Stehekin - Stehekin Heritage President Cliff Courtney wishes to inform the public of an important issue concerning the rebuilding of the Upper Stehekin Road. The following is his statement:
UPPER STEHEKIN ROAD ISSUE
Presently the National Park Service is taking comment on the Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Upper Stehekin Road. Heavily damaged in the flood of 2003, this area is now inaccessible via vehicle to visitors and residents. We have only until May 27th to comment on the proposed alternatives. We are asking you to review these facts and send your comments to Superintendent, North Cascades NPS Complex, 81- State Route 20, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 or via Internet to
(Note there is a _ between NOCA and Superintendent)
The General Management Plan adopted by the NPS in 1988 states: “The 23-mile Stehekin Valley road will be maintained at its current length, width, and character.” A road to Cottonwood was a good and desirable thing for the outdoor use and recreation of the American people.
1. Alternative A. No Action. This is just a baseline that leaves the road closed. 2. Alternative B. Permanently Close the Stehekin Valley Road Above Car Wash Falls. 3. Alternative C. Reconstruct the Stehekin Valley Road from Car Wash Falls to Glory Mountain. 4. Alternative D. Re-route the Stehekin Valley Road from Car Wash Falls to Bridge Creek and from Glory to Cottonwood Camp.
Alternatives A and B do not differ much as far as what this valley will be like in the future. Alternative B, which is the preferred alternative, is an abrogation of duty when compared to what the current GMP calls for and is an easy way out so that management is no longer necessary. Alternative C is temporary and outrageously costly. Alternative C calls for more than 70000 cubic yards of riprap to locate the road back in the river on the critical stretches. This option also arbitrarily eliminates the upper section of road between Glory Mountain and Cottonwood. Alternative D will take an act of Congress. These can take years and get very expensive. Appropriations from Congress would be needed and it is likely a full EIS would need to be done. These factors make this otherwise desirable option improbable and more expensive than the option discussed below.
As we consider the options it becomes apparent there is a need for Alternative E. In this alternative we ask that NPS really consider an alternative that would support the GMP and look at other ways to engineer a road that have not been considered. An alternative that gives credence to reestablishing the road nearly in place but where it is largely outside of the influence of the 100-year flood and one that does not call for massive offsite riprap hauling. There are ways to reestablish the road within the non-wilderness corridor. Local contractors have put the price between $600,000 and 1,500,000 for an option E versus the $6,600,000 called for in the NPS’s Alternative C. By moving the road just a few feet in the critical areas the need for offsite riprap is eliminated and the fix becomes permanent. The estimate for engineering (which is nearly 1.8 million!) should go down considerably as well.
Conclusion: The public has been called upon to comment on an EA that is misleading, and has summarily discarded or not considered viable options. We need you to ask for a new EA that puts in reasonable costs and impacts for Alternative E which considers the option of retaining the right to use the non-wilderness corridor for a road or multi-use trail clear to Cottonwood. To move forward at this point would be to rely on a document that is promulgated upon erroneous information and which has adopted a preferred alternative developed from the same.
The full text of the EA is available at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/noca. Look for Upper Stehekin Valley road Car Wash Falls….. Another source on additional back ground information developed by Stehekin Heritage is available at www.stehekinchoice.com. We urge you to respond soon on this very important Stehekin Valley Issue. We know many of you have experienced the beauty and grandeur of the upper Stehekin Valley and we believe that road access should remain for coming generations to experience and enjoy. Please help the community and the visitor by asking for an alternative that is based on sound ideas and accurate information.
Dow Jones
