deep crevice in the 90-foot-high cliffs, galloping in cascades to the bottom. This wild place is inspiring to many— including 37-year-old Elizabeth Hartwig, who has steered her inspiration toward helping to protect and enhance forest landscapes like Raven Cliffs. For the past few years, Elizabeth has pledged a portion of her salary to the National Forest Foundation, making regular gifts every few months. Now the director of purchasing for a food service company in Atlanta, Elizabeth grew up on 25 acres outside of Chicago. She always enjoyed the outdoors, and today nurtures her outdoor spirit on the trails of the Chattahoochee National Forest— naming the Raven Cliffs Falls hike as her favorite. “I really value the feeling I get from being outside,” Elizabeth says, particularly the “sense of calmness” it brings. While protecting places she can enjoy today is a priority, Elizabeth donates out of a dedication to passing on this legacy of wild places to future generations. In her long-term commitment, she has also found her regular support of a personally meaningful cause can be as fulfilling as a walk in the woods. Elizabeth says, “I believe that other aspects of my life have become enriched by giving.”

Walllowa Mountains, Oregon

Compared to the distinctive look of Crater Lake, or the massive ski industry atop Mount Hood, the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Eagle Cap Wilderness Area is little known or marketed to the masses. However, to the communities that surround this pristine glacial landscape, and for the visitors who come back every year, this under-the-radar region is a conspicuously special place. The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and Eagle Cap Wilderness area covers 2.3 million acres in the Northeast corner of Oregon and a small section of Idaho. Morphed into its current form in 1954 by a combination of President Roosevelt’s Wallowa Forest Reserve and Whitman National Forest, this jaw-dropping landscape of sharp granite mountains, massive glacial lake and moraine, and

series of winding rivers is both literally and figuratively Oregon’s “end of the road.” Trout and steelhead are abundant in local waterways, while deer, Rocky Mountain elk, big horn sheep, black bear, cougar and an occasional rare wolverine wander through the craggy peaks and old-growth forests. Hunters, anglers, skiers and campers all appreciate this land and its inhabitants during their prime seasons.

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TREASURED LANDSCAPES

HISTORIC TRAIL The desperate and circuitous route the Nez Perce used in their attempted escape from the pursuing white forces is now the Nez Perce National Historic Trail. This route was used in its entirety only once; however, component trails and roads that made up the route bore generations of use prior to and after the 1877 flight. The trail starts at Wallowa Lake,

Enterprise, Imnaha, Wallowa and Lostine. With the help of local non-profit Wallowa Resources, communities here have worked together in recent years to create sustainable industries, fight invasive species, and provide an alternate vision to large-scale development in the area. From attending high school basketball games, to skiing and snowmobiling in the backcountry, to enjoying an ale at the brewery, residents here embrace their local culture and lifestyle. Community is both an important part of the history of this land, and also a painful reminder. The tidy town of Joseph, which sits at the base of the Wallowas, is the namesake of Chief Joseph, a leader of the native Nez Perce people who inhabited the Wallowa Valley for hundreds of years

Nez Perce Trail

CANADA Washington

Montana

Oregon Idaho Wyoming

From Left to Right: Chief Joseph; 1889, Chief Joseph speaks to an ethnologist through an interpreter; 1911 Nez Perce baby; Nez Perce couple ca. 1900; Wallowa Lake as seen from Mt. Howard

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Main Photo by Gene Lee / iStockPhoto

NEZ PERCE

Oregon, then heads northeast and crosses the Snake River at Dug Bar. It enters Idaho at Lewiston and cuts across northcentral Idaho, entering Montana near Lolo Pass. It then travels through the Bitterroot Valley, after which it re-enters Idaho at Bannock Pass and travels east back into Montana at Targhee Pass to cross the Continental Divide. It bisects Yellowstone National Park, then follows the Clark Fork of the Yellowstone out of Wyoming into Montana. The trail heads north to the Bear’s Paw Mountains, ending 40 miles from the Canadian border.

