President’s Message: Bit by Bit, Mile by Mile, Member by Member
It takes a lot to operate a successful all-volunteer organization like the Peninsula Trails Coalition. For us, the bottom line is seeing more sections of the Olympic Discovery Trail being built. I’m excited to report that several important pieces are being built or are soon to be built.
From east to west:
- Discovery Bay: The groundwork in place for the vital Maynard section, at the head of Discovery Bay, has resulted in it being fully funded with a recent state grant awarded to Jefferson County. Many of you were essential in setting the table for this success through your generous donations, which enabled us to ensure the trail was part of the overall shoreline restoration plan.
- East Clallam and Diamond Point Road: The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe will soon be constructing more than a half mile of trail at the easternmost end of Clallam County. The PTC is partnering with the tribe to work on the trail and to construct a trailhead at Diamond Point Road, which will be the trail’s westbound entry point into Clallam County—and eventually the eastbound entry into Jefferson County!
- Dungeness River Bridge: The tribe is also hard at work, with support from the PTC and other parties, to build a vastly improved replacement of the signature trestle over the Dungeness River. Construction began at the end of August and is projected to be complete this December. We will continue to assist in maintaining the detour until our partners at the tribe succeed in what will be a landmark trail improvement.
- Port Angeles Waterfront: The City of Port Angeles is nearing completion of its next phase of downtown waterfront renovation. Officially opened to the public on September 5, this beautiful, scenic trail segment passes through a waterfront park with pocket beaches and other amenities.
- Spruce Railroad Trail: Olympic National Park and Clallam County are collaborating on the multiphase upgrading of the Spruce Railroad Trail along the north side of Lake Crescent, a jewel of a section on the ODT. The Lyre River end of the SRRT is closed into October while contractors work on the latest piece of the puzzle.
Pretty dang cool, huh? You can take pride in all of this great news because you are the reason for these successes. I hope this good news will inspire you to keep it up—your membership, your participation, and your volunteering. We have so many areas that need your help.
Thank you! And we’ll see you on the trail!
—Jeff Bohman, President, Peninsula Trails Coalition
From the Summer 2015 issue of Trail Notes, the official newsletter of the Peninsula Trails Coalition. Some dates have been updated at the time of online publication.
