Serving Whitman County since 1877
Serving Whitman County since 1877
Bill Grimes, consultant for Washington State Department of Commerce, addresses county commissioners Monday.
Bill Grimes from SCJ Alliance Consulting Services in Spokane spoke to county commissioners Monday about a new study of the Palouse to Cascades Trail – formerly known as the John Wayne Iron Horse Trail.
Following last spring's approval by the state legislature to fund $1.8 million of trail resurfacing work from Malden to Rosalia, and $1.7 million to repair and re-open the Tekoa trestle, Grimes' firm was hired by the Washington State Department of Commerce five weeks ago to evaluate what may come next.
Interested parties for the nearly 200-mile stretch through Adams and Whitman counties include Washington State Parks, private landowners whose property the trail cuts through, trail users, the state's Department of Natural Resources, towns, counties and others.
A budget proviso by the legislature ties the study to the release of the approved $3.5 million for the projects in Rosalia and Tekoa.
"We need a better understanding of how the trail is to be managed," said Grimes.
A first meeting to gather information was Nov. 19 in Rosalia and included representatives from Washington State Parks, Department of Natural Resources, State Rep. Joe Schmick, landowners and town officials from Rosalia and Tekoa.
One focus of the meeting was an attempt to break discussion of the Adams-Whitman County trail section into segments.
"Does one section cross through more farming than ranching? The concerns are going to be different," said Grimes. "What issues are being faced where."
He noted a particular aspect of this trail compared to other rails-to-trails pathways throughout the United States.
"This stretches through very remote areas, which is somewhat unique," said Grimes.
Commissioner Art Swannack Monday asked him about the condition of the Palouse to Cascades Trail's Rosalia trestle, which has been under scrutiny after small pieces of concrete have broken off and fallen onto the road below.
Swannack asked Mark Storey, Whitman County Public Works director, if he had heard anything lately from State Parks on the matter.
He hadn't.
"It looks cool but it's very expensive to maintain, versus just dozing it," Storey said, as part of his response.
"Operations and maintenance costs will at some time eclipse capital costs," Grimes stated.
He also suggested "towns and community partnerships to have some stake in continuing to maintain (nearby trail sections)."
Grimes has scheduled a second public meeting Dec. 19 in Lind at 6 p.m. at the Lind Community Church. It will include a workshop and a draft presentation of his report.
He is set to submit a final draft Jan. 15 to the Department of Commerce.
"They are looking for an honest representation of the interests that are out there," Grimes said. "As planners, we're used to walking into places people disagree."
Commissioner Michael Largent Monday asked if Grimes had looked at results from a series of meetings in Tekoa held by Rep. Joe Schmick in 2015. State Parks also undertook an extensive study in 2016 for which Grimes has asked them to evaluate those recommendations.
"It's not a straightforward endeavor," Grimes said. "At all."
Garth Meyer is a former Whitman County Gazette reporter.
Reader Comments(0)