Hiker Headlines: Trail and Road Damage, Advocacy in D.C., New ADA Trail

It's Feb. 13, 2020. Recent storms have caused widespread flooding and landslides, affecting communities, roads and trails. Washington Trails Association's advocacy director was in Washington, D.C., this week working for hikers like you. A new accessible trail has opened up near the Tri-Cities. And wild areas in the Olympics are closer to getting protection.

Here's some hiker news you make have missed while out on trails this week. 

OneHundredMilesaYear found a rough section of trail on a trip to Pine and Cedar Lakes south of Bellingham.

Storms hit trails and roads hard: Many roads and trails have been damaged recently by flooding and landslides. Much of Mount Rainier National Park is inaccessible and the Upper Hoh Road in Olympic National Park is closed. While it will be months before we know the extent of the damage, it could be a rough year. Luckily, we have a powerful community to help. Your trip reports and donations to trails will be more important than ever.

Working for hikers: This week, Andrea Imler, WTA’s advocacy director, was in Washington, D.C., meeting with Washington’s congressional delegation and the leaders of public lands agencies. She was there for Hike the Hill, which brings together groups from across the nation to encourage adequate support for public lands. The event highlights the value of partnerships — our voices are louder together.

New ADA trail: Walkers and bikers can check out a new trail near the Tri-Cities. The trail, at the McNary National Wildlife Refuge, meets the standards of the American with Disability Act. The trail is 1.5 miles long and, if you’d like to check it out, the official opening is this Saturday, Feb. 15.

Protections for wild areas: The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Protecting America’s Wilderness Act. This packages includes the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (S. 1382 and H.R. 2642), a bill championed by Washington's own Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Derek Kilmer. In addition to protecting five other wilderness areas across the country, it will permanently protect more than 126,500 acres of Olympic National Forest as federally-designated wilderness and 464 miles of river as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Now it's on to the Senate!