Camping in the Eagle Cap Wilderness

Top Two Photos, Lake Photo (Bottom) and Rafting Photo (Opposite) all Courtesy of Wallowa-Whitman National Forest; Cougar by Eric Isselée / iStockPhoto Photo of Three by Jane Gay; Nez Perce Baby Photo by Edward Curtis; Nez Perce Couple Photo by Frank Palmer;

Pack llamas at Needle Point

This glacially-carved landscape showcases the variety in Oregon’s terrain because it is distinctively different than the well-traveled volcanic landscape of the Cascade Range in the east. At 9,838 feet, Sacajawea Peak is the highest point in the Wallowa Mountains and is home to an active glacier. Many who visit this National Forest enjoy hiking and mountain biking around this monolith and her nearby companions, but also enjoy the alternative; a 3,700 vertical foot gondola ride up Mt. Howard on the Wallowa Lake Tramway. Once at the top, visitors can either hike on a network of well-groomed trails, mountain bike down, or enjoy views of Oregon, Idaho and Washington while taking in a beverage at the Summit Grill and Alpine Patio. Many visitors—including native Oregonians—are struck with a “how-on-Earthcould-I-have-missed-this?” feeling when finally discovering this corner of the state. Visitors also notice the tight-knit feeling of the communities they travel through—including the towns of Joseph,

before the arrival of European settlers. Joseph and the Nez Perce initially had a friendly relationship with the new arrivals. However, that changed when, after the discovery of gold, the settlers went back on a previously brokered land deal allowing the tribe to stay in the Wallowa Valley. The federal government attempted to relocate the Nez Perce to a small reservation in what was then called “the Indian Territory.” Instead, Chief Joseph chose to abandon the area. He led his people over 1,000 miles toward freedom at the Canadian border. Joseph and the Nez Perce who followed him were outnumbered 10 to 1, but still defeated federal troops in numerous battles along the way. They were finally forced to surrender just 40 miles south of Canada. Today, grant programs and community encouragement are persuading the later generations of the Nez Perce to trickle back to the Wallowa Valley.

AMERICA’S DEEPEST CANYON:

HELLS CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA

The Hells Canyon Recreation area, managed by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, hugs the borders of northeastern Oregon and Western Idaho. This 652,488-acre area encompasses a vast and remote region with dramatic changes in elevation, terrain, climate and vegetation. Recreation opportunities abound, with world-class whitewater rafting, hiking and horseback trails, and numerous campgrounds. For those who prefer to take in the magnificent scenery by car, the Hells Canyon All American Road offers sweeping views of the canyon. Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon is North America’s deepest river gorge. It plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim and 8,000 feet below the snowcapped He Devil peak of Idaho’s Seven Devils mountains. The mountain range is said to be named for a vision of seven dancing devils that appeared to an Indian lost in the area. With peaks rising well over 9,000 feet, and names like She Devil, He Devil, and The Twin Imps, the legend certainly fits.

Above: The Snake River, a designated Wild and Scenic River, winds through Hells Canyon Left: Rafting in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area

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FIELD REPORTS

By engaging in collaborative partnerships, providing grants to local organizations and encouraging community participation in on-the-ground conservation projects, the National Forest Foundation (NFF) helps the Forest Service meet complex challenges to forest health. Here are just a few examples of the difference NFF partners are making in National Forests throughout the country.

SUPERIOR WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP IN MICHIGAN

Volunteers from the Rock River Canyon Wilderness in the Hiawatha National Forest, Michigan

Non-native, invasive plants are a threat to the watersheds of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. These plants affect ecosystem function and degrade habitat for native plants and animals, including threatened and endangered species. With assistance from the NFF, the Superior Watershed Partnership is raising awareness of the growing problem

of invasive plants in the Hiawatha National Forest. The organization is also reducing the impact of non-native species by identifying and removing the plants from wilderness and recreation areas in the forest. The NFF is also funding the group’s Communities, Tribes and Youth Helping the Hiawatha National Forest project. As part of this initiative, Superior Watershed Partnership will collaborate with citizen watershed councils, local Native American communities and regional youth to inventory, prioritize and restore degraded areas of the forest in the hopes of improving the area’s recreation activities and boosting the local nature tourism industry.

