WWRI wins national award from Forest Service

On Thursday, October 22, the Forest Service published an announcement about their national 2009 Rise to the Future and National Watershed Awards.

We're delighted to report that the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative won the "Public Awareness Award."  Here's what the FS had to say about our work:

The Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative is a coalition of state and private non-profit groups focused on improvement of water quality and watershed conditions on National Forests. Since 2007, members have worked tirelessly to address road and trail impacts on watersheds and fish habitat.  By utilizing media, networking and testifying to Congress, awareness has been heightened. Their efforts have resulted in the allocation of over $90 million dollars to repair degrading roads and trails within National Forest System Lands.

That $90 million isn't just for repairing degrading roads and trails, but for removing them as well.  The agency has used these funds to decommission more than 2000 miles or roads in the past two years, restoring hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and more than 1100 miles of stream habitat.  Here's a link to a list of their projected 2008/09 accomplishments.

Wildlands CPR's Restoration Campaign Director, Sue Gunn, spends the bulk of her Wildlands CPR time as the Campaign Director for the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative, which is the primary advocate for the Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative.

Thanks to all the members of the WWRI for their work promoting Legacy Roads!