ForeverGreen Council
-
Building a Countywide Trail System
In Pierce County Washington



Contact us

Jayme Gordon
Executive Director

By Phone:
(253)  845-2973

By E-mail
jaymeg@forevergreencouncil.org

Office Hours

Monday-Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


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
























forevergreen logo


Trails Assistance Office


In order to complete a 100 mile long county-wide system of trails, a coordinating agency is needed with a single focus and secure funding.  When ForeverGreen Council finished its assessment of trails in Pierce County,  it determined that more cooperation was needed between park jurisdictions.  The Pierce Conservation District was chosen as the coordinating agency because of its history of working cooperatively with the county and all of its cities.  To implement a system of trails within the next 10 years, the Conservation District will:
  • Create a “Trails Assistance Office” to coordinate trail construction.
  • Make technical services available without cost to partner jurisdictions.
  • Include operating costs as part of the Pierce Conservation District Assessment.

                                    Trail Assisstance Office

      The Trails Office will be housed within the Pierce Conservation District.

  • The Pierce Conservation District (PCD) will act as fiduciary for ForeverGreen and provide administrative oversight to the Trails Assistance Office
  • The Trails Assistance Office will NOT fund trail implementation work.  It will help secure grants and assist in finding match funds. 
  • Start-up funding for a part-time coordinator began in early 2005.      


bridging gap & implementation

Photo by Kirk Kirkland



History & Background

ForeverGreen Council formed in 2000 to examine an integrated “System of Parks” for Pierce County. The intial board of community leaders examined the number of new parks that would be needed to meet the needs of a growing population 2020.  After holding a series of hearing around the county, the ForeverGreen learned that citizen's priorities called for a countywide trail system and for increased funding for open space.

Initially a grant from the National Park Service in October 2002 provided a trail planner, Bryan Bowden, to evaluate the numerous trail proposals around the county. A unified map was created showing that less than 20% of a county-wide trail was complete. A search began for an agency to house a trail assistance office.  ForeverGreen chose the Pierce Conservation District because of its reputation for cooperation and its willingness to work with the ForeverGreen Council to fund the project.

In 2004 ForeverGreen was incorpoarted as a non-profit organization with Jayme Gordon as the first Executive Director.  Funding for the initial phases of the project were provided by the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the REI and others. Operational funding comes from members and jurisdictions which include MetroParks of Tacoma, Pierce County Parks, and City of Sumner.




Copyright 2006, by ForeverGreen Council