MAZAMA - North Cascades National Park will receive $70,050 to continue a study on climate changes on pika populations and do other work.
     The money comes from Washington's National Park Fund and is part of $285,000 being distributed to the state's three national parks. Mount Rainier National Park will receive more than $111,000 and Olympia National Park will get $103,280.
     Funding comes from private donations, special events and proceeds from the state's national park license plate.
     Besides studying the pika, a chinchilla-like animal related to the rabbit, North Cascades National Park will develop a volunteer-staffed butterfly monitoring program, provide 450 middle school students with classroom and field programs about the Skagit River Watershed, host a classroom teacher for an eight-week summer internship, and improve the Wilderness Information Center entryway.