Should the USGS be allowed to expand a lahar detection system at Mount Rainier if it intrudes on official wilderness?/Rebecca Latson file

The fact that Mount Rainier is an active volcano, and its location not far from Seattle and Tacoma, have landed it as the second-most dangerous volcano in the United States, according to the United States Geological Survey. That threat has the USGS wanting to expand the lahar detection system at Mount Rainier National Park, a proposal that merits public input.

"The proposed lahar detection system would help us to install a world-class, real-time monitoring network to detect the earliest signs of unrest," said Seth Moran, scientist-in-charge at the USGS Cascade Volcano Observatory.

The desire to expand the system led park officials to announce a public comment period through the end of October to give the public an opportunity to weigh in on the proposal, which some might find controversial.

According to the USGS, "(L)arge lahars (volcanic mudflows) from eruptions and from collapses of this massive, heavily glaciated andesitic volcano have reached as far as the Puget Sound lowlands. Since the last ice age, several dozen explosive eruptions spread tephra (ash, pumice) across parts of Washington. The last magmatic eruption was about 1,000 years ago."

Lahars, or volcanic mudslides, are viewed as the primary volcanic hazard with potential to impact people living, working, or recreating within or near Mount Rainier National Park.

The National Park Service has considered the USGS proposal and approved five new monitoring locations within the park’s developed administrative areas that have independent utility. However, the remaining 12 proposed sites have the potential to affect historic properties or wilderness character within the national park. These proposed monitoring and lahar detection sites will be evaluated through an environmental assessment in compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act to support public engagement and inform agency decision making regarding the USGS proposal. The EA will be available for public review and comment this winter.

Last year The New York Times reported on a similar situation in Oregon, at Mount Hood. Also an active volcano, Mount Hood is close enough to threaten Portland and other communities if it erupted or sent lahars racing down its flanks. The gist of the Times story was that while the USGS in 2014 wanted to expand its monitoring network on Mount Hood, some sites were in official wilderness. It took another five years for the U.S. Forest Service to approve the expansion.

Whether official wilderness is in play with the Mount Rainier proposal was not specifically disclosed in the park's press release Monday, though the implication was there.

"Mount Rainier National Park provides unparalleled opportunities for learning and understanding the nature of the Mount Rainier volcano. We support improved monitoring of volcanic hazards in partnership with USGS to help protect local communities while also continuing to preserve the character of the Mount Rainier Wilderness and the integrity of the park’s National Historic Landmark District,” said Superintendent Chip Jenkins.

To submit comments at any point during the open comment period, you can visit the NPS Planning, Environment, and Public Comment website. A virtual public meeting to provide a project overview and answer questions is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m. on October 21.

“The USGS and NPS are working together to identify how to best meet monitoring and lahar detection needs while minimizing the potential for adverse effects to park resources and values at Mount Rainier National Park,” said Jenkins. “We’d like to hear what questions and ideas people have."

The USGS currently monitors Mount Rainier volcanic activity along with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network using a network of monitoring stations consisting of 13 seismic and 6 Global Positioning System (GPS) installations located within 12 miles (20 kilometers) of the summit. The USGS proposal would expand the system to improve overall volcano monitoring and lahar detection capacity and provide more rapid notification to the immediate area and surrounding communities in the event of a volcanic event or mudflow, the park release said.