By Ric Bailey Last month, the Okanogan National Forest issued a public notice declaring it had received nearly 1,000 public comments on its proposed Twisp Restoration Project (TRP). I’m asking everyone who loves the Twisp River Corridor to step back for a moment, and ask where this project came from. Incomprehensibly, the TRP would impact […]
My Turn
My turn — Road trip to the previous century
By Richard Rapport We left from the Methow Valley to drive again across the north central section of Washington state to visit Steptoe Butte, a peculiar land formation near the Montana border named for Edward Steptoe. A 19th-century fort built nearby and its surrounding little community that sprang up known as “Steptoeville” adjoined the 3,612-foot […]
My Turn — Revisiting the concept of ‘aloneness’ in the Methow
By Isabelle Spohn What has happened to the concept of “aloneness” in the Methow Valley? Public Recreational Areas, Policy No. 2 in the Methow Valley Plan (an addendum to the County Comprehensive Plan) states, “Limit development of access into dispersed recreational areas where a certain amount of ‘aloneness’ is necessary.” Written in 1976 by citizens […]
My Turn: Chickadee Trail a reality thanks to community support
Submitted by Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance/Methow Chapter would like to thank our community for the incredible support that you have provided over the last three years of making the Chickadee Multi-use Trail Expansion Project a reality. This project includes over 25 miles of new trails that were specifically designed to […]
My Turn: Some thoughts on snowmobile grooming issues
By Don Fitzpatrick In the Jan. 13 edition of the Methow Valley News, a letter to the editor discussed “Snowmobile trail challenges.” Bob Wagner is certainly appreciated for assuming the role of leader of the Mountain Trails Grooming Association. He will do the same fine job he does as manager of the Twisp Airport. The […]
My Turn — An insider’s guide to understanding the Methow Valley
By Robin Baire I’m writing in response to the recent “52 best places to visit” article in the New York Times. As a longtime resident of the Methow Valley, I feel the need to pass along to the author an explanation of why this piece has upset a lot of us. I believe you need […]
New Sno-Park took years of collaborative effort
By Don Fitzpatrick On Dec. 1, a new Sno-Park opened on Highway 20 at the Silver Star Bridge. It will serve a multitude of users, including both motorized and non-motorized. Snowmobilers, backcountry skiers, cross country skiers, snowshoe hikers, mushers, fat-tire bikes and heli-skiers will all be beneficiaries of this project. But what is amazing is […]
From Paris to Pateros, it’s climate solutions time
By KC Golden If you’ve been calling on Washington, D.C., to deliver climate solutions, you might feel like you’ve been waiting on hold listening to Muzak for 30 years. But the new administration has a mandate to answer the call. Biden and Harris campaigned on climate solutions as a top priority and a centerpiece of […]
Healthy forests combat megafires — and biochar could help
By Gina McCoy A recent issue of this newspaper contained a column describing the onset of an apocalyptic planetary fire age. Immediately next to it was a letter opposing the U.S. Forest Service’s actions to restore fire resilience to our forests. These competing viewpoints offer despair on one hand and denial on the other. The […]
Learning Pods: the power of community
By Hilary Kaltenbach It’s Wednesday morning. Buses line the front of Methow Valley Elementary School, opening their doors with the familiar rush of air that signals the start of a day. Students jump the last step, streaming into the fall air. They pick up breakfast and head in twos and threes to their grade-level groups. […]
