Hiking, walking, bicycling and riding horses are big-time leisure activities for folks in the Lewis County area.
The more trails and pathways there are to accommodate these past-times the better, what with increasing population and the increasing need for exercise for health and fitness. Chalk up a big coup for these wholesome outdoor activities for all age levels - the kickoff this week for impending construction of the Willapa Hills Trail between Chehalis and South Bend. It's a big deal and we commend all those who helped bring it about.
All levels of government - local, state and federal - are increasingly initiating and supporting public and private efforts to expand and link trails and pedestrian pathways in both rural and urban communities.
The 56-mile Willapa Hills recreation trail along the abandoned Burlington Northern Railroad line is an exciting example.
The project, which began in 1993 with the purchase by Washington State Parks Department of the line, has been funded by the state and federal governments to the tune of $1.4 million. It has taken a huge step forward with the first phase, the five-mile section between Chehalis and Adna, going out to bid. The work will include resurfacing the rail bed, building four wooden trestles to replace potentially dangerous existing ones, paving parking lots at trail heads in Chehalis and Adna, and paving another mile of trail.
A formal groundbreaking ceremony to launch the upcoming start of construction of the first phase was held Thursday at the trail's starting point near Chehalis. Among supporters and dignitaries attending were our 3rd District U.S. Rep. Brian Baird, D-Vancouver, and Lewis County Commissioner Ron Averill, R-Centralia, and Joe Taller, a member of the State Parks Commission.
Trails are a relatively inexpensive way to encourage public health, economic vitality and community involvement, Taller said. "Trails give opportunities for a healthy environment. People start exercising," he said.
Averill, from the local perspective, seconds those observations, believing the trail will be a plus for the Lewis County economy. "I'm pleased we'll have this in our backyard," he said. "I think it will bring people into the county … And, we don't mind if they leave a little green behind."
Indeed not.
And Baird had good cause as well to be delighted with the start of the trail project. He was instrumental in obtaining nearly half the $1.4 million for the project in federal funds. That, plus the remaining $720,000 allocated by the state Legislature, will enable the project to begin years earlier than the 20 years or so anticipated when the state acquired the rail line.
A note of caution, however. As Averill observed, many property owners along the trail had initial apprehensions about it from a security standpoint, such as vandalism threats to their property. Apparently, many of those concerns have been addressed to their satisfaction.
The safety of those using such trails, their ongoing maintenance and the threat some might use them to vandalize pertain to lots of other public trails throughout our region, but the benefits outweigh the risks.
In any event, Taller noted that more communities are making trails a high priority because of their benefits. "We're beginning to see a network of trails, like a highway system developing," he said. "Eventually, you'll see all these trails link together. It's tremendous what's happening."
With its early start, we hope the entire Willapa Hills Trail project can be completed at least within the next decade, with some of it usable within the next few years.
Meantime, regarding linked trails, The Lewis County Community Trails group in June unveiled its plan for a comprehensive system of paved recreation trails to link Centralia and Chehalis and their respective trail systems, including proposals to expand those as well. The overall plan includes linking this system with the Willapa Hills Trail.
The public benefit of these trails will likely be immense.
