ASHFORD, Wash., May 7, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK -- Hikers, horsemen, high school seniors and others eager to help mend flood-ravaged Mount Rainier can begin volunteering on Wednesday, May 16th, the first day of a summer-long restoration program announced today by the Student Conservation Association (SCA).
SCA, a volunteer conservation force with roots in the Pacific Northwest, released a preliminary project calendar as Mount Rainier National Park opened for the first time since a late November deluge forced its closure. Park officials appointed SCA to develop and oversee a volunteer response plan earlier this year.
"These initial projects are important first steps in the Mount Rainier Recovery effort and many others will follow," states Jay Satz, SCA's vice president for Northwest Regional Initiatives. "But the extensive storm impact on the mountain requires a prudent and deliberate opening phase to ensure we don't unintentionally inflict even more harm. Therefore we will gradually build toward more extensive operations later this summer."
The first phase of the Mount Rainier Recovery volunteer effort, says Satz, will run from May 16 through July 28 and involve hundreds of individuals in small groups focused on debris removal, trail maintenance, and resource protection. Work sites will include Longmire, Paradise Meadows, Sunrise-Berkeley Park, and Cougar Rock, Ohanapecosh, and White River campgrounds.
Volunteers will repair a section of the landmark Wonderland Trail on National Trails Day, June 2, and additional projects involving culvert clearing, stone wall brush removals, as invasive plant removal, as well as multi-day backcountry trail reconstructions, will be scheduled soon. SCA has an online project calendar and volunteer registration form on its website, thesca.org, where new posts and updates will be added regularly.
"The Mount Rainier Recovery effort will evolve continuously, necessitating flexibility from all involved," says SCA Program Director Jill Baum. "We look forward to working with partner organizations such as the Washington Trails Association, National Parks Conservation Association, the Mountaineers and others, as well as the hundreds of individuals who have pledged to restore this extraordinary regional resource."
Thousands of SCA volunteers protect and restore America's public lands by serving each year as rangers, researchers, and educators in more than 500 national parks, forests, refuges and urban green spaces. Currently celebrating its 50th year of hands-on conservation, SCA is building new generations of conservation leaders, inspiring lifelong stewardship, and protecting the planet. To learn more, visit thesca.org.
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