GENERAL

Q: What is a wilderness area?

A: "Wilderness" is one of many uses allowed by the federal government on the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and other federal lands throughout the country. The Wilderness Act (1964) defines wilderness as "land retaining its primeval character and influence, without permanent improvements or human habitation, …which generally appears to have been affected primarily by the forces of nature, with the imprint of man's work substantially unnoticeable…." Wilderness is unique in that only Congress can designate specific areas for wilderness use and protection.

The tradition of protecting wilderness dates back almost 100 years to the country's foremost conservationists Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, Aldo Leopold, to name a few – who recognized the need to set aside America's wild places in order to preserve our watersheds, wildlife habitat and the great outdoors from the ever-growing spread of development and commercialization. However, the formal designation of wilderness began with the passage of The Wilderness Act in 1964.

 

Q: What would the Wild Sky Wilderness Act do?

A: The Wild Sky WIlderness Act of 2003 would permanently protect 106,000 acres of wild forests located on federal forestland near the town of Index in Eastern Snohomish County. The proposal would protect low-elevation forests in the Skykomish River basin amazing stands of ancient forests, some featuring Douglas fir and cedar trees eight feet or more in diameter. These wild forests provide habitat for a number of species including black bears, bald eagles, pine marten, wolverines, cougars, spotted owls and black-tailed deer. These areas may some day provide habitat for rare grizzly bear and wolverines. The North Fork Skykomish River, which runs through the middle of the proposal, has some of the best remaining salmon habitat in the Puget Sound Basin. The proposal would protect and enhance recreational opportunities for the thousands of visitors who come to enjoy world-class rafting, tremendous fishing, challenging rock climbing, and many spectacular miles of hiking trails. Protecting the Wild Sky as wilderness can reduce flood intensity, protect downstream areas and help ensure the continued health of fish spawning areas by keeping the water clean and cold.

 

Q: Why do we need to designate the Wild Sky as wilderness?

A: The Wild Sky area is a special place, and Wilderness designation is an insurance policy to make sure it stays that way. The Forest Service currently manages the proposal area in a more general way than if it were wilderness. As a result, activities like logging and new mining could be permitted. These activities conflict with the most popular types of recreation and ecological processes in the Wild Sky (i.e., rafting, kayaking, hiking, backpacking, camping, hunting and fishing, salmon spawning). Forest Service management frequently changes from administration to administration. For example, President Clinton initiated a rule to protect roadless forests from commercial activities and road building, while President Bush has spent three years trying to undue that policy. Congress can permanently protect the Wild Sky area as wilderness so that it remains unchanged for future generations to enjoy.

 

Q: How much wilderness do we have in Washington State?

A: Less than 10 percent of the entire land base of Washington State is protected as Wilderness. If passed, the Wild Sky would become Washington’s first wilderness in a national forest in nearly 20 years.

There are 30 wilderness areas in Washington State, covering 4,324,182 acres. These wilderness areas are managed by the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. In 1984, the statewide "Washington Wilderness Act" was passed during the Reagan Administration, designating 1.03 million acres of national forest land. The "Washington Parks Wilderness Act" provided wilderness designations for the majority of lands within the North Cascades, Olympic and Rainer National Parks in 1988.

 

Q: Don’t wilderness designations “lock up” private land into federal ownership?

A: No. In fact, Wilderness can only be designated on existing federal lands (i.e., national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges or BLM lands). Private lands cannot be designated as Wilderness.

 

Q: Doesn't wilderness conflict with other uses of the national forest?

A: No. In fact, not only is wilderness identified as one of the "multiple-uses" for national forests under the law, it is one of the best tools to achieve many of the other designated uses, including recreation, water and soil conservation, and wildlife habitat. Timber harvesting is prohibited.

 

Q: Are all motors banned from wilderness areas?

A: The Wilderness Act prohibits the general use of motorized equipment and transportation in order to adequately preserve the wild, natural character of the nation's wilderness areas. But the Act clearly allows for their use by the U.S. Forest Service (and other managing agencies) for search and rescue operations, fire fighting to protect adjacent private land, insect and disease control, and other circumstances where they are the minimum tool necessary for the proper administration of the area. For example, chainsaws might be authorized for clearing trails under certain circumstances, such as when there has been a massive blow-down of trees across trails.

 

Q: Are roads permitted in wilderness areas?

A: Generally, no. No permanent roads are allowed. However, the law makes a few limited exceptions for temporary roads if absolutely necessary to properly administer the wilderness area, including protecting public health and safety. Also, access is allowed to private property surrounded by wilderness.

 

RECREATION

Q: Doesn’t wilderness restrict recreational opportunities?

