{"id":15717,"date":"2016-10-20T07:05:59","date_gmt":"2016-10-20T14:05:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wabikes.org\/?p=15717"},"modified":"2016-10-18T18:44:09","modified_gmt":"2016-10-19T01:44:09","slug":"john-wayne-pioneer-trail-recap-state-funding-2017-request","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wabikes.org\/index.php\/2016\/10\/20\/john-wayne-pioneer-trail-recap-state-funding-2017-request\/","title":{"rendered":"John Wayne Pioneer Trail Recap and 2017 State Funding Request"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Riding

Riding toward the east portal of the Boylston Tunnel in the Yakima Training Center grounds. Photo by Mike Sorensen (used by permission).<\/p><\/div>\n

Protecting and funding the John Wayne Pioneer Trail will be one of Washington Bikes’ priorities heading into the 2017 legislative session and beyond.\u00a0The threat to the trail’s public ownership that emerged at the tail end of the 2015 legislative capital budget process<\/a>\u00a0ironically has served to galvanize widespread public support for the trail — Friends of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail<\/a> formed not just to protect it but to promote, maintain, and develop the nation’s longest rail-trail<\/a>. At their board retreat in September in South Cle Elum the Friends discussed formation of a coalition and development of a common legislative strategy that can be supported by a broad range of interests.<\/p>\n

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[Tweet “I signed up for @WABikes enews so I won’t miss #WAleg alerts to help fund\/protect John Wayne Pioneer Trail. Join me. #trails #JWPT”]<\/p>\n

\"Guest

Guest panel members John Floberg (WA State Parks Foundation<\/a> Executive Director), Barb Chamberlain (Chief Strategic Officer for Washington Bikes\/Cascade Bicycle Club<\/a>) and Jon Snyder (WA Governor’s Outdoor Recreation and Economic Development Policy Advisor) answered questions at the Friends of JWPT board retreat. (Picture courtesy of Friends of the John Wayne Pioneer Trail)<\/p><\/div>\n

Update from State Parks and Recreation Commission<\/h3>\n

This recap below from\u00a0Peter Herzog, Assistant Director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission<\/a>, provides a concise description of how State Parks has responded to legislative threats and questions about trail management, along with the budget priorities that came out of the Advisory Committee that met several times in 2015.\u00a0Development of an agency’s recommended budget request is an important step in preparing for the legislative session. We thank the Advisory Committee, State Parks and Recreation Commission, and Parks staff for their work on this.<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Note on usage: The John Wayne Pioneer Trail is also known as the Iron Horse State Park Trail.)<\/p>\n

State Parks and Recreation Commission Actions in July at Clarkston <\/u><\/b><\/h3>\n

The initial phase of the planning process ended in July with formal adoption by the State Parks and Recreation Commission of a management plan for the trail section from Lind to Malden (see PDF\u00a0Iron Horse State Park Trail<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/b>Recommendations Report<\/a>)<\/b><\/span><\/span>. The plan includes:<\/p>\n