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MOUNTAINS TO SOUND

GREENWAY TRUST IN WASHINGTON

The Mountains to Sound Greenway stretches 100 miles along Interstate 90 from the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle, over Snoqualmie Pass, and into Central Washington. Based in Seattle, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust helps protect the public lands along the Greenway, which includes more than 750,000 acres held by local, state and federal agencies in trust for the public good. The NFF provided support for Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust’s efforts to decommission the South Fork Snoqualmie River Road within the Mount BakerSnoqualmie National Forest—a multi-year project that will return 50 miles of neglected road to native forest land. The Trust is using the NFF funds to jump-start the project with an on-the-ground reconstruction effort that includes removing three miles of steep roads, completing road-to-trail conversions, and planting native trees in the area.

Nantahalla Photo by Jill Lang / iStockPhoto; Bottom Photo by Annie Betts / www.rideandtie.org; Bottom Photo (Opposite) by Ryan Smith / iStockPhoto

The next time you set foot on a hiking trail or enjoy a secluded camping spot in a National Forest, you can most likely thank one of the National Forest Foundation’s many partners for their hard work.

This summer, an ambitious venture from the Boy Scouts of America resulted in the largest national service project since World War II. The Scouts’ national honor society, the Order of the Arrow (OA), brought nearly 5,000 OA members to five National Forests in five weeks to complete conservation projects and learn the importance of conservation in our forests. The project, named ArrowCorp5, was conceived when the OA leadership and the U.S. Forest Service identified five National Forest sites that would most benefit from this type of work. The NFF supported projects in the George Washington-Jefferson National Forest and Bridger-Teton National Forest. Almost 2,000 youth and adults improved recreation opportunities in these forests by leveling camping pads, constructing and improving multi-use trails, clearing invasive plant species and removing fencing to allow unrestricted wildlife movement.

Main Photo by Herb Smith, Lower Left Photo Courtesy of SWP

A RROW CORP 5 NATIONAL PROJECT

2008 CUMULATIVE

Nantahala National Forest

FRIENDS OF

PANTHERTOWN IN NORTH CAROLINA Formed in 2007, the Friends of Panthertown is a group of citizens dedicated to working in partnership with the Forest Service to conserve and protect the natural resources of the Panthertown Valley in North Carolina. Encompassing 6,300 acres of the Nantahala National Forest, the Panthertown Valley attracts a variety of outdoor enthusiasts. Recent years have seen increased recreational use and conflict as well as residential development pressures that are threatening the future health of the popular area. Recognizing that the Forest Service is challenged with inadequate funding to maintain the area and manage the increased use, Friends of Panthertown is working with citizens and user groups to create collaborative solutions to reduce these user conflict challenges. Assistance from the NFF helps fund and staff local conservation projects, facilitate community stakeholder meetings and conduct community outreach.

CONSERVATION RESULTS Number of partner organizations

152

Number of projects completed

519

Miles of trail work

2,933

Acres of noxious weeds treated

45,493

Acres treated and/or restored

17,778

Number of trees planted

345,700

Number of volunteers

33,617

Number of volunteer hours

471,564

Equivalent of volunteer hours in fulltime jobs

227

KOOTENAI FOREST

STAKEHOLDERS COALITION IN MONTANA Located in the far northwest corner of Montana, the Kootenai National Forest has faced numerous disagreements over the past 100 years related to fire suppression, increased development, and forest management. In response, a group of local forest stakeholders including fire management personnel, loggers, mill