A: If designated, the Wild Sky Wilderness would provide for a broad array of outdoor recreational opportunities, including hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, swimming, picnicking, backpacking, bird-watching, taking wildflower walks, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, rock-climbing, ecological research, and educational programs.

Motorized use, including dirt bikes, snowmobiles and off-road vehicles are prohibited in wilderness. However, the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal was crafted to make sure that some of the most-used motorized recreational opportunities were preserved outside of the proposal. For example, the Windy Ridge area adjacent to the proposal is highly used by snowmobilers and Reiter Pit on adjacent State lands is one of the premier dirt bike venues in the state.

 

Q: Are hunting and fishing allowed in wilderness areas?

A: Yes. Hunting and fishing are allowed in national forest wilderness areas. Many hunters and anglers prize wilderness for its hunting and fishing opportunities, and for the ability to hunt without having game harassed or habitat degraded by motorized vehicles. The only exception is wilderness in national parks, where hunting is usually prohibited because of the underlying national park legislation which prohibits hunting. This does not apply to the Wild Sky because it is national forest.

 

Q: Are bicycles or mountain bikes allowed in wilderness?

A: Bikes are not permitted in wilderness. But there are many bike trails on Forest Service lands outside of wilderness areas.

 

Q: Doesn't wilderness restrict use by disabled people?

A: No. Those with disabilities may use wheelchairs within wilderness. The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 reaffirmed that nothing in the Wilderness Act should be construed as prohibiting the use of a wheelchair in a wilderness area by individuals whose disability requires it. A 1992 report by the National Council on Disability found that "[a] significant majority of persons with disabilities surveyed very much enjoy the [National Wilderness Preservation System] and 76 percent do not believe that the restrictions on mechanized use stated in the Wilderness Act diminish their ability to enjoy wilderness."

Proponents of the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal, including the Washington Coalition of Citizens with DisAbilities, have proposed a portion of the Rapid River road be transformed into a barrier-free wheelchair accessible trail in the Wilderness.

 

Q: Will my dog be allowed to hike with me in the Wild Sky Wilderness?

A: The Wilderness Act does not prohibit dogs in designated Wilderness areas.

 

ACCESS

Q: Will the Wild Sky proposal close 30 miles of open roads?

A: No. If designated as wilderness, the Wild Sky proposal would close about 6 miles of open roads, less than 3 miles of which are currently accessible by passenger vehicles. The contention that more than 30 miles of roads would be closed by the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal is flawed because about half (17 miles) of those roads are either closed or in the process of being closed by the Forest Service. Another third (11 miles) of those roads have previously been “decommissioned” (i.e., taken out or left to go back to nature) and are no longer identified as a Forest System road. The Forest Service’s decision to decommission or close the roads is influenced by fiscal, utility and management considerations that are independent of a potential wilderness designation.

 

Q: Will roads like the Jack Pass Road, Beckler River Road and the Index-Galena Road that access popular trailheads (i.e., Quartz Creek, Blanca Lake) be closed by the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal?

A: No. These roads will NOT be closed by the Wilderness proposal. Roads accessing popular trailheads like Blanca Lake and the Quartz Creek Trail were never proposed for inclusion in the Wilderness. The Index-Galena Road and North Fork Skykomish Road (FS Road #63) and Beckler River Road and the Jack Pass Road (FS Road #65) are all outside of the proposal and public access will not be affected by the Wild Sky Wilderness.

 

Q: Will the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal require permits or fees to hike or camp in the area?

A: The only case in Washington State where a national forest wilderness area has instituted a permit process to restrict visitor access is in the Enchantment Lakes area of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. Each year, from June 15 to October 15, individuals need to apply for a permit to use this small and heavily-used area of the Wilderness. This unique permit process is a result of substantial adverse impacts on the fragile alpine ecosystem caused by extremely high use and a limited ability to recover from such impacts (due to a short growing season at high elevations).

The most popular areas of the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal are at lower elevations where these fragile alpine ecosystems do not occur, making the prospect of a permit system unnecessary. Areas within the Wilderness should be accessible in the same manner as they are now.

 

Q: Will the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal affect private property rights?

A: No. Wilderness designation will not adversely affect private property. Wilderness designations only apply to federally-owned lands. If you own property outside the wilderness boundary (even land near or adjacent to the federal wilderness) the wilderness designation does not infringe on your ability to use or develop your land. In fact, studies show that property values go up in areas that are near protected federal lands and rivers.

If you own land completely inside the designated wilderness area (often called an “inholding”), management restrictions for wilderness areas do not apply to private land. Property owners must be assured adequate access to their parcels, in the same manner that they are afforded now. Whether Wilderness or not, the Forest Service has adopted a policy of acquiring private inholdings only from willing sellers.

