Contact us

Jayme Gorton Pleasants
Executive Director

By Phone:
(253)  845-2973

By e-mail
jaymeg@piercecountycd.org

Office hours

Monday-Friday
8 a.m. to 4:30  p.m.

Board  Meetings
    Our noon meetings are held on the second Wednesday of each month, except in August.
 

Photos by Kirk Kirkland

Cyclist find last of fall colors along Orting trail in Pierce County As the mountain trails slowly fill in with snow, the Foothills Trail along the Carbon River remains a quiet retreat any time of the year.

In this issue:

Awards given at Trails Conference

Trails Advisory Committee Met Sept. 29

Missing Link Funded in Pacific

Stalled Economy limits Park Budgets

Open Space Review passed by County Council

Awards given at Trails Conference 

Bonney Lake resident Marian Betzer and Pierce County Parks Director Kathy Kravit-Smith were honored for their efforts to promote recreational trails in Pierce County. They were recognized during the presentation of trail awards at the 2009 ForeverGreen Trails Conference on November 12.

Betzer was recognized for working with the Fennel Creek Partnership and the City of Bonney Lake to develop plans and funding for the Fennel Creek Trail.  A paved path and trailhead near Victor Falls are nearing completion. “When I asked local officials about Betzer’s role,” said ForeverGreen awards committee chairman Tim Payne, “several people confirmed for me that Marian was the key to making the trail happen.” 

The awards were one of several highlights at the annual Trails Conference.  Seventy people attended the conference held in Puyallup.  The annual meeting brings trail advocates and volunteers together to celebrate their success and share resources and know-how.

Kathy Kravit-Smith, the director of Pierce County Parks and Recreation Services, received recognition for her department’s accomplishments, which included construction of the 2.5-mile second phase of the Cushman Trail near Gig Harbor. A ribbon cutting ceremony for this new section was held December 16.

In addition, “Kathy’s department acted aggressively last winter when flood damage threatened to destroy a key portion of the Foothills Trail near South Prairie,” said Payne during the award ceremony.  “Much hard-won progress and funding would have been lost without the department’s quick response.”

The department’s staff was also recognized for their work on completing Pierce County’s Regional Trail Plan and their efforts to work with the County Council and Executive to create an open space task force to find creative ways to protect Pierce County’s natural resources.  The plan and the task force were adopted by the County Council in October.

“ForeverGreen considered several excellent projects for these awards,” said Tim Payne. “Trail building has accelerated in the last year, thanks to the efforts of these trail advocates.”  The ForeverGreen Council focuses on long range planning and funding of a trail system linking all of Pierce County’s communities.  Other award nominees included:

Milton Mayor Katrina Asay for her leadership in constructing a segment of trail within Milton that eventually will link to both the Foothills Trail and King County's Interurban Trail.

City of Tacoma for construction of the first phase of the Water Ditch Trail, for initiating a “Mobility Plan” to improve non-motorized access in Tacoma, and for moving a “Complete Streets” policy toward city council adoption.

The City of Puyallup Public Works Department for quick action to bring the Riverwalk Trail back to full functionality after being damaged by last winter’s flooding.
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Trails Advisory Committee Met Sept. 29

When the ForeverGreen Trails Advisory Committee met on Sept. 29, they nominated candidates for the annual Trails Conference Awards to be presented on November 12.  These awards recognize people and organizations who have contributed to building trails. Last year’s award recipients were Dixie Gatchel and John Ladenburg.

A new proposal for the committee was a discussion of a trail use survey to help show grantors and legislators the value and daily use of our county trail system. The committee suggested survey locations throughout the county and times to reflect commuting and recreational use. Volunteers will be recruited.

Missing Link Funded in Pacific

Cycle commuters making the daily ride from Tacoma to Kent and Seattle have waited over 20 years for the Interurban Trail to be extended into Pierce County.  Now, a recent state grant will provide the funds needed for this missing link.

This summer, the state awarded a grant of $267,000 to the City of Pacific to begin extending the trail.  This grant will be matched with federal and other funds to complete the $535,000 project. 

 

Stalled Economy Limits Park Budgets

“The recession has hit Pierce County harder than anyone expected, so we’ll have a number of challenges to overcome in crafting next year’s budget,” Council Chair Roger Bush said as the budget process began.

While adjacent counties were closing parks during difficult hard times, so far both Pierce County Parks and MetroParks have been able to maintain services and continue extending trails through Gig Harbor and near Buckley. 

Of concern to trail advocates is next year’s capital facilities budget for extending trails and building parks. This budget depends on healthy sales tax revenue and a vital retail estate market.  In 2006, the Real Estate Excise Tax combined with sales tax for parks generated almost a five million dollars in funds. In 2009, these funds declined by 20%, now collecting $2 million less.

Over the last decade, these funds were used for a bond to finish many trails and improve parks. But with limited funds, the focus for years ahead will likely be on providing maintenance for existing parks and completing a few on-going trail projects.

Looking forward to the next decade, park budgets are often the last to be restored when the county’s budget begins to improve. The priorities of public safety and health usually take priority over recreation.  A new source of park funding is necessary if the county is going to keep pace with a growing population over the next 10 years.

For the past two years, the ForeverGreen Council has testified before the state legislature advocating for the need for a regional sales tax for trails, parks, and open space.  Once passed by voters, this fund would be shared with cities, metro park districts and county parks.

On October 27, the Pierce County Council created an Open Space Task Force. The proposal will reform how open space lands will be acquired over the next 10 years.

The task force will coordinate with watershed councils, area land trusts, and environmental groups involved with open space to create a long-range acquisition plan. Deciding on an acquisition plan for open space is one of the key components that needs to be in place before a sales tax for trails, parks, and open space can be approved by the voters.  

Since 1994, when the county first mapped potential open space corridors, the Conservation Futures program has spent over $2 million annually to purchase properties throughout Pierce County. The Nature Center at Snake Lake is one area that benefitted from this program.  The Nature Center was able to avoid encroachment from new housing by purchasing a buffer area.  Other examples include the preservation of public access to forests and beaches through the purchase of Narrows Park near the Narrows Bridge, as well as over 50 acres along Clover Creek that are now preserved as a wildlife corridor that will benefit the efforts to return salmon to this Spanaway stream.

Crashing through fallen leaves on Orting Trail

Copyright 2008, by ForeverGreen Council