Hiker Headlines: Native Plant Month, Funding Roads, Good Fire, Middle Fork, Olympics Art
April is Native Plant Month. Prescribed burns are scheduled in several forests this spring. The Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail is closed to hikers while construction is underway. Art installations in Olympic National Park celebrate Roosevelt elk and conservation.
It’s April 8. April is Native Plant Month. WTA is advocating for Congress to reinstate the Legacy Roads and Trails Program. Prescribed burns are scheduled in several forests this spring. The Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail is closed to hikers while construction is underway. Art installations in Olympic National Park celebrate Roosevelt elk and conservation. Here’s some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.
April is Native Plant Month. This year's theme is Native Pollinators Need Native Plants. Photo by Adam Halvorsen.
Native Plant Month: April is native plant month in Washington, and for the first time, it’s also a national celebration this year. The theme this year is Native Pollinators Need Native Plants. You can appreciate native plants on just about every trail in the state but here are a few that are especially good for finding wildflowers in the Spring.
Funding needed for the Legacy Roads and Trails Program: The Legacy Roads and Trails Program (LRT) lost funding three years ago, and WTA is joining our partners in asking Congress to reinstate and fund the program. An ongoing WTA advocacy priority, investment in LRT will help preserve and expand recreational opportunities across the state. LRT supports funding to fix roads used to access forests, improve road stream crossings and removes unnecessary roads to reduce financial burdens on the Forest Service.
Good fire: Land Managers in Eastern Washington have announced several prescribed burns planned for this spring. The areas include several regions in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, the Colville National Forest and Washington Fish and Wildlife units in Eastern Washington. Prescribed burns are an important tool in mitigating wildfire risk and damage.
Middle Fork Trail under construction: The Middle Fork Snoqualmie Trail remains closed between the Middle Fork Trailhead and Dingford Trailhead. Active construction is underway on a relocation above the slide area making this trail unsafe for travel. Please respect this closure. Construction should be wrapped up by the end of summer.
Art in the Olympics: Visitors to Olympic National Park can now view an art installation inspired by the Roosevelt elk herds seen throughout the park. The installations are on display at the Port Angeles Ranger Station and the Hoh Rain Forest Visitor Center through the end of Labor Day weekend.
BE IN THE KNOW
- Keep up to date with Trail News, our monthly email newsletter.
- Check our Hiking Guide for information on what trails are open.
- Check trip reports for latest conditions on trails. And if you go for a hike, file your own trip report.
- Sign up for Families Go Hiking, our email newsletter for families with plenty of tips on keeping kids busy.
Comments
George & Sally on Hiker Headlines: Native Plant Month, Funding Roads, Good Fire, Middle Fork, Olympics Art
Could you add something about the "Active construction is under way" information for those of us who do not do Facebook. When I was up to the Gateway Bridge parking lot a couple of weeks ago, there was a four man professional trail building crew out of Oregon who were beginning the Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Trail relocation project. The "new" trail will be built above the land slide area, and they were starting construction passed the slide and working back down stream to connect into the existing trail. The Forest Service had a trail closed sign at the trailhead stating the the trail would closed until February 2022. I also saw that WTA will have some crews working on this trail in May. George
Posted by:
George & Sally on Apr 08, 2021 05:07 PM