Blanchard is a recreational treat

Hang gliding at Blanchard Mountain is a fantastic experience. My routine at Blanchard includes my wife and other visitors. I get dropped off to fly while our friends breathe the fresh air and hike the trails, pick a mushroom or two while enjoying the beauty of the forest and the spectacular view of Skagit County, the Cascade Range and the San Juan Islands. It is a truly inspirational place that draws people from all over the Pacific Northwest.

While flying over Blanchard Mountain it is easy to see how lucky we are in Skagit County to have this special place right in our midst. Blanchard Mountain is unique as it is a naturally regenerated forest, not a tree farm, and it is the only place the Cascades touch the sea.

We hope the Department of Natural Resources and the Legislature, together with Skagit County, can find a way to manage Blanchard Mountain and Chuckanut Mountain for recreational uses rather than timber production. The Burlington-Edison School District may not have to suffer any financial loss if everybody is willing to be creative and give Blanchard Mountain over to the people of the area to enjoy now and in the future.

Konrad Kurp
Anacortes


Letters to the Editor - Skagit Valley Herald