113 ACRES IN THE PROPOSED WILD SKY WILDERNESS Protected
Tributary to Bitter Creek
On September 12, 2006, the Trust purchased 113 acres of land in the Bitter Creek area of the proposed Wild Sky wilderness. The land was logged from the 1970’s through the 1980’s, due largely to a Forest Service road that climbs 1,700 feet to a logging landing situated at 2,650 feet. If left unprotected, the landing would have been an ideal home site with views up to West Gunn Peak and out over the North Fork Valley. The 113-acre property was the sole privately owned land at the end of the road, and both the road and the property formed a cherry stem in the latest Wild Sky wilderness proposal. The acquisition of this property will enable the permanent closure of the three miles of road and the removal of the cherry stem from the wilderness boundaries.
View of West Gunn from property
Several years ago, the Trust was asked by the
Wild Washington Campaign, an alliance of conservationists,
recreation groups and local businesses advocating for the
Wild Sky wilderness, to assist with the issue of inholdings
in the Wild Sky. The Trust is working to acquire more than
800 additional acres of inholdings in the Wild Sky. The acquisition
of inholdings assists the effort to protect the Wild Sky as
wilderness by helping to simplify land ownership patterns,
which will allow the Forest Service to manage the area for
its wild characteristics.
