MARBLEMOUNT - Seattle attorney John Arum, who died during a hike last week in North Cascades National Park, had worked for the Colville Confederated Tribes.
     Arum, 49, was attempting a solo climb of Storm King Mountain. The park is west of Okanogan County, on the other side of the Ross Lake Wilderness Area.
     The National Park Service reported Arum was reported missing Aug. 30. Some of his gear was found that day at a campsite along the Park Creek Trail.
     His body was found Sept. 3. He apparently had fallen, according to news reports.
     Colville Business Council Chairman Michael O. Finley expressed the tribe's gratitude for Arum's work and condolences to his family.
     "Words cannot express how invaluable John was to our tribe as an expert natural resources attorney and litigator," Finley said.
     "John was vigilant about protecting our tribal sovereignty, our resources and our people," he said. "He was a genuine and compassionate person and a truly unique spirit. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family."
     Arum had worked on a wide range of natural resources and other issues for the Colvilles over the past several years and was well known to tribal council and staff.
     Arum, an experienced mountaineer, had set a goal for himself of reaching the summit of the 100 highest peaks in Washington. He had climbed more than 80 of them when he set out for Storm King Mountain last week.
     "John was an incredibly competent and yet humble person who put the Colville tribes' interests above all else," Finley said. "We are grateful for the honor of knowing him and the privilege of working with him. He will be sorely missed."
     National Park Service personnel, plus mountain rescue volunteers from Stehekin and Chelan County searched for the missing climber.
     Late Wednesday afternoon, a backpack was found by a ground search team at the 7,400-foot elevation level directly below Storm King Mountain's 8500-foot summit.
     "John was a passionate advocate for environmental protection and sound environmental policy," Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark said.
     He said that although his department and Arum often were at odds, "we all agreed that the beauty of Washington's wild places was worth protecting."
     Arum had played a significant role in helping set aside part of the Loomis State Forest in Okanogan County in 1999.
     During discussions of the Loomis State Forest set-aside, Goldmark - then an Okanogan School Board member - was among those who questioned a DNR appraisal of the land.
     In February 1999, Goldmark argued that school districts had a fiduciary interest in the transfer because the land involved is part of the state's common school trust holdings. Revenue from trust land goes to the state for school construction.
     Five conservation groups, an individual and the DNR agreed in 1998 on a plan to move two parcels within the Loomis State Forest from school trust status to some type of conservation status by July 1, 2000.
     Arum was a partner at the Seattle firm of Ziontz, Chestnut, Varnell, Berley and Slonim.
     He grew up in New York City. His father is Bob Arum, a major boxing promoter.