Trip Report: OA Washington Meets with Rep. Derek Kilmer in Olympic National Forest to Discuss Conservation Funding
The Outdoor Alliance Washington network recently hit the ground running towards our goal to protect Washington’s outdoor spaces and climate. In mid-September, OA Washington partners from The Mountaineers, American Whitewater, Surfrider Foundation, Washington Trails Association, and Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance met with Representative Derek Kilmer (WA-06) and U.S. Forest Service staff in the Olympic National Forest to celebrate local implementation of the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA).
Outdoor Alliance Washington partners with Rep. Derek Kilmer at Big Creek Campground, Olympic National Forest Hoodsport, WA. Photo credit: Conor Marshall.
The forests, waters, and trails of the Olympic Peninsula provide myriad opportunities for recreationists to get outside and connect to nature. Outdoor Alliance Washington groups came together as a unified voice for human-powered recreation to urge continued support for policy and funding solutions for conservation and climate on the Olympic Peninsula and beyond.
In his more than eight years in Congress, Rep. Kilmer—an avid hiker and current member of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Committee—has been a strong champion for the Pacific Northwest’s public lands and renowned outdoor recreation opportunities. Hailing from a gateway town to Olympic National Park, his lifelong connection to those unique landscapes and the communities that depend on them makes him feel privileged to work on conservation and recreation issues. His leadership was critical to the passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in the House and efforts to chip away at the deferred maintenance backlog on public lands through the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act.
Gathered in a circle near a campground pavilion in Big Creek campground on a rare cloudless fall day, OA Washington opened by thanking Rep. Kilmer for his support of the Great American Outdoors Act, and then transitioned to a fruitful discussion of local GAOA project implementation and agency funding and staffing challenges affecting the Olympic National Forest (ONF).
U.S. Forest Service staff working in the ONF were able to utilize the first round of GAOA funding for three projects that will improve outdoor recreation amenities across the Forest: critically needed campground restroom replacement, recreation amenity improvements at all three campgrounds in the Lake Quinault area, and a rapid condition trails assessment that will help create a stock of recreation projects and better position staff to take further advantage of future rounds of Great American Outdoors Act funding.
In reflecting on the first year of the Great American Outdoors Act, Rep. Kilmer noted that the legislation is “a good example of Congress doing something, and these are the results.” He also emphasized that outdoor recreation is key to economic recovery and building healthy communities.
Olympic NF recreation staff member Nicole LaGioia discussing recreation projects and planning in the ONF.
As demand for recreation increases, non-fire staffing levels at the Forest Service have declined. This unfortunate trend, combined with increased wildfire threats and common staffing realities where individual agency staff members are regularly performing the duties of multiple roles illustrate the need for increased appropriations for the Forest Service to better manage recreation and conservation priorities.
“Public lands should be good investments with efficient systems. We’re excited about new funding streams but increased dedicated appropriations for the Forest Service is greatly needed,” stressed James Moschella of Washington Trails Association. Building on our Forest Service funding report, the Washington network will continue to make the case to lawmakers of the need for increased Forest Service funding to better manage recreation and protect landscapes in Washington state.
“Groups like yours can help tell and amplify the story about what the Forest Service is doing. It can be impactful if user groups are all talking together about what lack of Forest Service staff capacity means for inability to secure funds over GAOA’s current five-year period,” added Rep. Kilmer.
In addition to GAOA implementation, federal land managers throughout the region recently launched a Sustainable Recreation Strategy stakeholder engagement process to inform a Peninsula-wide approach to outdoor recreation planning that would work across agencies and land management units to more efficiently manage recreation.
Outdoor Alliance Washington partners on a hike with Rep. Kilmer in Big Creek Campground, Olympic National Forest, Hoodsport, WA.
Relationships with members of Congress and Forest Service staff on the ground are key to shaping a better future for our treasured public lands. OA Washington looks forward to advocating for increased Forest Service funding, participating in the Sustainable Recreation Strategy process, and doing all we can to help the Forest Service take advantage of future GAOA funding opportunities across the state.
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