Here are links to the top five Ear to the Ground blog postings that you and others clicked on during May:
On this date in 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted (May18)
Thirty-one years ago, at 8:32 a.m. on Sunday May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted. The blast and flooding that followed killed 57 people; some of the victims were as far as 10 miles away. The eruption destroyed 230 square miles of forest, including many trees on DNR-managed state trust land
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This afternoon, Gov. Chris Gregoire signed a bill that will keep state recreation lands open with the help of revenue from a vehicle access pass. Facing unprecedented budget shortfalls that threaten funding for core services, such as health and education, the state eliminated all General Fund monies for DNR’s Recreation Program for the upcoming 2011-2013 biennium.
Volunteers and off-roaders celebrate new bridge in Capitol State Forest (May 5)
Thank you to everyone who attended the dedication ceremony of a new bridge for motorized recreation in Capitol State Forest last Saturday, April 30. The new bridge connects the Straddleline ORV Park to the forest.
DNR & UW open window into beauty, diversity of rarest plants in state (May 3)
The reviews are coming in and it’s ‘thumbs up’ for a new guide to Washington’s rarest plants. Years in the making, the Field Guide to the Rare Plants of Washington offers a window into the beauty and diversity of the rarest plants in the state. It includes contributions from hundreds of photographers and illustrators.
Award winning prevention efforts don’t go unnoticed (May 16)
Two firefighters received National Smokey Bear awards for their outstanding leadership in wildfire prevention efforts. Ray Kresek, curator, author and retired firefighter, received a 2011 Silver Smokey Bear Award; and John Foster Fanning, a DNR Fire Control Forester, received a 2011 Bronze Smokey Bear Award.
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