Mountains to Sound Greenway passes through the Mt. Baker / Snoqualmie National Forest

owners, educators, environmentalists, local government officials and community citizens came together to form a groundbreaking coalition called the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition. The Coalition’s goal is to work collaboratively with one another and the Forest Service to reduce or eliminate the chances for appeals and litigation that keep projects from being implemented on the ground. Through the engagement of a broad array of interests, the Coalition is able to find the “zone of agreement” that leads to forest restoration, job creation and meaningful community engagement. Through assistance from the NFF, the Coalition has become a legal 501(c)3 nonprofit and developed a draft Memorandum of Understanding with the Kootenai National Forest. To date, the Coalition has assisted the Forest Service in planning fuels reduction projects for over 10,000 acres and has received the Regional Forest Supervisor’s Honor Award for “gridlock breaking”.

Kootenai National Forest and the town of Libby, Montana

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SKI CONSERVATION FUND

By Adam Liljeblad

Through a competitive process, the NFF works with the Forest Service and ski resorts to grant funds to local nonprofit organizations for projects benefiting local National Forests. A dollar may not buy a lift ticket, but it can buy long-term improvement in the landscape used by the skier who contributes it. Through the National Forest Foundation (NFF) Ski Conservation Fund, skiers and snowboarders can support conservation projects in the National Forests they enjoy. “Many of the nation’s ski areas are on National Forest lands, making the Ski Conservation Fund a great way for all the users of these forests to help protect and preserve the very slopes they cherish,” says Jeff Olson, Vice President of Development for the NFF. Participating ski areas, lodges and resorts add a $1 opt-out contribution to a guest’s nightly lodging bill or on lift ticket and

season pass purchases. To date, guests across the country have contributed $1.1 million to the program. To make the money go even farther, the NFF matches 50 cents for every dollar contributed, bringing the total amount invested in conservation projects to $1.6 million. The NFF distributes the money to nonprofit organizations for projects that directly benefit National Forests surrounding the ski areas. Through a grant application process, the NFF, U.S. Forest Service and selected ski areas determine which onthe-ground projects are funded. These projects have included activities such as trail construction and restoration, noxious weed treatments, and watershed restoration.

Top Photo courtesy of Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort; Bottom Right Photo by Steve Geer / iStockPhoto

PRESERVING PARADISE FOR A BUCK

Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort on the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah was the leading partner in the program. Today, the program includes resorts in Colorado, California, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming. “This is a perfect partnership for ski areas,” says Lisa Isaacs, Environmental Programs Director for Mammoth Mountain. “We can feel good about the projects the Fund benefits because they help ‘our’ forest. People love this forest and want to help support it. This is the perfect way to do it.” On the White River National Forest in Colorado, a major storm and series of microbursts in spring 2007 downed trees along the Gore Range Trail, making it

Main Photo by Peatross/MMSA; Top Right by technotr / iStockPhoto; Bottom Center Photo by Ben Blankenburg / iStockPhoto

Mammoth Mountain, California Inyo National Forest

] 2007-2008

PARTICIPATING RESORTS CALIFORNIA

Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Utah Wasatch-Cache National Forest

impassable. The group Wilderness Volunteers cut and cleared more than 400 trees from eight miles of the trail, opening it back up to hiking and horseback riding. The Forest Service was so impressed with the group’s work that they asked Wilderness Volunteers to return again to help with future projects. In California, Friends of the Inyo partnered with the Inyo National Forest, Town of Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access, and California Trout to directly address the declining recreational and ecological integrity of the Mammoth Lakes basin. This basin is the most heavily used recreation area on the Inyo National Forest, and overuse is taking its toll on the land. The group will use funds

raised through the Ski Conservation Fund to perform trail maintenance and resource monitoring, as well as develop a variety of volunteer opportunities in the forest, helping foster a culture of stewardship among the people who recreate there. The next time you’re schussing down an alpine slope or searching for summer wildflowers under the ski lift, give a salute to those winter sports enthusiasts who’ve recognized the value of a dollar and the collective good it can do. To learn more about the Ski Conservation Fund and participating lodges and ski areas, visit www.nationalforests.org.

