Green River Gorge Mountains to Valley Greenway
9/05/07
MGRC News
During the past couple of years MGRC has been educating local cities in the Middle Green River watershed about the incredible opportunity in southeast King County to create a "Mountains to Valley Greenway" along the Green River Gorge. This is one of the last undeveloped areas left in King county that would create an east/west corridor of open space that literally connects the Cascade foothills of the upper Green River watershed to the Puget Sound lowlands of the Green River Valley.
In February MGRC presented letters of endorsement from all the cities in the Middle Green River watershed to the King County Growth Management committee. These cities include: Kent, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Black Diamond, and Enumclaw. The letters represent a movement by local communities to support the preservation of this key natural and recreational resource in their community.
The King county Growth management committee supported forwarding a motion to the full King County council to endorse the "Green River Gorge Mountains to Valley Greenway". On Monday March 26th the council unanimously passed a motion to supporting the Greenway.
This is an exciting step forward in bringing this incredible resource to the attention of the larger community and has been made possible by the support of our local elected officials. MGRC is looking forward to creating a 5 year plan to move preservation of this area forward.
MGRC would like to thank Reagan Dunn, our district council member for his ongoing support. Also we'd like to thank Larry Phillips, the chair of the Growth management committee, for sponsoring this motion along with the Growth management committee as a whole. A big thank you to our local city councils for their ongoing support and acknowledgment of this important initiative.
The full text of the Council motion (Proposed Motion 2007-0184) and associated documents can be found at the following link: http://mkcclegisearch.metrokc.gov/detailreport/?key=7491
For more info visit our : "Projects" Page
Stay tuned...
Lisa Parsons
Executive Director
Middle Green River Coalition
22nd Annual Green River Clean-up
May 5th, 2007
IT'S MAY 5TH FOR 22nd ANNUAL GREEN RIVER CLEANUP AND CINCO DE MAYO
We'll be there! So will all your friends! The biggest, oldest, bestriver cleanup in Washington State is coming soon! The Green River Cleanup is organized by Washington Recreational River Runners (WRRR) andFriends of the Green River (FOG), with many other organizations and government agencies as sponsors. Look for WKC, PTCC, Mountaineers, BEWET, Sierra Club, GDWA, UKC, American Whitewater, WRRR, FOG and more.
Boaters from all over Washington and beyond come out to the Green-Duwamish River each year to clean up trash and enjoy the exciting runs on this beloved river. Don't miss the fun in 2007! Come high water or low flows, you know for sure that running the Green and helping clean it up will be a fun day for all. Let's have boaters everywhere along the Green River, cleaning up trash, even sea kayakers on the Duwamish.
READY, SET, GO, HERE'S THE INFO FOR SATURDAY, MAY 5: Boaters on Lower Gorge, Upper Gorge, Headworks Reach: Register from 9-noon at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park, or 10-noon at Flaming Geyser StatePark, Shelter #3Boaters on River Reaches below Flaming Geyser and Ground Crews: Register from 10:00 to noon at Flaming Geyser State Park, Picnic shelter#3 Boaters should plan to boat with your boating club and have your own club waiver form. Check with your club's trip scheduler or other leaders for your trip leaders on the reach you choose.
NOT-BOATING TODAY? Hikers, walkers, wanderers: Be ground crews and gather trash. Or, help be creative putting together a Cinco de Mayo feast at Shelter #3. If you are artistic: make signs, decorate tables. Create Art from trash. Make a photo-journal of the event. Take pictures of trash for a contest of the weirdest, biggest, most unusual, slimiest pieces of junk.
GREEN RIVER CLEANUP: MORE THAN BOATS AND TRASH! PART 2: FRIENDS OF THE GREEN RIVER'S FUNDRAISER PICNIC ALSO ON MAY 5!
After the boating, hiking, and cleanup work is done, come on down to Friends of the Green River's Barbecue and Picnic at Flaming Geyser Park, Picnic Shelter #3 from 3:30 or so until about 6:30. Chow down on tacos, burritos, enchiladas or hamburgers, hot dogs, garden burgers, pizza, vegetarian beans, and all the trimmings. A donation of $5 (or more) is suggested for all you can eat and membership in Friends of the GreenRiver is part of the deal!
GREEN RIVER CLEANUP: MORE ACTIVITIES, MORE FUN!PART 3: CAMPOUT, CAMPFIRES, DESSERT COOK-OFF, PRIZES!
The Group Camp at Kanaskat Palmer State Park is reserved for boaters for Friday and Saturday nights May 4 and May 5. Washington Recreational River Runners is sponsoring a dutch-oven Dessert Cook-Off on Saturday night. Prizes for young and old! Create and eat or Judge and eat. Everybody welcome. Giggles, guffaws, and stories around the campfire are guaranteed.
For information: Pat Sumption, 206-525-1708, patsump@juno.com Paul Sestak, 253-631-6320, fridayboatclub@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery from Previous Green River Clean-ups
2006 Green River Clean-up Photos