Special Notice regarding the

"Buckskinned" equals Bird Habitat Wood Pecker feeding holes on one felled tree from Snoqualmie riparian zone. Photo: Toby Paterson Woodpecker nest hole in tree logged at Alpental Riparian zone. Photo: Toby Paterson Confluence of the Snoqualmie and South Rock Face Tributary with gravel covered snow pack and riparian zone logging. Photo: Toby Paterson or,

How to Log in Riparian Zones, with a Forest Service Permit.

Notice in the picture above the unusual gravel coated snow pack in the Upper Snoqualmie River Watershed Riparian Zone. The river is less than 15 feet from the Summit at Snoqualmie (USFS approved) riparian logging zone. The water at the far left of the picture is the confluence of a tributary that runs from southern Rock Face, and the Snoqualmie River (at the end of the bright white snow pack). Also, notice the woodpecker nest and feeding holes in the two trees pictured above. These trees were cut down by the Summit at Snoqualmie with the approval of the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Field Office (United States Forest Service), under the direction of Rob Iwamoto, Jim Franzel, and Bob Pacific. 6/13/2006.

Special Notice regarding the "legal" logging of trees in a riparian zone at Alpental 6/01/2006:

Booth Creek Ski Holding is logging at Alpental! They are logging living second growth woodpecker habitat in riparian zones around the upper parking lots at Alpental. According to Rob Iwamoto, Jim Franzel, and Bob Pacific (USFS) they approved the riparian zone logging. They claim the trees were "buckskinned," dead or nearly dying- and posed a hazard. One of the logs in the pile of rubble left over had a hole that appeared to be a woodpecker's nest. And, coincidentally a Downy Woodpecker was spotted and video taped in the riparian zone where the logging occurred. Rob Iwamoto, Jim Franzel, and Bob Pacific have not addressed the allegation that the logging is actually part of the Master Development Plan- and as such not part of a Final Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision. Jim Franzel scoffed at the idea of inquiring with the EPA about logging in a riparian zone- even when the EPA expressed concern about "wetland" issues at the Summit at Snoqualmie. He yelled "I do not need to inform the EPA about cutting hazard trees." and said "Absolutely, we will cut more." Ironically it was the ski area that cut the trees, without any Forest Service supervision. None of the trees cut were diagnosed with disease or pest infestation. One of the seven trees was left as forest floor material in the riparian zone, but will probably be removed as were the other six trees. The area that the trees were cut is in line with proposed new shot 10 bathrooms (item J), ski school (item L), ticket booth (item K) and would be located near the upper lots (see items J,K,L in the DEIS figure 2.3.3-2 alternative 2 Proposed Conditions - Alpental http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/mbs/projects/summit-at-snoqualmie/figures/2-3-3-2-Alternative-2-Proposed-Conditions-Alpental.pdf)..

This is exactly where the Downy Woodpecker was filmed, maybe a few feet from the "J" bathroom marker on the DEIS map sighted above. A mighty interesting coincidence that the trees of danger are in MDP development zones, and that all except one tree and a pile of branches was removed immediately as to not allow inspection. Check freealpental.org for pictures and a diagram.

Will they log and install the Knoll One chairlift next? After all, there are a number of dangerous trees, dangerous waterfalls, dangerous larch salamanders, and dangerous downy woodpeckers up there.

AlpentalicsTM