MONROE — Construction of a new bridge at Camp Hamilton in Monroe shows how local Catholics are responding to Pope Francis’ first encyclical, “Laudato si’.” To ensure protection of the surrounding environment, the Archdiocese of Seattle worked with the state and local Indigenous tribes.

The 30-foot steel bridge goes over Hannan Creek on Lake Fontal Road, the main entry to Camp Hamilton, one of the camps operated by CYO Camps in the archdiocese.

Matt Martin, assistant director of finance projects at the Archdiocese of Seattle, said the bridge replaced a failed culvert that could’ve potentially given out if it wasn’t replaced soon.

Replacing the culvert first came up around a decade ago, said Shaune Randles, CYO Camps director. Representatives from the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe and The Tulalip Tribes visited the camp to help identify maintenance measures that could be taken to keep sediment from going into the stream.

Although Lake Hannan and Hannan Creek are not salmon-bearing, they’re separated by a waterfall to salmon-bearing Cherry Creek.

In addition to the tribes, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife worked with the archdiocese to come up with a plan to replace the culvert.

“What’s best for the habitat? What’s best for God’s creation? The bridge ended up being what would do that,” Randles said. The bridge “brings it back to the most natural ecosystem that it can be.”

The new bridge at Camp Hamilton goes over Hannan Creek on Lake Fontal Road, the primary entrance to the camp. (Photo: Matt Martin)

A beaver- and otter-housing pond sits on one side of the bridge, which the tribes identified as a potential breeding ground for fish in Hannan Creek. Martin said that maintaining the level of the pond was an important factor in the planning process. To do this, the contractor placed rocks on the pond-side of the bridge, which kept the water level the same.

Through everyone who had a hand in the project, the shared goal was to support nature as much as possible. Whether that came from the Catholic viewpoint of being stewards of God’s creation and responding to Pope Francis’ call to take care of our shared environment — or if that came from a more concentrated effort to protect the salmon for years to come.

“Everybody’s looking at it through the lens of what’s best for nature, just in slightly different ways,” Randles said.

In addition to the new bridge, the archdiocese recently replaced a deck and roof at the main building of the camp, Discovery Lodge.

CYO Camps will open registration for summer 2025 in January.