Programs - Past, Present, and Potential

Photo: Fog in trees, Mailbox Trail / Credit: Mike Pierson

Past

- Alpine Lakes Wilderness and surrounding areas map – Financed most production and printing costs for a map published by the Alpine Lakes Protection Society (ALPS). These maps have been a major source of revenue for ALPS.

- Extensive comments on water issues in the Icicle drainage, with special emphasis on proposals to enlarge the dam and reservoir in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness at Eightmile Lake.

- Old Growth Study Areas – Helped finance production of working maps to identify old growth forest areas in the western Cascades, including the Alpine Lakes.

- Middle Fork Snoqualmie Wild and Scenic River – Submitted comments on management of Wild and Scenic segment of Middle Fork Snoqualmie River.

- Supported purchase of private land and addition to Olallie State Park in Mt. Washington area.

Recent

- Contribute to expenses of a Girl Scout and her troop replacing pit toilet at Lake Mary in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

- Two year grant to Chelan High School outdoor program to buy gear for loan to students who could not otherwise afford it and to help cover their travel for outdoor activities in the Alpine Lakes and North Cascades.

- Icicle Network website. Launched website (https://iciclenetwork.com) in 2017, which continues to provide current information about proposed dams and water use in the Icicle drainage within the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

- Support legal research into Icicle water and wilderness issues.

- Support production of map showing land ownership changes in the Alpine Lakes.

Index Sunrise — Photo: Index sunrise / Credit: Touray Kungkagum

Current

The Foundation has made a grant to Wenatchee Outdoors for equipment and supplies to support their 2025 Enchantments volunteer stewardship program. This is part of the effort to address heavy impacts in the Enchantments this year due to severe cutbacks in U.S. Forest Service staff and funding.

The Foundation is also intent on supporting the following separate but complementary wildlife and trailhead ambassador programs on a matching basis (matching each designated contribution to the Alpine Lakes Foundation on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the total amounts specified):

- Conservation Northwest's Wildlife 2025 Ambassador program (up to $5,000). This program provides in-person outreach at various trailheads across the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest -- mainly in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness -- to engage the public with wildlife knowledge, best practices during wildlife encounters, and ways to minimize human impact.

- Washington Trails Association 2025 Trailhead Ambassador program (up to $3,500). This program provides on-the-ground education by dedicated volunteers at various popular trailheads in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

- Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust 2026 Trailhead Ambassador program (up to $12,000). This program could not start in 2025 due to federal government delays, but the Foundation expects it to be up and running in time to provide on-the-ground education next year by staff and trained volunteers at popular trailheads in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.

The Foundation is also continuing to help with funding of educational programs that provide under-served youth with important outdoor experiences and learning about wilderness. The Foundation has committed to support the following high school outdoor programs on a matching basis (matching each designated contribution to the Alpine Lakes Foundation on a dollar-for-dollar basis up to the total amounts specified):

- Providing funding for geology field trips in the Cascade Range by a geology class at Cascade High School in Leavenworth (up to $5,000).

- Providing additional funding to the diverse, 150+ student "Chelan Project" outdoor program at Chelan High School for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 school years (up to $5,000).

On request, we can provide more information about each program. Contributors can earmark donations for one or more specific programs or choose to have their donation apply to all of them. Every dollar donated for these programs will be applied to them; we are an all-volunteer organization and we will keep no portion of these contributions for administrative or other purposes.

Potential

- Youth programs, including outdoor education, visits, and Scout projects.

- Public education, research, advocacy, and conservation relating to the Alpine Lakes region.

- Wilderness management, including dams in the Icicle and overuse in such areas as the Enchantments.

- Management of non-wilderness lands, including recreation, wildlife, timber, wild and scenic rivers, and the like.

Grants

Grants are available for programs and projects that support education, study, advocacy, or conservation efforts in the Alpine Lakes. Our focus is on the Alpine Lakes, but we will consider proposals with a broader scope so long as they also affect the Alpine Lakes. We invite you to inquire about a possible grant.