One of the greatest benefits of living in the Western United States is our unparalleled access to national parks, national forests and national wildlife refuges.
In Clark County alone, there’s the Fort Vancouver National Site and the Ridgefield and Steigerwald wildlife refuges. Mount St. Helens and the 1.4-million-acre Gifford Pinchot National Forest lie within a short drive. And Washington is home to three magnificent national parks: Mount Rainier, Olympic and North Cascades. In Oregon, Crater Lake National Park is equally stunning.
But will young people enjoy them? In a world where natural beauty now competes with the virtual reality of online gaming, and campfire conversation with online social networking, there’s an increasing worry that future generations may not properly value and use these natural resources.
It’s also worth noting that what used to be mostly free access usually costs money these days. The government has moved toward user fees and away from general taxpayer support. With few exceptions, it now costs to park at trail heads, camp at campgrounds and tour historical sites.
That’s why a new effort by the Obama administration deserves commendation. “Every Kid in a Park” would grant a year’s worth of free admission to fourth-graders and their families to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites. Each pass has a value of $80. According to the White House, 80 percent of American families now live around cities. Children spend an average of 53 hours a week using electronic devices. The disconnect with nature is growing wider with every new release of “World of Warcraft.”
The effort to draw kids to the outdoors has the backing of the National Park Foundation, a nonprofit group that raises money to support the mission of the National Park Service.
Today, there are more than 400 units in the Park Service, including 14 in Washington. Many of these places deserve more visitors. Even in Clark County, it’s not unusual to meet someone who hasn’t toured Fort Vancouver, where replicas of a fur warehouse, the chief factor’s house and a heritage garden are among the highlights.
“Every Kid in a Park” also would expose local families to treasures such as the story of Lewis and Clark, including the replica of Fort Clatsop, near Astoria, Ore., where the Corps of Discovery spent a miserable, wet winter.
Or visit Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park’s Seattle Unit, a jumping off spot for thousands of miners and camp followers who stampeded to Alaska following the 1896 discovery of gold. One of the Park Service attractions still free to all comers, it tells the stories in the words of those who made the journey. Rangers give gold-panning demonstrations, and on weekends there are interpretive walking tours of the Pioneer Square Historical District.
Nestled in the heart of the mountains, North Cascades National Park is mostly wilderness. The park contains 300 glaciers. There are nearly 400 miles of hiking trails. Or you can ride the Lady of the Lake excursion boat 50 miles up Lake Chelan to Stehekin, a town that can only be reached by water, air or on foot.
Coincidentally, next year is the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Created by an act of Congress, it was signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson on Aug. 25, 1916. The first national park, Yellowstone, is even older, dating to 1872. Previous generations saw the value in our parks. We can only hope future generations do, too.
