North Cascades

STEWARDSHIP OF THE PUBLIC DOMAIN:
GOVERNMENT IN THE NORTH CASCADES

OVERVIEW

The presence of government in the North Cascades was felt not long after miners and settlers had made the place their home. Even before the turn of the century, the government had a measure of control over this rugged land. Over the years, decisions made by various political entities had a considerable impact on cultural resources in the wilderness. Trails, shelters, lookouts, mines, dams, campgrounds, bridges, and lakes are some of the structures and features which resulted. Perhaps the greatest manipulator of this wilderness both directly and indirectly was the United States Forest Service (USFS), an agency which managed much of the North Cascades for 63 years. But there were other agencies as well. Seattle City Light (SCL) transformed the Skagit valley to suit its hydroelectric needs; the United States Geological Survey (USGS) built camps throughout the backcountry as stations for employees monitoring yearly snow level in the North Cascades; the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made considerable impact in a short period of time; the Washington State Fish and Game Department built their facilities near the international boundary and in Stehekin. All of these governmental agencies and their various uses of the land changed the appearance of the North Cascades. All of these agencies added another layer to the human history of this place, ultimately enriching the picture of a region commonly regarded as an "untouched wilderness."