November 8, 2007

Planning process begins on Coyote trails
Public meeting set at 6 p.m. Nov. 14 in White Salmon

By KATHY GRAY
of The Dalles Chronicle

     Call it the Coyote Wall or Mosier Syncline, but call it time to examine the trail structure on this dramatic geological feature, say representatives of the U.S. Forest Service.
     The Forest Service will host a public participation process for planning a trail system in the Coyote Wall and Catherine Creek area at 6 p.m. on Nov. 14. It will be the first of three meetings to work with stakeholders and concerned citizens. The meetings will be held at the Pioneer Center in White Salmon.
     Through the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area process, the Forest Service has acquired several thousand acres of land since 1987 in the Coyote Wall, Burdoin Mountain and Catherine Creek areas. The area has become a popular destination for recreation users, particularly mountain bikers and hikers, says Stan Hinatsu of the Forest Service.
     “Trails have developed already in that area,” Hinatsu said. “In fact, when we acquired the last parcel, actually the previous owner already had allowed mountain bike use.”
     The Forest Service plans follow a process to make those trails an official part of the agency’s system, Hinatsu said.
     Some of the informal trails need to be brought up to standards, while others run across private property.
     “We have some reroutes that are likely; we may have to eliminate some trails; and we may build additional trails to connect loops to existing trails,” Hinatsu said.
     The project has been on the Forest Service work list for a while, but other priorities and staffing transitions have bogged it down.
     “We’re resurrecting it,” Hinatsu said.
     The Forest Service has no budget for the project. Hinatsu hopes rely on community partners for the trail work.
     People who attend the meetings should come ready to work together, he added, under the direction of a neutral facilitator, a Forest Service employee from outside the region.
     “It’s really important for us in this collaborative process to get somebody objective to facilitate the meeting, so we can make sure all voices are heard.”
Hinatsu expects the face some concerns by private land owners, and relating to other factors.
     “I think there are some very legitimate concerns,” he said. “I think there are going to be some issues regarding trail locations. I think there are some routes that are compromising resources.
     ‘‘Other than that, I don’t see this as totally contentious. We’re really trying to get focused, but the devil’s in the details.”
     For more information on the process, call Hinatsu at (541) 308-1708 or email shinatsu@fs.fed.us.