Conservation & Advocacy

Conservation & Advocacy

All posts

Greenway National Heritage Area Introduction

By Margaret Ullman-Hess, Communications Manager at The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust

Bipartisan legislation was introduced today to designate the Mountains to Sound Greenway as a National Heritage Area. Senate legislation was introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, and House legislation was introduced by Congressmen Dave Reichert and Adam Smith. Read more…

Trail Work Success as Part of National Trails Day

Earlier this month, our Everett Branch Trail Maintenance folks celebrated National Trails Day with work on the White Chuck Bench Trail outside of Darrington. Read more…

Support Washington Wildlife & Recreation Funding

The Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) - our State's primary tool for conserving the gorgeous natural areas beloved by our community - is at risk. The State Senate budget will be dismantling the WWRP and cutting funding to almost all planned backcountry recreation and conservation projects for state lands. These projects preserve our natural heritage and ensure our lands and waters remain open to the public. Read more…

Weed Watchers 2015

A call for Citizen Scientists - be a part of our regional volunteer effort to detect and eradicate invasive plant species! Read more…

Conservation Currents | Conservation and Recreation Intersect in Washington, D.C.

I made my first trip to Washington, D.C. for The Mountaineers about five months into my job here. As I coordinated with partner organizations to schedule meeting with legislators, I was a bit surprised — I was easily able to get meetings as a representative of The Mountaineers that other organizations couldn’t. I say only ‘a bit’ surprised because I knew I was walking in the footsteps of giants; that our organization’s reputation as a leader in outdoor education and conservation far preceded any of my work here. Indeed, The Mountaineers’ legacy of leadership is why I joined and took on the role of defining and amplifying our conservation work as we move forward. Read more…

Re-authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund

One of the most important things we do as Mountaineers is inspire people to love the outdoors. Since you can only love what you know, we work to get people of all ages outside into nature. Our public lands provide outstanding places to recreate and experience the great outdoors up close. Read more…

A Big Day for Elwha River Restoration

As I look out over a plain of rushing water, a pleasant earthy smell permeates the air, hinting surprisingly of sulfur. Read more…

National Trails Day Activities 2015

From hiking in the stunning Methow Valley, to trail work in the Darrington area, The Mountaineers does a lot to celebrate National Trails Day.

The Everett Branch partners with the Darrington Ranger district of Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the city of Darrington each year for a day of trail work. Read more…

GiveBIG today

Do you ever marvel at how beautiful our state is? From lush forests, to magnificent glaciated peaks to the shores of Puget Sound, we live in an awe-inspiring place. Read more…

Trails Loved to Death?

Blame the Internet. Blame social media. Blame me and other guidebook writers. Blame the Washington Trails Association (WTA). Read more…

Sharing the Backcountry - New Winter Trails Policy For Our Forests

Ten years ago the Forest Service issued a travel management rule designated to regulate wheeled vehicle use on Forest lands. At the time, snowmobiles were considered “optional” to regulate, and were therefore not included in the legislation. Then, last summer, we asked you to share your voice on a new proposal for winter travel management in our National Forests. Now, a new regulation known as the Over Snow Vehicle Travel Rule has been passed to account for snowmobile use. Read more…

Celebrate Earth Day by Speaking Up for Mountains to Sound Greenway!

We are facing a unique opportunity to protect 1.5 million acres of land in the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Extending from the Seattle waterfront to Ellensburg, the Greenway is an outdoor recreation paradise, hosting 1,600 miles of trails, excellent whitewater run, backcountry skiing and snowshoeing terrain, rock climbing routes, mountain bike trails, and views of the stunning Cascade Crest. Read more…

Cleaning up Camp at Lena Creek

Eleven Olympia Mountaineers members joined forces with the Forest Service to help restore Lena Creek Campground on the Olympic Peninsula on April 15. The group cleaned up four camp sites that had been damaged in winter flooding. Read more…

No Child Left Inside Alliance

On Monday, March 23, we were excited to return to Olympia with our partners in the No Child Left Inside Alliance to testify in support of Senate Bill 5843. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Katherine Hollis

For our member profile this week, we take a different approach and introduce you to Katherine Hollis, our conservation and recreation manager. Learn about why she became interested in conservation, and what excites her most about working with The Mountaineers. Read more…

