CHELAN COUNTY, Wash. — Behind the postcard views of the Enchantments in the North Cascades lies a crisis.

Trash, human waste, graffiti, and crowds are threatening the fragile alpine environment. Volunteers say years of federal staffing cuts have left this wilderness on the brink.

“There’s just human waste everywhere,” said Matt Lyons with the nonprofit TREAD. Lyons said there have been problems there for a while, but this is the worst he's ever seen.

“A lot of graffiti, a lot of trash, a lot of problems happening in the Enchantments this year, "Troy Campbell, who heads up the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce, said.

Sarah Shaffer of Wenatchee Outdoors said the situation seems to be getting worse.

“There’s poop just on top of rocks with toilet paper on top of rocks. It’s just a really cr

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