The Enchanted Valley Chalet, imperiled by erosion of the East Fork
Quinault River, leads the list of structures named to the 2014 Most Endangered
Properties. The list was released by the non-profit Washington
Trust for
Historic Preservation.
Last year, the historic Electric Building in Aberdeen was named to the
list.
????
The fate of the chalet however is in the hands of the Olympic National
Park and
its future remains uncertain. The chalet is also on the National
Register of Historic
Places and proponents for it's historic preservation consists of
avid back country hikers, recreationalists, and many other
groups of citizens and families that want to save it, preferable by
moving it within the
valley. Give it back to the community who built and cared for it, long
before it became an ONP designated wilderness area.
“…The 2-1/2 story, hand hewn, dovetail-notched log
structure is significant for its association with the recreational
development of the wild and remote interior of the Olympic
Mountains,” the designation by the trust noted.
"The Olympic Recreation Company completed the chalet in 1931 and
operated it as a seasonal wilderness hostel the company’s guide
services to back country destinations throughout the Quinault River
valley. Purchased by the National Park Service in 1953, it continued to
serve as a ranger station and is the last structure of its type within
the park’s interior,” trust executive director Chris Moore
said.
Due to winter flooding, the river shifted course and resulting erosion
has left one side of the building cantilevered over the riverbank.
“Advocates hope the building can be safely relocated within the
valley away from the river, noting that if the chalet were removed from
the Enchanted Valley all together, it would lose much of its historic
significance,” Moore said.
Local Quinault residents would highly
disagree
that the chalet's historical significance would disappear if removed
from it's original location.
The pioneer heritage has not
disappeared from the Quinault valley, but has only grown more
culturally sound and appreciated. It is the work of their
ancestors that cleared the way through the wild lands and built
the hotel/outpost from the virgin timber forest. Every log
and board that it took to contructthe much loved and used Enchanted
Valley Chalet.
"Park officials are conducting an expedited environmental assessment to
consider the option of moving the chalet a short distance from the
riverbank to prevent the structure from falling into the river.
This was in 2014
Park public information officer Barb Maynes said that park
officials were nearing completion of the assessment, announced April
18, 2014
and expected to have it out to for public for review. “The
option under consideration hasn’t changed,” she
said. (the option was do nothing).
"A
second assessment will identify a more long-term solution" she said.
Park officials must also consider that the chalet is located within a designated Wilderness Area,
Moore noted.
“While such designation does not prohibit proper care and
stewardship for historic resources, past litigation has park officials
wary of taking action that could
be misconstrued as violating the Wilderness Act. In the
meantime, chalet supporters simply want to ensure future generations
can experience the chalet in its original context.” he said.
Park officials are still negotiating a Memorandum of Agreement with
preservation officials, Dr. Allyson Brooks, State Historic Preservation
Officer confirmed Tuesday afternoon.
- See more at: http://thedailyworld.com/news/local/enchanted-valley-chalet-named-2014-list-endangered-historic-properties#sthash.XCog3Ymp.dpuf
The
Thumb Twiddling Continued
The above article fails to
tell the
reader that the river did not drastically change overnight. The Park
watched this erosion take place for over 9 YEARS! They knew it was
coming. They knew 2 years ago the loss of the hostel would be imminent.
The
Thumb Twiddling Continued
Because Designated
Wilderness came in and
surrounded the public land it was built on, they did not concern
themselves with the fact that the wild river would take the hostel. If
sensible and responsible river managment would have been allowed, the
river could have easily been redirected to slowly move it's way back
into it's original path by removing the obstruction that caused it to
redirect itself. Minimal environmental impact would have resulted
(unnoticeable). The lost land and the environmental damage could have
been avoided. The chalet and most everything around it could have
remained in place for another century.
A little light management is necessary to protect and
preserve. "Wild Laws" do not always preserve and protect our wildlife
or environment. Mankind is smarter then that, and it is a shame man
can't step in and prevent both the endangered land and wildlife
species. There is no room for wilderness designation when protecting or
preserving a healthy living forest environment. There is always work to
be done the forests. Because of The Wilderness Act and the refusal to
provide forest service with the funding to maintain anything (even if
they could) has caused depletion that even wildlife can not thrive in.
