June 29, 2007 -- This year, more than ever before, all of us at Mount Rainier National Park are grateful for our dedicated volunteers. For years, they have worked alongside our staff, selflessly helping us to protect the park’s natural and cultural resources and serve its visitors better than we would be able to without them. They patrol trails at Carbon River and rove subalpine meadows at Paradise and Sunrise. They climb the mountain and repair the trails that surround it. They assist visitors in busy visitor centers, and work behind the scenes in the park’s library and museum collection. In 2006, 924 people contributed 43,844 hours of their valuable time to Mount Rainier.

 

The floods of November 2006 greatly widened our need for volunteer assistance—and in the wake of the floods, thousands of people stepped forward to offer their help. An army of volunteers is exactly what we need to help us rebuild trails, campgrounds, and other facilities damaged by the flood.

 

Directing that army—providing it with productive projects, good tools, adequate training and supervision, and a strategy for success—is a big challenge.

 

Several partner organizations have stepped forward to help us meet the challenge. All are non-profits with deep roots and long histories here in the Northwest. Each brings unique resources to help rebuild Rainier, and each provides unique opportunities for you to get involved.

Student Conservation Association
In January, the Student Conservation Association (SCA) was selected to direct volunteer flood recovery efforts at Mount Rainier National Park. The Association has 50 years of history in Washington State, and is now a nationwide force of volunteers committed to protecting and preserving the environment. Through internships, conservation jobs, and field crews, SCA members meet environmental challenges while gaining hands-on experience in every conservation discipline.

SCA is working with us to devise a restoration strategy and to organize a multi-year volunteer work plan that engages trail coalitions, friends groups, and individual volunteers. Its staff assists us with public outreach and education, building citizen understanding, support, and volunteer involvement, and securing non-federal funding to assist with flood recovery efforts. SCA’s partnership with Mount Rainier, including staff, volunteers, equipment, and program support, is valued at nearly $700,000. It has committed to raising another quarter of a million dollars in philanthropic donations for flood recovery efforts as well.

SCA’s accomplishments have been phenomenal. Thirty-three conservation interns and four staff members are working in the park this summer. A 14-person Flood Recovery Corps lives onsite in the historic Longmire Campground. They’ve just completed training to organize, lead, and assist with volunteer work projects all over the park, including trail repairs, campground restoration, exotic plant management, wilderness cleanup, and more. They’ve dramatically enhanced the park’s ability to work with volunteers, and hundreds of people will get to contribute to the park’s recovery through their efforts. Through corporate sponsorships, fundraising, and volunteer work projects, they’re helping to create lasting new partnerships that will benefit the park for years. Full details, including a calendar of volunteer work projects, can be found on their website.

Washington’s National Park Fund
Washington’s National Park Fund (WNPF) is committed to restoring and preserving Mount Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic National Parks for current and future generations. As a nonprofit fund raising partner for Washington’s national parks, WNPF supports programs not funded by federal dollars that bring alive our natural and cultural history. Since 1993, more than 120 projects focused on education, outreach, scientific research and park restoration were made possible through the generosity of private philanthropic contributions to WNPF.

Through a recent partnership with Seattle-based REI, WNPF contributed $70,000 to support SCA’s flood recovery work in the park. Even more important, WNPF has raised awareness of the park and its needs among a wide range of audiences. Through its website, WNPF offers an easy way for anyone to contribute, from students who’d like to chip in a few dollars to corporations interested in making major donations. A special Washington State license plate to “Preserve our National Parks” is also available.

Washington Trails Association
Washington Trails Association (WTA) works on behalf of hiking trails and wild lands throughout the state. Their volunteer trail maintenance program is among the largest in the nation, with over 1500 volunteers. They protect trails through lobbying and grassroots advocacy on issues including trail funding and wilderness protection, and work closely with federal and state policymakers to advance hikers’ interests in forest planning and new recreation projects. WTA cultivates a community of hikers through its website, Washington Trails magazine, guided hikes, youth outreach, and educational events.

In response to November’s floods, WTA hired a full-time seasonal crew leader to coordinate volunteer trail projects at Mount Rainier. In cooperation with the National Park Service and SCA, and drawing on years of experience recruiting “boots on the ground” volunteers, they have put together an ambitious schedule of work projects throughout the park. Individuals can sign up to participate through their website.

National Parks Conservation Association
The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is a nationwide organization with a strong presence in the Northwest, dedicated to protecting and enhancing America's national parks for present and future generations. They educate decision makers and the public about the importance of preserving the parks, and work with members of Congress to create and uphold laws that protect them. They fight attempts to weaken these laws in the courts.

Supported by a donation from REI, NPCA has taken a lead role in the Northwest Storm Recovery Coalition, coordinating the efforts of diverse organizations in support of Mount Rainier’s flood recovery. Through websites, publications, and relationships with legislators at every level, they have helped to keep the park’s needs in the public eye and have helped to ensure broad public support for recovery efforts. Their website is a great source of ideas about how to support the parks both in the field and without leaving home.

The Mountaineers
Formed in 1906 by Seattle area climbers, The Mountaineers is dedicated to the responsible enjoyment and protection of natural areas. The group has accomplished this mission by exploring and studying the mountains, forests, and waterways of the Northwest through organized expeditions and educational programs. Its members seek to preserve the natural environment through example, teaching, and protective legislation.

The Mountaineers bring to the Coalition a local membership steeped in the traditions of wilderness recreation and passionate about its protection. Its members have been some of the first to sign up for volunteer work projects, and the organization has helped facilitate public education about storm damage and volunteer efforts. Their website provides a wealth of information about how to safely enjoy magnificent landscapes like Mount Rainier’s—and how to help ensure that they’re protected and preserved.

How Can You Help?
Each member of the Coalition brings valuable assets to the table, and unique ways to get involved. SCA and WTA offer plenty of hard work for anyone willing to get their hands dirty. Corporate sponsorships and individual contributions through WNPF and SCA support recovery efforts and the park’s volunteer program. Contact NPCA and The Mountaineers to get involved through education and advocacy—even without leaving home.

Of course, if you can, come up and see us in person. See for yourself what inspires so many people to support Mount Rainier National Park in so many ways. Choose your own way to get involved—and become part of the army of volunteers working to make Mount Rainier National Park even better than it was before the floods of November 2006.

The Northwest Storm Recovery Coalition coordinates the efforts of the National Park Service, SCA, Washington Trails Association, Washington’s National Park Fund, National Parks Conservation Association, and The Mountaineers, each of which has pledged resources toward fundraising, public information, and feet-on-the-ground volunteer assistance. Visit the websites listed on page two of this newsletter to learn more about the coalition and its members and, most importantly, how you, too, can become part of the Mount Rainier Recovery team!