A Conservation BREAKTHROUGH

You’d be hard pressed to miss the invitations and communications over the past couple of months about our Mountaineers BREAKTHROUGH fundraising event on April 11. With an all-star lineup of climbers in the program, you’re probably wondering why we’re writing about it in relationship to conservation. Well, underlying the climbing theme of the evening is the impact story about why anyone should care about The Mountaineers efforts to get people outside – conservation is a primary driver of that story. Read more…

Public Input for Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan

North Cascades National Park, considered the “wild nearby” for its incredible scenery and wildlife, is also at the center of an opportunity being led by the National Park Service, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and U.S. Forest Service to restore a grizzly bear population. Read more…

Naturalist Speaker Series - March 12

Gone for nearly 40 years, the Western Bluebird had completely disappeared from the San Juan Islands. But local bird lovers are bringing them back. Read more…

Olympia Branch Stewardship Advocacy

Olympia Branch Members Jim French, Greg Lovelady, Ginger Sarver, Richard Geier, Carla Jonientz, Mike Riley, Regina Robinson, Curt Rosler, and John Sisco  took it upon themselves to make sure that The Mountaineers' presence was felt with our state legislators at the Big Tent Rally Day on February 24th, 2015. The Big Tent Outdoor Recreation Coalition is an umbrella organization formed to highlight the importance of our state’s outdoor recreation sector in enhancing Washington’s economy and its reputation for healthy and active living. Our Olympia Branch volunteers "did us proud!" Read more…

Conservation Currents | Exploring Washington’s Wilderness

It was just a year ago in late December, when I accepted the position as Conservation and Responsible Recreation Manager for The Mountaineers. If someone told me then, that within my first year on the job I would be taking a lead in planning an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, I might have told them they were crazy! But, thanks to event co-hosts REI and the Wilderness Society, and a creative, passionate, involved steering committee, we made, we made it happen on November 15th at Explore Washington’s Wilderness, a special event to celebrate the landmark conservation bill that created a way for Americans to protect their most pristine wildlands for future generations. Read more…

Celebrating Washington's Wilderness 50

It was just a year ago in late December when I accepted the position as Conservation and Responsible Recreation Manager for The Mountaineers. If someone told me then, that within my first year on the job I would be taking a lead on planning an event to mark the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, I think I would have cited my lack of event-planning experience. - but thanks to event co-hosts REI and the Wilderness Society, and a creative, passionate steering committee, we made it happen on November 15th. Explore Washington’s Wilderness was a special event to celebrate the landmark conservation bill that created a way for Americans to protect wildlands for future generations.  Read more…

Pacific Northwest Electronic Warfare Range Environmental Assessment

Last fall, we shared information on the Navy's proposed use of Olympic National Forest Service land for training electronic warfare range mobile emitters through our Conservation Currents email list.  Read more…

National Parks in Washington Propose Fee Increases

We recently met with staff from Rainier National Park, Olympic National Park and North Cascades National Park about their respective proposed fee increases. National Parks across the country are considering increasing entrance fees, camping, and wilderness permit fee increases. Read more…

Weed Watchers finish up the season!

It was another successful season! Wilderness Weed Watcher volunteers plodded along trails throughout the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest’s wilderness areas this past summer in search of invasive weeds. Many invasive plants were documented along nearly a dozen trails and 50 miles of our protected lands. The discovery of these plants reemphasizes the importance of this work – we’re doing our best as responsible recreationalists to protect the places we love so much. Read more…

Ghost Bears: Studying Grizzly Bears in Washington’s North Cascades

National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and The Mountaineers are proud to present Ghost Bears: Studying Grizzly Bears in Washington’s North Cascades Ecosystem. Admission is free, but you need to secure your spot by signing up early!  Read more…

A Wilderness Trail Day

Reposted with permission from Mike & Amanda - the Access Fund Conservation Team

The Pacific Northwest is an adventurous climber’s dream. Long hikes into remote peaks and crags challenge climbers’ fitness and resolve, while towering granite peaks and spires inspire one to explore. So we were pretty psyched when we learned that we’d be heading to Darrington, Washington to work at a crag known as 3 O’clock Rock in the Boulder River Wilderness. Read more…

Explore Washington's Wilderness

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act, the landmark conservation bill that created a way for us to protect our most pristine wild lands for future generations, and learn how you can get involved with issues facing these wild places in your backyard. Read more…

A Thank You to the Mountaineers Foundation

Over the past few years, the Mountaineers Foundation has been an integral supporter of our conservation program, making it possible for us to protect the outdoor experience in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Their support has made it possible for us to uphold a century-old tradition of not only exploring but also protecting the lands and waters of the PNW. Read more…