Hiker Headlines: Fisher Success, Legislature in Session, St. Helens License Plates

It's Jan. 16. Eight more fishers were recently released into the wild. The state Legislature is back in session. Monday marks Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which you can celebrate with free access to public lands. And if you'd like a Mount St. Helens license plate, the state wants to know. Here's some news you may have missed while out on trail this week.  

A released fisher runs into the woods in Mount Rainier National Park. National Park Service Photo by Kevin Bacher.

Welcome back, fishers! Last week, eight more fishers were released into the wild, four in Mount Rainier National Park and four in the North Cascades near Darrington. With the most recent releases, more than 250 fishers have been released in the North Cascades, South Cascades and Olympic Peninsula. Fishers, which are related to martens, mink and wolverines, are endangered in Washington state. The most recent releases meets a years-long goal to help restore fishers to Washington.

In honor of his memory: On Monday, in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, state and federal public lands won’t require a parking pass or entry fee. If you’re in Northwest Washington, in the spirit of service, we have a trail work party planned at Whatcom Falls Park.

Back to work in Olympia: The state Legislature is back in session. And so, we are hiking the halls of the state Capitol to advocate for trails and hikers. It’s a short session this year, but we have some big goals. And we could really use your help to make them happen!

The 40th Eruptiversary! In honor of the anniversary of the eruption of Mount St. Helens, the Mount St. Helens Institute is leading an effort to get a Mount St. Helens license plate for Washington state. But, to make that happen, they need 4,000 Washingtonians to show their interest in buying a plate. The proceeds will go to the Mount St. Helens Institute, who WTA partners with regularly on trail work projects. 

Welcome! Jaime Loucky joined WTA this week as chief impact officer, a new position. In his new role, he will be looking at the big picture of our work over the coming years to help us move forward toward our vision of trails for everyone, forever.