DRAFT MINUTES 

ST. HELENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

April 24, 2008

Cowlitz County Administration Building207 4^th Ave. N.

Kelso, WA 

Present

Committee Members:  Skamania County Commissioner Paul Pearce, Lewis County Commissioner Lee Grose, Cowlitz County Commissioner Axel Swanson, Mark Plotkin, Tourism Director of Cowlitz County Tourism Bureau, Maree Lerchen, Executive Director, Destination Packwood, Mark Smith Owner/Operator, Eco Park Resort, Nancy Parkes, Professor, Evergreen State College, Jim Sedell, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Casey Roeder, Skamania County Chamber of Commerce, Sherie Weisser, CATS Vice President. 

  Welcome and Introduction 

Axel Swanson, Committee Co-Chair welcomed and introduced committee members, and a variety of representatives from the public.  

  Committee Business

 The minutes of the March 18, 2008 meeting were approved with the following change:  Change meeting place for the April 24 meeting to Cowlitz County Administration Building instead of Cowlitz County Courthouse. 

  Advisory Committee Topic for this meeting 

            Recreation

  Public Comment 

There were several people from the public that responded to the committee’s invitation to comment about recreational needs in St. Helen’s Monument area. Topics included:  horseback riding, convergence of science and recreation, fishing, hiking, hunting, huckleberry picking, Off Road Vehicle Use, and mountain bike riding.

  History of Mt. St. Helens 

A slide show on the history of Mt. St. Helens was presented by David Freece,  of the Cowlitz County Museum.

Forest Service Recreation Plan 

Tom Mulder, Monument Manager from the Forest Service presented a slide show on the Forest Service Recreation Plan. 

 Panel Participants 

After questions from committee members to David Freece and Tom Mulder,  the panel presentations began.  Panel participants included:

Darcy Mitchem representing Toutle Valley Community Association

Bruce Barnes, representing St. Helen’s Rescue

Jerry Sauer, representing SCAT

Carl Schmalenberger, representing Mt. St. Helen’s Tracriders

Jessica Watz, Gifford Pinchot Task Force,

Dave Schall representing SnoBusters Snowmobile club,

Norm Welsh and Jim Thode of the Backcountry Horsemen of Lewis County,

Tom Allyn representing Astronomers,

Dan Howell from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation,

Jon Kennedy and Amy Singmaster representing Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club and PUMP

Co-Chair Paul Pearce, seconded by Co-Chair Lee Grose thanked all those that attended and submitted their input.

The next meeting will be held on May 15, 2008 at the Cowlitz County Administration Building, 207 4^th Ave. N. Kelso, WA.  The topic will focus on the tourism industry.

The meeting adjourned at 9:05 pm.