Among the iconic symbols of the American West, emblematic of the U.S. Forest Service and its land management mission, are the remaining historic period fire lookouts of the Pacific Northwest Region. These often-remote mountaintop structures were key elements of the fire protection system developed for public lands in the early 20th century. With the shift toward the use of aircraft for fire detection and observation by the 1960s, many lookouts were destroyed or abandoned. The Sand Mountain Society is an Oregon-based volunteer non-profit organization dedicated to saving those that remain. Since 1989, the organization has been involved in the restoration of 12 historic fire lookouts in Oregon and Washington, as well as related maintenance and salvage operations at other sites. This presentation will provide an overview of past and current projects, with a closer look at our largest and most complex restoration to date, now underway near Mount Rainier National Park.
Doors open at 6:30pm. $5.00 donation at the door. Beer, wine, soda will be available to purchase.
SHHH-Preserving Historic Northwest Fire Lookouts
Presented by Rick McClure
Doors open at 6:30pm. $5.00 donation at the door. Beer, wine, soda will be available to purchase.