LDS volunteers perk up the park

How many volunteers does it take to get 600 acres of park property cleaned up in an effort to prevent forest fires?

Judging by the job done by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it takes 1,000.

That’s how many members, along with some nonmembers, gathered at the old equestrian area of Riverside State Park on Saturday for four hours to help in the church’s Firestorm Prevention project.

“About 20 years’ worth of work is being done today,” Centennial Trail Park Ranger Jody Maberry said as he rode around the vast work site on an ATV, marveling at the immediate improvements.

The church’s large-scale project was to recognize the LDS’s 100th-year anniversary in the Northwest. It also was its biggest group project since its ice-storm cleanup nearly 10 years ago as members from all five Spokane stakes participated.

The area cleaned in the 10,000-acre state park was south of the Bowl and Pitcher. The project was coordinated with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission.

“It’s a good community service,” said Linda Ettinger of the Spokane Valley Stake, who spent the morning raking pine needles. “We’re doing things a lot of people would never think of doing. And it’s fun working with all your friends.”

The cleanup involved cutting low-lying limbs off mature Ponderosa pines and removing young pines. One area, which was as thick as grass with small pines – some choking because of lack of oxygen – was cleared by about 50 volunteers. However, the workers left small pines about every 10 feet to replenish the area.

Some volunteers buzz-cut the forest floor with weed wackers. In a few cases, chain saws were used.

“It’s kind of an endless project,” said Calvin Miller of the Spokane Valley Stake. “But it’s fun, and people are together doing something good for the community.”

Volunteers hauled the trees and branches to the side of the dirt roads and formed piles that quickly turned into mounds.

Maberry said state park workers plan to turn the scraps into wood chips and redeposit the chips onto the forest floor.