As efforts to restore the Yakima River continue, it remains one of the state's dirtiest because of runoff from farms, logging in the Cascades and drainage from cities among other things. Mike Lilga, president of Tapteal Greenway, a group dedicated to Yakima River restoration, said he hopes to take the stewardship class. The more people know about the problems and abuses that are going on, hopefully we are going to be able to do something about it. Last summer, a similar program in the upper Yakima River basin drew two dozen participants. Topics included the history of human use in the basin, ground water, forests, fish and wildlife, agriculture and watershed management.
Organizers deal with the sometimes controversial issues by bringing experts from many perspectives.
One of our key intentions is to make sure we present a broad and diverse number of opinions on any topic. In order to participate, people must promise to spend at least 50 hours on environmental volunteer work. What we are trying to do is create a cadre of stewards. Last year's upper Yakima volunteer projects included making a brochure about floods, leading youth groups on field trips and hand-watering small plants in a riparian improvement area. Participants don't have to dream up their own projects.