Rhododendron Preserve protection expanded

The Mountaineers Foundation is pleased to announce the acceptance of a gift of a conservation easement from Ueland Tree Farm, LLC protecting approximately 100 acres of critical watershed near Chico and Lost Creeks in perpetuity. The conservation areas are in the northern portion of the Ueland Tree Farm property in central Kitsap County and borders the Mountaineers Foundation Rhododendron Preserve. The easements include critical portions of the Lost Creek and Chico Creek watersheds. This generous gift ensures that riparian zones adjacent to these watercourses in the Rhododendron Preserve, near the Mountaineers Forest Theater, are preserved in perpetuity and is another step toward ensuring the long term health of these important salmon-bearing stream systems. The agreement also includes an option for the Foundation to purchase 68 acres of Ueland's property as an addition to the Preserve.

Conservation areas - click to for larger image

"We first approached Craig Ueland about purchasing this acreage when Ueland Tree Farm acquired the property as part of its larger purchase of over 1,700 acres in 2004," says James Gordon, President of the Mountaineers Foundation. "The protection afforded these areas demonstrates Ueland Tree Farm's commitment to environmentally responsible management of their property. We have continually had a positive relationship with Craig Ueland and his associates, and we hope to continue it in the future. I believe there is still more opportunity for mutual benefit as we work with our neighbor in conserving the natural beauty of the Preserve."

"The Chico Creek basin is a special place, one that deserves to be protected for future generations," added Craig Ueland, Managing Member of Ueland Tree Farm, LLC. "As a major landowner in the watershed, we take our stewardship responsibilities seriously and are honored to join with the Mountaineers Foundation to preserve this property."

The fundraising effort to exercise the purchase option for the 68 acres will begin immediately.

68 acre purchase option areas - click to for a larger image

Upclose and Personal - Harry Romberg

In this section of the newsletter we will be interviewing a different member of the either the Foundation Board, a grantee, or a donor. Today we are talking with Harry Romberg, a Foundation Board Member and a noted leader in the Pacific Northwest conservation community. Harry played a large part in establisment of the Wild Sky Wilderness, passed by Congress and signed into law in 2008.

Harry, tell me about some of your experiences with the Mountaineers and the Mountaineers Foundation?

I joined The Mountaineers in 1974, wanting to get a more well rounded education in climbing and meet others who were similarly interested. I quickly became completely consumed by my favorite activity, teaching at countless Basic and Intermediate field trips and joining the Climbing Committee. Over the next decade, I organized and instructed more new climbers than I could count. I climbed all over Washington in the day when, you could still run across original summit registers with the likes of Fred Beckey and others on their first ascents. During this time and for many years following, I took many trips to the Tetons, Yosemite, Canada and all over to satisfy my passion. I was so involved with climbing, I was barely aware of efforts at the time to establish the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in 1976 or the great Washington Wilderness Act of 1984 that vastly increased Wilderness acreage across the state. I do, however, remember thinking, when I saw the new Wilderness signs, how glad I was that people had worked so hard to protect the places I was only just discovering. I did not fully realize how important that was before the legislation passed or how threatened some of those places really were until much later.

Despite my career as an environmental chemist, my political and environmental education did not really come until years later when I became more aware of threats to the places I liked to climb and hike. I felt I needed to get more involved if I wanted to see places I cared about preserved. So, I turned to The Mountaineers and took the Environmental Issues Course, later helping to organize it for several years. I found my experiences in the outdoors had sparked a passion for forest and wilderness issues so I also joined The Mountaineers Forest Watch committee (which I later chaired) and the Conservation Executive Committee on which I still serve. It was a thrill to be among the founding members, along with fellow Mountaineer and Foundation board member Norm Winn, of the coalition of groups supporting the new Wild Sky Wilderness. The new wilderness area was finally passed by Congress and signed into law in 2008. I am equally thrilled now to be working to add over 20,000 acres to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and establish a Wild and Scenic River designation along the Middle Fork Snoqualmie and Pratt Rivers.

In 2000, I joined The Mountaineers Foundation. I saw it as another opportunity to help provide money to many good causes in the conservation community and within the Club. Good causes are always looking for funding to get off the ground and to accomplish their goals. My time on the Community Grants Committee has helped to further those efforts.

Why do you continue to donate your money and time to the Mountaineers Foundation?

I am extremely gratified by what the Foundation has been able to do by providing funding for a great many efforts by a host of organizations, particularly efforts which contribute to protecting and preserving our amazing Northwest environment. Foundation funding is able to help organizations complete worthy projects. It is often a critical factor to their even getting off the ground. We are so lucky to live where we do. I feel any contribution I can make to keep our wild places wild and preserving or restoring those places which are threatened or have been degraded is part of what makes my life worthwhile. My work on the Foundation's Community Grants Committee allows me to see what our money does. I now see how many donors can leverage what we do far beyond what I could otherwise afford as an individual. It is the contributions large and small of generous individuals that allow us to support so many great projects.

What are some of the goals that you have for the Mountaineers Foundation?

I would like to see The Mountaineers Foundation continue to grow and be able to provide even more support to worthy efforts across the Northwest. As a member of the Community Grants Committee I am, of course, partial and most fond of our ability to provide grants to conservation efforts that might otherwise see limited funding despite the benefits they provide.

I want to thank you Harry for taking the time to share some of your thoughts and your inspiring story with us today.