Natural Resources Research
Snowmobiling at Mount Spokane, tree-thinning for fire control at Riverside and other
park programs and policies are being studied by biologists to determine their effects on
park ecosystems. Researchers are also extensively mapping the location and condition of
vegetation on state park lands, completing more than 10,000 acres last year.
Cultural Resources Research
Archaeological test excavations are underway at Cama Beach and Beacon Rock in order to
locate any sensitive cultural sites that should be accommodated in future park development.
Archaeologists from Western Washington University are also excavating at Deception Pass.
In compliance with the federal native American Graves and Repatriation Act, forensic
anthropologists are identifying all possible American Indian bones now in State Parks'
collections. Parks will honor the wishes of affected tribes regarding the proper
disposition of these human remains.
Historic Preservation Research
Central Washington University's Scholars in the Park program sends graduate students to do
vital historical research on state park lands. Scholars are currently working on a complete
cultural landscape inventory – from prehistory to the present – of the undeveloped Dalles
Mountain Ranch property in Klickitat County.
Washington State Parks is responsible for more coastal military forts than any other state
park system in the nation. With the help of a National Park Service grant, Washington State
Parks is studying how to manage these important, but problematic, historic sites. Results of
this study – from protocol testing of concrete to how to safely remove welded doors – will be
of interest to governments around the globe who face similar problems in preserving their own
historic coastal installations.