A Legacy Continues: Harvey Manning's 100th Birthday
Harvey Manning, Founder of the Issaquah Alps Trails Club.
By Ken Konigsmark, IATC Advisory Board Member and Former Board President
Harvey Manning—well-known hiking guidebook author, wilderness and environmental advocate, defender of wildlife and habitat, and the founder of Issaquah Alps Trails Club (IATC)—would be turning 100 this month were he still alive.
For those of us who knew and worked alongside Harvey in founding IATC, building public and political awareness and support, advocating for naming and protecting the forests, hills, and trails of the Issaquah Alps, this milestone offers a moment of reflection and deep satisfaction in all that has been achieved.
Back in 1979, Harvey served as the catalyst who rallied fellow hikers, the broader public, and elected officials to recognize a looming threat: if we didn't act quickly to protect the forested hillsides from I-405 to the Cascades, then we would inevitably see them covered in sprawling developments, as has happened so much across the country.
By creating, leading, and energizing the Issaquah Alps Trails Club, Harvey built a lasting legacy of conservation and activism—one that continues to shape what Issaquah and the Issaquah Alps are and can be. As David Kappler, former IATC President and founding board member, explained, “The original idea of a statue honoring Harvey was proposed and early funding begun by supporters of saving the 'Alps.' Not the Issaquah Alps, but the American Alps—the Wilderness Alps that were saved by creation of the North Cascades National Park. The 'Alps' theme worked to create a national park and later a nationally recognized Greenway.”
More than any other factor, the Issaquah Alps Trails Club has shaped Issaquah into the community it is today. Without the momentum Harvey built to conserve these forested hills, secure safe and permanent habitat for wildlife, advocate boldly for environmental protection, and create dozens of miles of easily accessible, outstanding hiking trails, the Issaquah Alps would almost certainly have been lost to sprawling suburban development.
Harvey's initiatives not only launched IATC, but also laid the groundwork for something even larger. In 1990, they helped lead to the creation of Mountains to Sound Greenway—a broader vision stretching from Seattle's waterfront, across the Cascades, to Ellensburg. This highly successful and impactful effort expanded the preservation of the hills and forests of the Issaquah Alps across the I-90 corridor, helping ensure that we never lose the essence of what defines our region: forests, trails, wildlife, clean water, healthy ecosystems, and a balance between human activity and the natural world.
Were Harvey still here on his 100th birthday, we believe he’d be a proud “grandfather” of all that he started. In his unique, ornery style, he would no doubt still be advocating for more—pushing our leaders to build on past successes while demanding restraint and responsibility in how we impact our public lands.
Harvey got things started. Now, 45 years later, his legacy lives on in providing all of us with the natural treasures that we value and enjoy.
Happy 100th Birthday, Harvey!
Join us Wednesday, July 9, to celebrate Harvey Manning’s 100th—a festive evening of community, conservation, and fun on the Issaquah Community Center lawn.