Good News on Good Friday!

I just received this release from Amy Brockhaus of the Mountains to Sound Greenway. Excellent news indeed!

Mt. Si Natural Resource Conservation Area Expanded

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 10, 2009

SEATTLE, WA – The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) approved the addition of approximately 2,100 acres to the Mt. Si Natural Resources Conservation Area. “The addition of these lands to Mt. Si will enhance one of the most popular conservation and recreation areas in the Greenway,” says Cynthia Welti, Executive Director of the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

“With this addition, the Mount Si NRCA is now protecting more than 12,000 acres from development in eastern King County,” said State Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark.

The expansion will extend the Mt. Si conservation area boundary to the banks of the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River. “This is a spectacular low-elevation forest,” says Mark Boyar, Greenway Trust Board Member and President of the Middle Fork Outdoor Recreation Coalition. “It’s biologically rich, year-around habitat for many animals so permanent conservation of this area is wonderful news. It also happens to be a popular spot for hikers, kayakers, rafters, and fishers. The Washington State Legislature and the Board of Natural Resources have made a great move with this expansion.”

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust coalition has been working over the past two decades to conserve lands on and around Mt. Si through public ownership. The Greenway Trust in partnership with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has undertaken major trail improvement projects on the 4-mile Mt. Si Trail and the 2.5-mile Little Si Trail over the past several years.
About The Mountains to Sound Greenway:
The 100-mile Mountains to Sound Greenway connects natural areas, trails, working farms and forests, historic towns and communities, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities. The Greenway provides easy access to recreation and nature for millions of people in the Northwest, helping to ensure the quality of life in the region.

The Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization established in 1991 to protect the landscape surrounding Interstate 90 between Seattle and Central Washington. The Greenway Trust works to promote public land acquisitions, connect a continuous regional trail system, teach people of all ages about the importance of conserving forests and wildlife, improve recreation access, create new parks and trails and mobilize thousands of volunteers.

Contacts: Doug Schindler, 206.618.6265, doug.schindler@mtgreenway.org
Amy Brockhaus, 206.382.5565, amy.brockhaus@mtsgreenway.org

For More Information: mtsgreenway.org

(photo- Mount Si rises above Little Si, one of the featured hikes in my upcoming Western Washington Winter Hikes Card Deck (Mountaineers Books))