COLORADO Beaver Creek: White River NF Breckenridge: White River NF Copper Mountain: White River NF Keystone: Arapaho-Roosevelt NF Vail: White River NF Winter Park: Arapaho-Roosevelt NF

OREGON Mt. Bachelor: Deschutes NF Timberline Lodge: Mt. Hood NF

UTAH Snowbird: Uinta-Wasatch-Cache NF

Copper Mountain, Colorado White River National Forest

WASHINGTON Summit-at-Snoqualmie: Mt. BakerSnoqualmie NF

WYOMING

Continental Divide, near Aspen, Colorado Gunnison and White River Nat’l Forests

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Dodge Ridge: Stanislaus NF Heavenly: Lake Tahoe Basin Mgmt. Unit Kirkwood: Eldorado NF Mammoth: Inyo NF Northstar-at-Tahoe: Tahoe NF

Jackson Hole: Bridger-Teton NF Togwotee Mountain Lodge: Shoshone NF

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UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

ROOMS

UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCES

VIEW

Staying In While Getting Out

(Adapted from a podcast produced by Belongie Entertainment Enterprises for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Office of Public Affairs and Communications.)

WINTER RENTAL TIPS Plan Ahead. Warm-season reservations can fill up months in advance, so try to have some flexibility in your plans in case the location and date you want is already taken. However, by planning your visit in winter months, you are more likely to find your desired location is available. Also, check beforehand to see if pets are welcome before bringing Fido along. Be Prepared. Every cabin or lookout is different. Some will provide bedding, some a mattress, and others just a place for your own pad and sleeping bag. Cooking and eating gear also varies by property, and most don’t have running water. Take time to read the information on the reservation page to be prepared. After all, you can’t run down the street the store if you’ve forgotten something. Also keep in mind that there is often no power, no phone and likely no cell service, so it’s a good idea to let someone know your location and when you plan to be back before you head out into the wilderness.

Cleaning up. With most cabins and lookouts, no one comes in to clean up after you. Pack-it-in and pack-it-out are usually the rules of the day. Also remember the good neighbor ethic of leaving the conditions of the cabin as good (or maybe better) than how you found it.

Here are a few cabin and lookout sites we’ve selected from across the country to help inspire you to the possibilities. You can explore many more cabins and fire lookouts for rent by going online to www.recreation.gov or calling 877-444-6777.

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An Adventure. Many cabins and lookouts are in out-of-the way places. That’s part of their charm! However, winter can make getting to your destination a little more challenging. Make sure you know whether the cabin is accessed with an all-season plowed road and front-door parking, or if you’ll need to ski or snowshoe in. If you can’t drive-up for the night, find out the conditions you’ll likely face on the access trail. Some routes (especially to fire lookouts) can involve steeper slopes and challenging conditions in the winter.

Robbs Hut Photos by John Theilmann Brush Creek Photo Courtesy of Medicine Bow - Routt National Forests; Peterson Photo Courtesy of Gifford Pinchot National Forest; Radeke Photo by Jonathan Rundell

WITH A

Early last century, the Forest Service built more than 4,000 fire lookouts to keep watch over National Forest lands. Usually these structures were placed on remote mountaintops and ridges from which fires could be spotted and reported while still in the early stages. With advances in technology, fewer than 700 lookouts remain in service nationwide, many of those only staffed during times of extreme fire danger. As fire lookouts were taken out of service, many of the structures were dismantled or allowed to fall into disrepair, meaning that an important part of history was being lost. Many National Forests have started restoration programs to preserve the historic integrity of these buildings. You can gain a sense of the remote existence forest sentries of long ago faced by renting one of these cabins or lookouts. Many National Forests offer this opportunity, most at reasonable prices. In the winter, some require you to snowshoe or ski in, while others are accessible by car. A stay at a fire lookout or cabin can leave visitors with more than memories of an amazing view. Removed from the constant distraction of modern technology, couples and families often find themselves reconnecting at a level all too often missing from modern living. Renting one of these “rooms with a view” www.recreation.gov is simple. Visit and select “Cabin and Lookout Rentals.”

