Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
The second of two public meetings last week on the John Wayne Trail drew several State Parks representatives to Ritzville, including Don Hoch, Director of the State Parks system.
In remarks afterward, he talked about the John Wayne Iron Horse Trail process underway and what he sees coming for the conclusion July 21 in Clarkston.
“I think it’s great, it’s going good,” he said. “We want to be transparent. We all recognize where the big issues are.”
Matters at hand include how to maintain the trail so it’s not a burden for adjacent landowners, how and where to improve the trail and other concerns.
The State Parks’ formal planning process began last December after a failed budget proviso almost closed a 135-mile section of the non-motorized trail from the Columbia River at Beverly to Malden.
“The commission will either bless it or not bless it,” Hoch said of his staff’s pending recommendation. “This is just a plan. Then it becomes how do you implement it, how do you get funding?”
Is he confident they can solve these issues?
“I’m sure everyone will get a little bit of something,” he said. “It’s not one versus the other.”
285 MILES
A line of grain cars rolled by, the Whispering Palms stood dark and vehicles crossed the train tracks and pulled into the gravel lot of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers building on First Street in Ritzville.
Last Wednesday, May 11, the occasion was a State Parks and Recreation meeting at the Washington Association of Wheat Growers building, for public comment on the future of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.
Randy Kline, Parks Planner, led the meeting, opening by saying there were two goals to the evening; to provide information – “where we are, and where we’re going” – and to gather feedback.
He introduced two members of the State Parks and Recreation commission.
“Our mission here is to try to represent the public in a fair and just manner,” said Steve Milner, commission chair.
Kline then introduced Hochs and Brandon Valle, “New Natural Resource Technician for the John Wayne Pioneer Trail.”
Kline then went through a series of slides, noting that the 285 miles of trail is not under single ownership, citing a stretch owned by the Department of Natural Resources, another an active rail line, and another section by the Department of Natural Resources. From Lind to Tekoa, the trail is owned by Washington State Parks except for six miles which remain privately owned.
Kline took the crowd through more slides.
“Noxious weeds, trespassing,” he said. “We know there are solutions to these issues.”
He told the crowd that Parks staff has now prepared preliminary recommendations, to ultimately go before the Commission in July, until which time written public comment will be allowed.
“This is the stage we’re at tonight,” he said.
So far the process has included four advisory committee meetings and four public workshops.
On a slide for “Trail Related Issues,” Kline listed the top four as noxious weeds, trespassing, permits required – from the Columbia River to the Royal City Junction requires a DNR permit, along with another section from Warden to Lind. A state parks’ permit is required for the portion from Lind to Tekoa – and park naming. The last item refers to an effort to remove the moniker “John Wayne” from the trail’s name.
Other issues under the lamp were fencing/gates, facilities, surfacing, bridges and trestles and trail gaps.
Kline reported the state began trail spraying in March and hired a seasonal trail technician – Valle – for weed control, funded by a new $100,000 budget proviso from the state legislature.
A voice called out from the seats asking what vehicle he drives.
“A green F 250,” said Kline.
“Will you be staying on the trail?”
“Yes, we will be staying on the trail,” Kline said.
Slides continued.
A list of “Potential Projects” came up, naming Close Gaps, developing access points and improving trail surfaces now covered with sand, dirt or otherwise.
“What is the budget?” someone called out.
“Less than a hundred million, and more than a million,” said Kline, to some laughter.
He continued, talking about a 1/3-mile gap at the Cow Creek Trestle, which is now missing, requiring a detour.
For the Rock Lake area, two closed tunnels, each 400-feet long, would need to be addressed. Kline continued with a list of 11 preliminary trailhead recommendations from Kenova near Pine City to Beverly, spaced eight to 12 miles apart.
CONDITIONS
Kline then directed the attendees’ attention to the rear wall of the room, lined with white butcher paper, for public comment on each of the slides shown. He noted that the written remarks would be transcribed and posted to the State Parks’ website and reviewed by the advisory commission.
