Conservation Northwest

Inside Conservation Northwest Derrick Knowles Columbia Highlands campaign director, dknowles@conservationnw.org A tourism guide to northeast Washington A new outdoor guide to the top hikes and wildlife viewing areas in the Columbia Highlands of northeast Washington is in the making, led by long-time volunteer and intern Aaron Theisen and Conservation Northwest. Discover the best places to see birds and other wildlife. Take pride in the amazing diversity of wildlife in the Columbia Highlands. See how local businesses benefit from greater awareness of the region���s natural beauty and incredible wildlife diversity. First of its kind for the area, the new guide pairs wildlife viewing areas with suggested hikes to take you there. It is designed for tourists and recreational visitors as well as for local businesses. The booklet features beautiful images of local birds, wildlife, and the distinct scenery of the Selkirk and Kettle Range Mountains. It highlights wild areas on the Colville National Forest, many of them proposed for wilderness protection since the late seventies. Several of the sites mentioned in the guide, like McDowell Marsh Trail on the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge near Colville, are handicap accessible paths perfect for bird and wildlife watching close to the car. Other hikes are more demanding, for example, one takes you to the top of Abercrombie Mountain, second highest peak in northeast Washington. From this craggy peak one has the chance to see larger animals, from black bear to the rare and reclusive grizzly bear. There���s a little known secret about northeast Washington. Many of the same types of wildlife can be found here that thrived when Lewis and Clark and David Thompson Great gray owls nest in northeastern Washington. �� Paul Bannick first explored the Pacific Northwest hundreds of years ago. Somewhere in these three counties, Ferry, Colville, and Pend Oreille, one can still see Canada lynx, grizzly bears, bighorn sheep, elk, moose, mule deer, wolverine, wolves, native trout, and the only mountain caribou in the lower 48 states. The Northeast Washington Wildlife Viewing and Hiking Guide will help connect the growing number of the region���s visitors to the wild areas and wildlife that Conservation Northwest works to conserve. With a listing of lodging and camping, restaurants, and more, this free guide is a wonderful tool for local businesses looking to beckon new visitors through their doors. We���re currently meeting with business owners throughout northeast Washington to recruit advertisers for wider distribution and to defray the cost of printing. To get your ad into the booklet or to learn more, email Derrick at dknowles@ conservationnw.org. The guide is scheduled to be printed and distributed at visitor centers and businesses throughout the region early next year. Julia Spencer Membership associate, julia@conservationnw.org Volunteer Natalie Anderson says, thank you for keeping the Northwest wild! City of Seattle for Seattle city employees. King County Employee Giving Program for King County employees. Many of the participating organizations also offer employee matching gift programs. You can apply to get any gift matched (including your regular membership gift), even if you don���t participate in a workplace giving campaign. Microsoft, Boeing, Amgen, Bank of America, Costco, IBM, UPS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Puget Sound Energy, Starbucks, Verizon, and many more offer these easy ways to increase your giving capacity. If your employer does not offer workplace giving, consider joining our Wildland Partner monthly giving program. For more information, contact Julia Spencer at Julia@conservationnw.org or 800-878-9950 x10. Workplace giving campaigns are ramping up now, so join us in working daily for a wild Northwest. We would be honored to work on your behalf. Fall 2012 21

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