Collaborative effort on Wells creek road
In June, 2023, an 8-foot by 12-foot, one-inch, steel deck plate was placed over the deteriorated portion of the Wells Creek Road bridge across the NF Nooksack River.
This was a collaborative effort from several local organizations and individuals, with support/consent of USFS Mount Baker Ranger District staff
What We Do
Citizens for Forest Roads’ (CFFR) mission is to preserve access to federal lands for current and future generations through the preservation of access to and maintenance of our existing forest road network.
Assess Road Conditions
CFFR provides the Forest Service with information on road conditions, access, and possible safety hazards. CFFR regularly completes road inventories that detail surface conditions, water flow, culvert, ditch and shoulder conditions, and erosion and cut-bank hazards.
Road Upkeep & Repair
CFFR volunteer crews provide necessary services to maintain access to Forest Service roads. CFFR also provides funding to support contractor-based services and to purchase road repair material. CFFR road work includes ditch clean-out, hand and mechanical brushing, culvert cleaning, and road clearing,
All work is conducted under permission and coordination of the Land manager (USFS or DNR) or their designated staff.
Fundraising
CFFR funds its work through grants and donations, received from the local community, local businesses, and outfitters that make use of our lands and mountains. While CFFR volunteers are unpaid, funds are still needed to purchase material and to hire contractors to do heavy machine work and to move material.
CFFR funding supplements and supports Forest Service maintenance and repair priorities.
Volunteer Roadwork
Here are some of the efforts in which CFFR are involved
SINKHOLE REPAIR
One of two newly formed sinkholes on lower FS Road #36 (Grouse Butte), a perforation in the running surface atop a 'dry' void in the road sub-grade. In this case probably from old rotted wood or a gap between larger rock in fill. No culvert, flowing water or seepage was found in the vicinity
PAVEMENT POTHOLE PATCHING
Roger Nichols (left), Tom Kirchner (center) and Geoff Landis (right) lay in and shape EZ Street cold asphalt patch on lower 39 Road (Glacier Creek). Our traffic control specialist Lars Landy, in the background, protects forest visitors and the CFFR crew.
Grants from REI Bellingham, Adventure Spirit Rock+Ice+Alpine Experiences, the Whatcom County Snowmobile Association and the Washington State Snowmobile Association supported the purchase of this material.
MECHANICAL BRUSHING
Thanks to generous donations, CFFR was able to hire Industrial Mowing and Spraying, Inc. of Mount Vernon to brush upper FS Road #39 (Glacier Creek) and one mile of lower FS Road #36 (Grouse Butte) in late summer/early fall of 2019.
Glacier Creek Road serves as the main summertime access to alpine hiking and climbing of Mt. Baker. Currently, 19 different guide service organizations lead patrons on summit climbs and/or conduct advanced ice mountaineering training courses on Coleman Glacier.
During the winter, Glacier Creek Road is a formally dedicated winter motorized recreation route for snowmobiling by the U.S. Forest Service. Throughout the winter, machine snow grooming is funded and done under the auspices of by the Washington State Parks and Recreation's Sno-Park Program.
PHOTOS
The work we do and the views we see
