The Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest will celebrate the reopening of the Suiattle River Road (Forest Service Road 26) on October 25, 2014 by hosting the Rediscover the Suiattle public engagement event at the Community Center in Darrington, Washington.
The Rediscover the Suiattle event marks the reopening of the Suiattle River Road which has been closed to the majority of the public for the past decade due to major flooding events. The Suiattle River Road is a major route into treasured recreation spots such as the Green Mountain Lookout, the Glacier Peak Wilderness and the Pacific Crest Trail, as well as a multitude of popular trails. Roughly 120 miles of system trails lay within the Suiattle River Watershed including trails passing through old-growth forests such as Downey Creek. The road provides scenic and pleasure driving and allows people to access areas to hunt, search for wild mushrooms and berries and gather other forest products. Tribal members also use the road to reach areas and resources important for traditional cultural practices and exercise reserved Treaty rights.
The reopening of the Suiattle River Road was funded through a collaborative effort by the Federal Highways Administration Program, the US Forest Service, and grant funding from Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office that was secured by the Skagit River System Cooperative representing the Sauk-Suiattle and Swinomish Tribes.
The Community Center Event will feature remarks by local government officials and congressional representatives as well as a video showcasing the cultural and recreational importance of the Suiattle River Road. There will also be a variety of booth displays at the event highlighting local tourism, recreational, cultural and other activities as well as a fundraiser lunch offered by the Darrington Historical Society.
The Community Center Event will be preceded by an invitation only ribbon cutting ceremony and the Suiattle River Road will be open to the general public beginning at 12:00 pm on October 25, 2014.
Where: Darrington Community Center, 570 Sauk Ave, Darrington, WA 98241
When: 12: pm – 4: pm on Saturday, October 25, 2014
Directions: Take I-5 N to Exit 208 towards Arlington/Darrington, turn right on State Hwy 530 E, turn left onto WA-530 E, take 1st right onto WA-530 E, follow 530 for 27 miles and turn onto Sauk Ave.
For more information on the Rediscover the Suiattle Event, please contact Kelly Sprute at ksprute@fs.fed.us; or Tracy O’Toole at tracymotoole@fs.fed.us
Learn more about the Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest.
