Three years ago, the U.S. Forest Service all but abandoned an old ranger station on the southeast flank of Mount St. Helens.
Last year, local residents joined to breathe new life into the Pine Creek Information Station.
The station, which reopens for the season on Saturday, has been transformed to a hub of activity thanks in part to four Southwest Washington nonprofit organizations honored with the 2010 Evergreen Award.
The distinction, awarded April 29 during the Washington State Nonprofit Conference in Bellevue, honors the Mount St. Helens Institute; Discover Your Northwest; Swift Community Action Team; and the Skamania County Chamber of Commerce.
“It’s designed to recognize nonprofits throughout the state who exemplify and really demonstrate the value of collaboration,” said Ben Cordy, communications director for the EA Alliance of Nonprofits, which has presented the award for the past 17 years.
The Pine Creek station sits near the junction of forest roads 25 and 90 on the northeast side of Swift Reservoir.
The four groups honored with the Evergreen Award worked with the Forest Service, Skamania County, the sheriff’s office and the local fire district to reopen the station during the 2009 recreational season.
The groups collectively maintained a presence at the station from Memorial Day through Labor Day weekend.
“We had 18,000 visitors over the course of the season, which was just incredible,” said Jeanne Bennett, the Mount St. Helens Institute’s executive director.
