An easy way to volunteer this month

Mount Rainier National Park has just released its Environmental Assessment exploring options for managing access to the Carbon River area of the park, and will accept comments from the public for 45 days, until November 3, 2010. In addition, public meetings are being held this week, including one Tonight, September 30, at 7:00 PM at the Seattle REI store.

I'm often asked by people, this time of year, how they can volunteer. We have another trails project at White River this weekend, Saturday October 2, sponsored by the Mount Rainier National Park Associates, and Meadow Rovers are still needed at Sunrise and Paradise; but other than that, most of our volunteer work is done for the season. Trail crews have wrapped up their assignments and planting crews are finishing up, both with considerable help from volunteer groups; visitor centers are shutting down; and the weather is turning cold and wet.

So, get out your pen and paper and make a difference for park planning! Read the park's planning document, review the proposed alternatives, and send us your thoughts. Do you like the Park Service's preferred alternative, or one of the other ones? What are your priorities for the Carbon River area of the park? Your input could have as much influence on the future of your national park as if you'd picked up a pulaski in better weather!