State crew clears JW Trail at Lone Pine

Washington State Parks staff are at work on a 250-yard section of John Wayne Pioneer Trail near Lone Pine this week to finish a project to clear drainage swales on each side of the former railbed.

“The trail prism itself has overgrown, almost become impassable,” said Randy Kline, State Parks’ statewide trails coordinator.

The workers will clear rocks, dirt, small trees and plants to allow for drainage and passability.

“We would call this routine trail maintenance,” said Kline.

The money comes from the Parks Operational funding, in which $400,000 is set aside in the two-year 2017-19 budget for the John Wayne Pioneer Trail. The money includes $120,000 in staffing costs.

This money has also paid for spraying contracts for noxious weeds, sterilant and more.