 

Q: Would the risk of uncontrolled fire be greater if the Wild Sky is designated as Wilderness?

A: No. Wilderness designation would not increase the risk of fire. Wildfires are infrequent on the lands proposed for Wilderness designation in the Wild Sky Wilderness bill. Being on the rainy and cloudy "wet" side, the area gets about 80 inches in annual rainfall and as high as 200 inches in some of the higher mountains. Also, the typical "marine flow" clouds serve as a natural cooling and humidifying system that usually keeps fire danger low even during summers that see little rain.

With very few exceptions, the fires in the Wild Sky country during the last century have been human caused, including the two most recent large fires. In 1967, the logging-caused Evergreen Mountain fire burned several thousand acres in the Rapid River area, and in 1989 a railroad track grinder started a fire which burned several hundred acres south of Highway 2 near Deception Creek.

Wilderness designation will help maintain a natural fire regime here, and by preventing the construction of new roads it will help to prevent human-caused fires from starting in this place that seldom burns on its own. In addition, the 1964 Wilderness Act allows for flexibility to deal with catastrophic wildfires and damaging insect outbreaks should they occur. Section 4(d)(1) of the Wilderness Act states that "such measures may be taken as necessary in the control of fires, insects and diseases" within wilderness.

 

ECONOMIC

Q. Would designating the Wild Sky as Wilderness help or hurt local economies in the Sky Valley?

A: Designating the Wild Sky as Wilderness would preserve and market the remarkable recreational opportunities that already make this area so special. Visitors from throughout Washington and beyond travel up the Highway 2 corridor to hunt, fish, hike, camp, cross-country ski, horseback ride, bird watch, raft, kayak and get away from the city’s hustle and bustle in the Wild Sky area. Along the way they eat meals, buy groceries, purchase gear, sign up for rafting, kayaking or other recreational trips, and stay overnight at hotels and vacation rentals. More than 100 local Sky Valley businesses located form Monroe to Skykomish have enthusiastically endorsed the proposal because it makes economic sense.

In fact, wilderness can help communities diversify their economy by attracting new businesses, residents and visitors. It also protects scenic backdrops that help improve individual property values, and protects the headwaters of the drinking water supply for many communities that might otherwise face costly water treatment

Q: Do local businesses support the Wild Sky Wilderness?

A: Yes. More than 100 local Sky Valley businesses (located from Monroe to Skykomish) have shown their support for the proposal by endorsing the legislation, including Le Sports Junkies, WaveTrek, Inc., Werner Paddles, Chinook Expeditions, The Gray Fox cabin, A River Runs Through It vacation rental, A Stones Throw bed 7 Breakfast and A Cabin on the Sky. Other regional outdoor-oriented businesses have also shown their support, including REI, Patagonia, Orvis Company, Montrail, Canoe and Kayak Magazine, Marmot Mountain Works, Feathered Friends and Cascade Designs, Ex Officio, Nikwax, The Avid Angler, Zumiez, Inc., K-2 Snowboarding, Helly Hansen, Outdoor Research, and Wild Roses

 

Q: Does wilderness designation prohibit livestock grazing?

A: No. Domestic livestock grazing, where previously established, is allowed to continue in wilderness. New construction, such as fences and spring developments, are permissible where needed to protect resources, but not simply to increase livestock grazing numbers.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About the Wild Sky Wilderness Proposal 

Q: Does the Wild Sky Wilderness Act prohibit access to existing mining claims?

A: Mining is allowed to continue in wilderness areas so long as the use (or claim to future use) has already been established. Wilderness only forecloses the staking of new claims within the area after Congress designates the area. Miners that have valid claims surrounded by wilderness are guaranteed continued reasonable access to their claims.

 

Q: Would the Wild Sky Wilderness prohibit gathering of forest products?

A: The gathering of edible mushrooms and other forest products for personal use is permitted in Wilderness areas. However, commercial gathering of forest products would not be allowed in the Wilderness. No significant level of forest product gathering takes place in the proposal area. According to the Forest Service, there is little or no demand for commercial use permits or personal permits for ferns and moss. Last year no commercial permits were requested in the entire district and nearly all of the personal free permits (mostly for rocks and wood) pertained to outside the proposed wilderness.

 

Q: Would designating the Wild Sky as Wilderness represent a significant loss to the Snohomish County economy from mining, grazing and timber revenues?

A: No. Mining, grazing and timber revenues from this area are not a significant factor in the Snohomish County economy. There has not been an operating mine in the Skykomish Ranger district in about 60 years. According to the Forest Service, the last grazing that occurred on Forest Service land in this area was 25 years ago.