San Juan Island Trails Committee
Minutes March 11, 2009
Present
Connie & Jim Blackmer, Sam Connery, Peter Dawson, David Dehlendorf, Eileen Drath, Louise Dustrude, Rick Exstrom, Eleanor Hartmann, Don Jarrell, Jill & Loren Johnson, Glenn Kaufman, Doug McCutchen, Peter Morrison, Cinda Pierce, Tracy Roberson, Steve Ulvi, Leslie Veirs, and Chris Wolf.
Notices
- Meeting on Pipeline Trail project Friday, March 13 at 6:00 pm at the library. All are invited.
- Next steering committee meeting: Wednesday, April 1, at 4:00 pm at the library All are invited.
- Next regular monthly meeting: Wednesday, April 8, at 5:00 pm in the community room at Whidbey Island Bank. All are invited.
Volunteer Hours February 2009
| March Steering Committee |
6
|
| Today’s Meeting |
30
|
| Bike Sub-Committee |
11
|
| Work Parties |
0
|
| Roche Harbor Stewardship Group |
14
|
| Other Volunteer Hours |
15
|
| Total Hours |
79
|
Call to Order, Minutes, & Introductions
The regular meeting was called to order by chair David Dehlendorf at 5:05 pm. Minutes from the previous meeting were approved as circulated by email and on our website. All present introduced themselves.
New Maps
New maps of the island, one showing existing public trails and the other also showing potential new trails, created by John Dustrude and mounted by Magda Balise, were shown. In response to a suggestion by Peter Morrison, they will be exhibited at future Trails Committee meetings and other trail events.
Reorganization of Trails Committee
We are on track to be once again affiliated with Island Rec. The final vote is expected to take place on March 19. Island Rec board members are Ralph Hahn, chair, Scott Zehner, Jim Ricks, Bill Cumming, and Alisa Schoultz.
Third Annual Winter Potluck Report
Eileen Drath reported that the Potluck on March 4 was very well attended – 60 to 65 people. She thanked David Dehlendorf for putting together the slide show of photos of hiking and kayaking trips narrated by several committee volunteers.
Publicity
David Dehlendorf reported that Mike Macdonald will be writing an article about the Trails Committee for the third time in the spring 2009 edition of At Home magazine. Also, Alice Hurd will write a trails article for the next issue of the Island Rec program guide.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for several specific tasks: website management (work with Ann Jarrell), map making (work with Magda Balise and John Dustrude), and grant writing. Leslie Veirs, Tracy Roberson, and Sally Hawkins have volunteered to help with map making, but more volunteers are needed for website management and grant writing.
First Aid and CPR Classes
Rick Exstrom, Don Jarrell, and Mike Lazzari attended a first aid class on March 9 sponsored by Island Rec and will be taking the corresponding CPR class soon. David Dehlendorf, Mark Pierce, and Steve Ulvi will be taking first aid and CPR classes as well. Jill & Loren Johnson already have their certifications. Island Rec will require us to have certified people on hand whenever we do trails work in the future.
Mitchell Hill Update
The House Subcommittee chaired by Representative Norm Dicks that is responsible for appropriations for the Interior Department is now in the preliminary stages of considering the 2010 budget for the National Park Service. Efforts are underway by various parties to encourage this subcommittee to include in its final 2010 appropriations bill for the NPS sufficient funding to enable it to acquire the DNR’s Mitchell Hill property so that it can be incorporated into English Camp. This acquisition was included in the recently approved general management plan for San Juan Island National Historic Park, a necessary condition to receive funding. Interested San Juan Island residents should write our Congressman, Rick Larsen, as well as Norm Dicks, to encourage their support for this appropriation. David Dehlendorf will email Trails Committee members next week with more detailed information, including addresses, so that our members can contact Larsen and Dicks.
State Legislative Updates
Washington State House Bill 1659, which was to provide money to counties for recreational trails, has died in committee in Olympia. The San Juan Scenic Byways designation (which includes the San Juan ferry routes and specified roads on Orcas and San Juan Island), has passed the State Senate and is awaiting House action.
Beach Court Trail in Friday Harbor
Doug McCutchen reported that an undeveloped road easement in Friday Harbor will be opened for public use as a walking trail, thanks to efforts by Brian Windrope, who lives in the area. The Town Council agreed 4-1 to authorize the Town Administrator to work with volunteers to open the trail. Doug, Brian, and Steve Ulvi will be leading the volunteer effort. This trail goes down a steep hill near the Community Theater between Jensen Alley and McDonald Street. It will provide a safer alternative to walking along the side of the south end of Tucker Ave. Loren and Jill Johnson who live near this location said they will welcome a proper public trail, since people have in the recent past used their property as a shortcut to the same area and caused them some problems.
Trail Construction Training
Steve Ulvi reported that he and Doug McCutchen, along with Nick Teague of the Bureau of Land Management on Lopez, will offer a trail construction training course on Friday night, May 22, and during the day on Saturday, May 23. The Trails Committee will arrange a place to meet on Friday evening and 2-3 trails that need work for Saturday. There will be space for approximately 30 participants. By show of hands, approximately 12 people at tonight’s meeting expressed interest in the course. Steve will provide David Dehlendorf with the information necessary so that he can send an email to all committee members inviting them to participate. If the course is oversubscribed, a second course will be considered. If it is undersubscribed, other organizations on our island and on other islands may be invited to participate.
Land Bank Update
Doug McCutchen reported on the status of several Land Bank properties on San Juan Island, particularly as to trail possibilities:
1) Frazer Homestead Preserve along the east side of Cattle Point Road just north of American Camp. Many Trails Committee volunteers participated in several work parties there last fall to build a new trail alongside the road as part of our Cattle Point Road trail project. This trail is not yet finished and is not yet open to the public. The management plan will be open for public review and comment beginning Wednesday, March 18, with the public meeting scheduled for Friday, April 3, at the Mullis Center craft room, 4-6 pm. The National Park Service is set to begin work this spring/summer on the connecting trail to the south to the visitors center at American Camp, with likely opening of both trails in late summer;
2) Wade Sundstrom property at the corner of San Juan Valley Road and Douglas Road. Any trail on this property would have to fit with agricultural use and therefore would likely require extensive fencing. The Land Bank has found that agricultural fencing costs about $10 a lineal foot;
3) King Sisters property at the corner of San Juan Valley Road and Wold Road has been fenced for agricultural use. There will be volunteer trail work parties on this property this spring;
4) Westside Scenic Preserve, along West Side Road south of Deadman Bay. Volunteers have done a lot of trail work there already. Work will be ongoing this year;
5) Cady Mountain Preserve. There is still no connection to a public road and therefore no good access for people not living nearby on Cady Mountain Road. The Land Bank is considering access by permission only. A revised management plan will be available for review and comment sometime in 2009. The Land Bank will be looking for volunteers to help maintain the Garry oak habitat in the area;
6) Lower False Bay Creek. There will be work parties soon to help control non-native plants and enhance fish habitat;
7) Beaverton Marsh Preserve between Roche Harbor Road and Beaverton Valley Road. The Land Bank is considering development of a trail on the eastern boundary of this property, although the nearby marsh is heavily used by wildfowl and they don’t want people on the property to scare birds away. No work planned for 2009; and
8) The former Mar Vista resort on False Bay. The Preservation Trust is leading the effort to purchase this property, but the asking price is more than twice the appraised value.
Meeting adjourned at 6:40 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
Louise Dustrude, Acting Secretary