Wilderness is nonsense. Forest service managment with no budget is
impossible. The Quinault Valley wants the Chalet preserved
as promised when the building became a subject of and within the new
ONP added Wilderness and it's laws.
The Chalet came before the land around it became a wilderness area.
Return it to the lower valley so this relic can be physically viewed
and appreciated by all. As far as D.C. and OLYMPIA'S beaurocrats
are concerned they couldn't "give a hoot" (pun intended) about anyones
legacy but their own.
All scampering around and running "wild" to erase past history for a
newly created and redesigned history of falsities, for the future
teaching of how they wanted it to be. A legacy that will surely bare
the names of those elected officials responsible for the theft of the
Quinault heritage. A well deserved heritage and legacy that was truely
earned by hard work and labor of the pioneers. A real American made
culture, of early pioneering immigrants that lay embeded to this day in
the Enchanted Valley Ridge and the lower Quinault valley that they
themselves carved out to settled in. Aren't we thankful did? and
aren't we thankful the landowners through time have kept it the
beautiful place it still remains today?
The Chalet has served as grand memorial to the settlers of that time
ever since. A proud and respected part of American history that took
place during it's infancy. Pure, simple and sustainable living. Truely
a labor of love with the best of intentions. That alone is something
everyone of us should cherish.
The Dicks/Murray/Cantwell and Kilmer wilderness weepers are the legacy
runners, that hold the eraser to Quinault's pioneer history and the
hand built Chalet, in their hands. Twiddling Thumbs once again in the wilderness, awaiting the
chance to wear that eraser down, with the help of ignorant laws,
that replace sound science with political agendic ideology.
Replacing history with Park Badges that take the credit for the work,
others have done. That's the way the D.C. beaurocrats and the
federal minions operate. Take - Tax - Spend and Hoard - while pointing
fingers at everyone else, as if public funding for government
waste, was our doing.
A LGBT district and it's buildings can be preserved by the national
park system as an important part of history? But the
National Park system can't preserve the real first history of ALL
people that came and in particular those first settlers that actually
inhabited the first wing
of the lands that eventually became one of the National Parks domains?
those that opened up and made available real and natural recreation to All
cultures?
What world did congress come
from? The Chalet was promised to be kept up and remain
usable as a back country shelter to serve the publics interests.
They failed, over and over again to be held liable. What's new? A
government that can't be trusted? That's old news and history that
can't be erased or forgotten. Bottom line? Untighten the belts of
congress a few notches and SAVE THE CHALET. It's time their meal
tickets are cut.
SAY NO TO WILD OLYMPICS
Quinault's pristine Valley
has experienced numerous incidents of environmemtal damage in and
around it's
watersheds since the 80's when the WDFW took over river management
and the "Let it Run Wild" law was implemented (due mostly to
green party environmental meddlers). This prohibited removel of ANY
debris from within our river systems. This included big major logjams
that would form and obstruct the river channels. During high water
seasons these logjams tend to break up and reek havoc on the river
banks and salmon/trout spawning areas. The force of the waters and the
trees
it carries, shred the banks, the land and anything else in it's path.
Environmental "know it alls", will tell you these logjams are
necessary
for salmon spawning. We don't argue that some logjams serve those
purposes. But the newly formed "danger logjams" that obviously
become unstable should be removed to keep the river free flowing, and
it's banks in tact. This is done in the low water season before
spawning begins.
Big city decisions in protecting rural places are not always the best
policies. They have proved devastating to the Quinault Valley time and
time again.
"It's a sad thing to have to sit back and watch" said a local resident.
"Our valley has been eaten up by regulations. We never saw
problems like the ones taking place today. Some of our favorite places
have disappeared. Our river is no longer navigable to fish. It's a
mess".
We agree with Mr. Jones
The Quinault river is a mess. It has
been ruined by bad decision makers.
"Let it Run Wild" is destoying
habitat and causing damage to our once stable environment.
With all these regulatory agencies,
it is impossible to even walk where you want, let alone fish the river
or find an open camping ground.
Congress wants extra protection?
What for?
A deed change? So they can sell our
natural areas to China next?
Never say never when it comes to our D.C. government! They can't be
trusted.