Thursday was a big day for Reiter Foothills Forest with the announcement of a recreation plan for the rugged area in southeast Snohomish County. The announcement of the plan is a big step toward reopening the area to motorized and non-motorized recreation.
Developed with input from citizens representing a broad range of outdoor interests, the plan envisions Reiter Foothills Forest as a world-class recreation area where people will find separate trails for motorized and non-motorized uses. The area has the potential to become a destination for those seeking off-road vehicle and mountain biking trails that can challenge their skills and endurance. Most importantly, the trails will be well-designed and well-maintained so recreation can coexist with the goals of a working forest.
Of the 10,000 acres, about 2,000 are identified in the plan as suitable for recreation. Hiking and equestrian trails are also part of the vision.
The public has been a great partner in the process of planning out and locating sustainable trail uses for the area. Since discussions about the area’s future started in 2008, many people have participated in the planning process and put in hundreds of volunteer hours to help DNR restore areas that had received heavy-but-unsupervised use for several years.
Here’s a map of the planning area.
