By Jim Haley
Herald Writer
MONROE — Some were heartened by the prospect of locking away more than 100,000 acres of mountain area near the town of Index for recreation today and the enjoyment of future generations.
Others are upset that more public land might be taken away from uses they enjoy, such as riding snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles.
Many also flowed into the high school here Thursday night to ask specific questions at a workshop hosted by two members of the state’s congressional delegation on the proposed establishment of a new wilderness area north and east of Index.
Would float planes be allowed to drop off fishers and campers at Lake Isabel?
Probably not, said Barbara Busse, the ranger for the U.S. Forest Service’s Skykomish Ranger District, which would manage the proposed wilderness.
What about car camping at favorite sites off a road near Silver Creek, someone asked? That would be eliminated, too, Busse said, if the area were included in a wilderness.
The 110,000 acres under consideration is situated in chunks, mostly in roadless areas draining the north and south forks of the Skykomish River, all areas are north of U.S. 2. Some of it borders Henry M. Jackson Wilderness. Most of the proposed area is in Snohomish County, with a little flowing over into northeast King County.
The exact proposed boundaries have not been fixed, but the area is likely to include hundreds of mountain peaks, high lakes, creeks and woodlands, including old-growth forests.
The big difference between this proposal and others in the past is the inclusion of lowland forests, some with salmon spawning creeks.
The workshop was hosted by Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen, who could propose federal legislation establishing the "Wild Skykomish" wilderness as early as this fall, a spokeswoman for Murray said.
Establishing wilderness would mean prohibition of most mechanized vehicles, including snowmobiles, cars and mountain bikes.
However, folks still would be able to hike, fish, hunt and paddle canoes.
One question was fielded by Doug Scott, the policy director for the Pew Wilderness Center, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that aims to increase public understanding and awareness of the nation’s 644 wilderness areas.
Somebody wanted to know if wheelchairs would be allowed. In a word, the answer is "yes," said Scott. Scott said some wheelchairs might not be appropriate on rough trails, however.
Scott likes the fact that some lower elevation terrain is included, not just rocks and mountain tops as in some wilderness areas. We need to preserve "a diversity of all the ecosystems that we enjoy around here, including salmon habitat," Scott said.
Terry Jongejan of Snohomish is equally happy that the wilderness has been proposed. She came to the workshop to encourage lawmakers to continue.
An Everett teacher, Jongejan said she "works with children and they need a future. The more we save of the forests, especially old-growth forests, the better future they’ll have."
Others disagreed with her. Scott Atkinson of Monroe came to protest the proposed wilderness.
"What I see happening here is cutting out a lot of user groups, including senior citizens" who may not be able to hike into the high country, said Atkinson, an avid outdoorsman.
Steve Purbaugh of Startup wondered if the government and environmental groups were just taking another step to "lock us out of all the land."
Purbaugh said he’s been enjoying the woods for 47 years. "Now people are going to come in and tell me I can’t enjoy (the land) the way I want to enjoy it."
You can call Herald Writer Jim Haley at 425-339-3447
or send e-mail to haley@heraldnet.com.
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