Park Superintendent Requests Public Involvement For Future of Ross Lake National Recreation Area
Superintendent Bill Paleck announced that the National Park Service, together with its visitors, neighbors, and partners, is beginning the process of crafting a vision for the future of Ross Lake National Recreation Area (NRA). This vision will be contained within the form of an updated General Management Plan (GMP) for Ross Lake NRA. The GMP will be a broad-based plan that articulates and charts a course of action for Ross Lake NRA's management for the next fifteen to twenty years.
Ross Lake NRA is the most accessible part of the North Cascades National Park Service Complex. Ross Lake NRA protects 118,000 acres, is the corridor for scenic Washington State Route 20, the North Cascades Highway, and includes three reservoirs: Ross Lake, Diablo Lake, and Gorge Lake -- water gateways to more remote areas. Ringed by mountains, most of this area is designated wilderness and offers many outdoor recreation opportunities along the upper reaches of the Skagit River, and between the north and south units of North Cascades National Park.
The National Park Service strives to protect Ross Lake NRA's diverse resources and to provide today's visitors and future generations with the opportunity to enjoy those resources. "To succeed," says Mr. Paleck, "we must first have a vision for the future and then plan and act to ensure that our vision is achieved. We are reaching out for the public's help and ideas as we develop an updated GMP for Ross Lake NRA."
In October 2006, the National Park Service is hosting seven workshops in the local North Cascades area, British Columbia, and Seattle. At these workshops, the public will learn more about the general management planning process and be encouraged to share ideas, concerns, and thoughts about Ross Lake NRA. These public workshops are the first step in a three year process to develop the updated General Management Plan, and the public's ideas are an essential component to the planning process.
Workshops are scheduled as follows:
Tuesday, October 17
Concrete, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Concrete Senior Center
45821 Railroad Street
Wednesday, October 18
Marblemount, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Marblemount Community Club
60099 State Route 20
Thursday, October 19
Sedro-Woolley, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
North Cascades National Park Service Complex Headquarters
810 State Route 20
Monday, October 23
Bellingham, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Bellingham Senior Center
16315 Halleck Street
Tuesday, October 24
Surrey, British Columbia
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
Surrey Community Services
9815 140th Street
Wednesday, October 25
Chilliwack, British Columbia
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Hosted by the Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission
Chilliwack Arts Council Lounge
45899 Henderson Avenue
Thursday, October 26
Seattle, Washington
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Seattle Mountaineers
Olympus Room
300 Third Street West
The public is also encouraged to visit https://parkplanning.nps.gov/rola to learn more about the Ross Lake National Recreation Area General Management Plan, to submit comments, and to sign up for the General Management Plan mailing list.
The public can also call 360-856-5700, email noca_superintendent@nps.gov, or write:
Bill Paleck, Superintendent
North Cascades National Park Service Complex
810 State Route 20
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
