Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative

Mount Rainier National Park

The Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative, a partnership between Mount Rainier National Park and the Student Conservation Association, played a critical role in rebuilding facilities damaged by flooding at Mount Rainier National Park in November 2006, and greatly increased public participation in the park's volunteer program. The initiative lasted through 2007 and 2008, and the partnerships it generated continue to support ongoing recovery efforts and volunteer recruitment at Mount Rainier.

Introduction: In November 2006, 18 inches of rain fell on Mount Rainier National Park in 36 hours. The resulting floods ripped through trails, roads, campgrounds, and other facilities throughout the park. Much of the park was closed for six months while repairs were initiated.
 
In the days and weeks after the flood, hundreds of people wrote or called the park to offer their help in rebuilding. To coordinate this army of volunteers, the park formed a partnership with the Student Conservation Association (SCA), who hired a special Conservation Corps to recruit and coordinate public volunteers. The Washington Trails Association, National Parks Conservation Association, Washington's National Park Fund, and The Mountaineers also formed a coalition to support volunteerism and recovery efforts, funded by a generous grant from REI.
 
These partnerships have been active since spring 2007, and have contributed to Mount Rainier's volunteer program receiving three major awards in 2008: the Cooperative Conservation Award, presented by the Department of the Interior; the George B. Hartzog Jr. Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service, presented by the National Park Service; and the Federal Land Manager's Award, presented by the organization Take Pride in America. Mount Rainier's volunteer program participation nearly doubled in one year.
 
Projects that volunteers contributed to in 2007 and 2008 include:
 
  • Trail and bridge construction and repair
  • Campground restoration
  • Wilderness cleanup
  • Revegetation
  • Exotic plant removal
  • Erosion control
  • Plant propagation
  • Seed collection
  • "Sherpa" projects (delivering supplies to backcountry locations)
  • Meadow roving
  • Snow shoveling
  • Trail marking
  • Archeological surveys
  • Soundscape monitoring
  • Search and rescue
  • Public outreach
  • Historic resource protection
 
Sponsored by a grant from Boeing Corporation, SCA also offered a series of training opportunities for volunteers, including Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder.
 
Goals: The Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative had two goals:
 
  • To repair damage to park facilities caused by the floods of November 2006.
  • To improve and expand volunteer opportunities at Mount Rainier National Park.
 
 
Resources:
  • The Student Conservation Association's website includes a great volume of information about youth volunteer opportunities and internships, including options at Mount Rainier.
  • Our Volunteer Blog provides general information about volunteering at Mount Rainier National Park.
  • Our volunteer discussion group at Yahoo.com provides volunteers with a way to share ideas with each other, and to solicit carpooling to the Mountain.
  • Our photo page has many pictures of volunteers in action, including those helping to rebuild after the floods of November 2006.
 
How to get involved: While the Mount Rainier Recovery Initiative has come to a close, repairs from the 2006 flood continue. Check out our project calendar and our volunteer blog for a complete list of current short-term opportunities. The calendar also includes projects sponsored by the Washington Trails Association and National Parks Conservation Association. Click on any project for more information or to sign up online.
 
If you represent a group that would like to participate at Mount Rainier, contact Kevin Bacher, Volunteer Program Manager, at 360-569-2211 ext. 3385 or Kevin_Bacher@nps.gov.
 

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