Steve Johnson rolled his eyes at the contrast.
To his left, a pristine river, whitewater glistening in the sun, flowing over smooth rocks and into tranquil eddies, with Mount Garfield the looming, granite backdrop.
To his right, a pile of ash, broken beer bottles and shotgun shells. And something else.
"Clay-pigeon shard," he said. "Used for target practice."
The days of shooting it up at makeshift campsites and other areas along the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River may be coming to an end, however, under a new Forest Service plan that has been more than 10 years in the making, said Johnson, recreation and public services manager for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie Forest Service ranger district in North Bend.
The Middle Fork Snoqualmie River Access and Travel Management Plan, released this week, aims to open up the wild, scenic valley for a wider variety of recreational uses. But it also clamps down on damaging activities ranging from four-wheel-drive "mudding" to shooting and illegal dumping.
Located within 40 minutes of Seattle, the Middle Fork is a recreational magnet for an estimated 30,000 people a year. Undammed and upriver from Snoqualmie Falls, it lies within the Mountains to Sound Greenway and is adjacent to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Doug Schrenk, environmental coordinator for Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, said the plan represents a new day for the popular area. The product of years of public input and more than 1,000 letters from the public, the plan reflects the wishes of a broad consensus of users, including hikers, mountain bikers, campers, kayakers and rafters, fishing enthusiasts, llama and horse riders, dog walkers, conservationists and others.
"I think it's terrific," said Mark Boyar, co-founder and president of the Middle Fork Outdoor Recreation Coalition. "It's one of those rare occasions where land managers, the recreation community and environmentalists have the same vision for an area. There is something in it for everybody."
The plan comes at a time when other popular hiking areas in the Interstate 90 corridor - Snow Lake, Denny Creek and Talapus Lake - are seeing all-time high usage.
"The word congestion comes to mind," Johnson said. "The growth of this region has put more pressure on us. The Middle Fork (plan) will definitely open up other recreational opportunities."
The plan, however, does not include some activities that have been common in the past. The Forest Service, with help from the King County Sheriff's Office, user groups and campground hosts, intends to heavily monitor and enforce rules against illegal dumping, shooting and driving.
"Oh, absolutely, the changes are for the better," said Wade Holden, founder and executive director of Friends of the Trail, a non-profit group that has hauled everything from garbage to roofing materials, computers, dead dogs, deer and elk heads, bathroom plumbing and meth lab and other toxic materials from the Middle Fork or nearby.
"It's all very good for the future of the valley," said Ken Konigsmark, a former Mountains to Sound Greenway employee who also was a member of the Middle Fork recreation plan committee.
"It will make the entire area more friendly and safe for legitimate public recreation while helping rid the valley of the undesirable elements that now exist there," he said.
Although the plan includes building more trails, it also calls for closing off some roads and vehicle access to current makeshift campsites, where four-wheel-drive rigs have torn up riparian areas, and where rum containers and cola and beef-stew cans lie uncollected.
Yesterday, Schrenk and Johnson pointed out one area along the Middle Fork road where a former logging camp called Camp Brown has been transformed into a deep-rutted, mud-holed obstacle course - with trees as the obstacles. The practice of driving rigs around in the mud - or in some cases, the river itself - is called "mudding."
Huge boulders stand ready to be repositioned to stop the practice and block road access to such campsite areas. Under the plan, people may camp at Camp Brown or other designated areas - but must walk in to riverside sites where unauthorized roads currently lead.
Spur and other roads will be closed to vehicles to help crack down on illegal activities such as shooting and dumping, but also to save the Forest Service money on road maintenance, Schrenk said.
In response to some local objections to road closures, the plan includes a provision whereby private landowners, including those with mining claims in the vicinity, will receive special-use permits but will be expected to maintain the existing roads.
Those most familiar with the Middle Fork say the area is already becoming cleaner and safer, thanks to efforts of citizen volunteers such as Boyar, Holden and others.
"Five years ago, we in the Forest Service wouldn't go up there alone," Schrenk said.
Brian Jones, president of the Seattle-based Backcountry Bicycle Trails Club, hailed the plan for opening up trails to mountain bike enthusiasts. The plan calls for a three-year trial period allowing mountain bicycles trail access - and for bicyclists to help monitor and maintain the trails. The group will put in 300 volunteer hours of work per year, with 240 hours of trail building or maintenance and 60 hours of patrol.
"Biking has always tended to be a contentious point of discussion in Seattle, especially on trails that are considered more wild, in potential wilderness, which these are," Jones said. "It's a beautiful area, and relatively close to Seattle, but you feel like you've entered another world."
P-I reporter Debera Carlton Harrell can be reached at 206-448-8326 or deberaharrell@seattlepi.com