ROBBS HUT

Robbs Hut, Eldorado National Forest Near South Lake Tahoe, California

Robbs Hut

PETERSON PRAIRIE GUARD STATION

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Nearby Town: Trout Creek, WA Nightly Rate: $65 Sleeps up to 9 people Built in 1926 as a fire guard station, this rustic cabin has one bedroom, a kitchen and a wood fireplace as well as a propane furnace. The road to the cabin is closed during the winter, but you can park your vehicle in an established parking area and ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile an easy 2.5 miles to the cabin.

Eldorado National Forest Nearby Town: So. Lake Tahoe, CA Nightly Rate: $65 Sleeps up to 6 people Adjacent to the inactive Robbs Peak Lookout, the Robbs Hut bunkhouse is available for year-round recreation. Access to this 6,686 foot peak is not for the beginner, but can be a good adventure if you wish to ski or snowshoe the three– mile, 1,000–foot elevation gain trail from the parking area. Once you arrive, you’ll find a rustic hut with propane lights, heater and cookstove. For those who would like easier access to a winter cabin, try the nearby Loon Chalet, a large cabin that sleeps up to 20 people and has a winter road that leads directly to the cabin (although a good condition for this winter road isn’t always guaranteed!)

Peterson Prairie Guard Station

Brush Creek Barracks

BRUSH CREEK BARRACKS

Medicine Bow-Routt Nat’l Forest Nearby Town: Saratoga, WY Nightly Rate: $120 Sleeps up to 8 people While this “barrack” is home to summer crews, winter months are open for guests to rent this relatively modern facility with running water and a full kitchen. The cabin can be reached by vehicle in the winter, and a trailhead connecting almost 200 miles of groomed snowmobile trails is only 50 yards away from your front door. Just out the back door, six miles of groomed cross-country trails are waiting for those who prefer human power.

RADEKE CABIN

White Mountain National Forest Nearby Town: Conway, NH Nightly Rate: $40 Sleeps up to 10 people Purchased from the University of New Hampshire in 1969, this cabin sits just off New Hampshire’s Kancamagus Scenic Byway. It offers a cozy, yet primitive cabin experience, with no running water or electricity. You will find a wood burning stove (wood provided), as well as a couch and tables. Sleeping bags, cooking supplies and plates are something you’ll need to bring along.

Radeke Cabin

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FOREST PERSPECTIVES

Lyman Glacier Boundaries

Let

1890

TREES be

1920 1955 1979

TREES

1994 2008 2000 feet

Summer 1916

Okanogan National Forest, Washington Photo by USFS/Cowling

The caption for this original photo taken during the summer of 1916 states: “Summer tourists on Lyman Glacier, Okanogan National Forest. There are more than six glaciers in about a mile and a half long and equal distance wide.”

Millions of trees no longer need to be sacrificed for making pallets. Of all the hardwood logged in the United States, 40-50 percent is used for wood pallets, most of which find their way to landfills. We have a better idea: our revolutionary all-plastic pallet with embedded RFID tags. It weighs 30% less than wood, and less weight requires less fuel for transport, resulting in lower carbon emissions. What’s more, our pallet is 100% recyclable, so it will never end up in a landfill. Let’s let our trees be trees instead of pallets.

Looking down–valley from Lyman glacier

Photos taken during the summer of 2007 by Mauri Pelto, an environmental science professor at Nichols College in Dudley, Massachussetts, show the status of the glacier today. Pelto says that Lyman glacier and one-third of the glaciers in the north Cascades will disappear in the coming decades. 32 RHNK G:MBHG:E ?HK>LML PBGM>K LIKBG@ +))2 ppp'gZmbhgZe_hk^lml'hk` Q

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