When the State Parks Commission makes their formal recommendation this summer, the document will become a point of reference for state legislators.
Brandon Spencer, a rancher and member of the Trail advisory committee, spoke, saying that none of the bridges on the trail have been examined up close.
Kline concurred, saying that in 2005 a “desktop review” was done.
“We do not have anything like an assessment of the trestles’ current condition,” Kline said.
A comment arose from the audience about why-do-you-have-to-have-a-contiguous-trail?
“What you have in the Columbia Plateau Trail,” said Spencer, referring to a 130-mile trail bed for which State Parks has developed 38 miles in two segments between Fish Lake near Cheney and Ice Harbor Dam and the Snake River junction.
More comments came from the crowd.
“John Wayne is not permitted by the John Wayne family,” someone said.
“I got an earful on that last night,” Kline responded.
Yellow notes
Kline then turned the meeting over to time for the public to write comments on yellow, college-ruled stick-notes to put on the butcher paper on the back wall: Trail Surfacing, Land Classification, Trail Gaps (Long Term Boundary).
People rose from gray chairs: baseball hats, cowboy hats, an Indian pattern on a t-shirt, short-sleeve business shirts and green name tags of State Parks representatives.
Yellow notes went up.
Under “Other Issues,” one read, “Where is the funds coming FROM.”
At the same time, Spencer talked with people at the Powerpoint, pointing to a map on a slide.
An orange extension cord snaked across the gray carpet, maps on easels rounding the front of the room.
More notes went up: under “Other Issues” – “Is there an opportunity for Adopt-A-Trail for volunteer clean-ups?” “Not all adjacent landowners are against the trail.”
As people sat down, chatter continued.
“We’ve got a solution to the budget problem,” said one man to another. “Put in rope suspension bridges.”
“Best idea I’ve heard all night,” said the other man.
Steve Brand, Partnership and Planning Manager for State Parks, then joined Kline in reading the comments from the yellow stick-notes.
To the ‘Is there funds’ question, Kline made a comment.
“I guess the answer to that is, it would depend,” he said.
He noted there has been contact with Rails to Trails Conservancy, which has formally submitted input through the planning process.
On the paper for Park naming, Kline read another comment: “This is ridiculous. A cow trail named as a State Park. Close it down.”
Jean Flanagan of Bonney Lake made a remark.
“If the trail had a dozen people going through per day, we wouldn’t need to know who they were,” she said.
Spencer then spoke again.
“Ninety-nine percent of the activity on the trail is malicious activity,” he said, standing at the front of the room. “The importance of the required permit is still important until you get to your magic having-a-bunch-of-people-on-the-trail.”
Then a man in the second row spoke.
Bryan Johnson, now a Pesticide Applicator for Noxious Weed Control of Grant County, made an observation.
“As that trail improves, you guys might see a lot more usage,” he said.
Kline stepped in and wrapped the meeting.
Afterwards
Following the meeting, Kline confirmed to the Gazette the intent of the trail planning process.
“To establish a contiguous trail with the least amount of detours possible,” he said.
On the matter of the Rock Lake tunnels, he suggested it is high on the list.
“That would likely be one of the projects to send to the state legislature,” Kline said.
Valle has a six-month seasonal position, for which he will be a presence on the trail and a contact person for landowners. Aside from spraying weeds, he will help with the State Parks’ assessment of where weeds are worst, fencing issues and areas particularly prone to trespass.
The John Wayne Trail planning process continued Monday with a meeting of the advisory committee in Moses Lake. The next public opportunity for comment will be at the Parks Commission meeting in Clarkston.
The all-volunteer Commission is appointed by the governor.
In comments after the Ritzville meeting, Brand noted that addressing landowner concerns is key.
“We need to be a better neighbor,” he said. “We realize that. That’s part of this process.”
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
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