Last Sunday, May 16, more than 50 volunteers turned out to help DNR staff plan and locate trails for the new motorized trail system at Reiter Foothills Forest. After months of hard work decommissioning old, undesignated trails; stabilizing stream banks; and restoring environmental damage, participants had the chance to see exactly where the new trails will go.
The motorized section of Reiter Foothills Forest is further divided into trails for 4×4, quad/ATV, and single-track/motorbike use. On Sunday, groups of recreationists from each of these uses teamed up with DNR staff to explore and plan out their areas of interest.
The largest contingent of the day was 4X4 enthusiasts who are well on their way to laying out a challenge course that will include rock crawls and boulder obstacles, twisting-turning trails stair steps, and other technical trail features. On the ATV section, the group identified potential locations for the ATV trunk trail that will take riders from the trailhead to the eastern portion of the planning area. The motorbike crowd is working on an endurance-type trail that will include twists, loops, and obstacles.
Neil Stamp is an active volunteer at Reiter Foothills, motorbike rider, and member of several motorized recreation groups, including the Northwest Motorcycle Association. Stamp participated in the day’s planning and admits things are looking up for Reiter.
“We’re off to a start for our trail system,” Stamp says. “Now we just need to get out and start marking the trail course.”
Stamp is also one of six forest watch patrol volunteers recently trained by DNR. During Sunday’s work party, he discovered several people camping illegally in one area and approached them to tell them they were in violation of the law. He was then able to call in a DNR staffer with ticket-writing authority who will be writing citations to the violators.
When DNR reopens Reiter, forest watch volunteers will be DNR’s ambassadors in the woods, providing information about what kinds of recreation are allowed and where. In addition, these volunteers will help to improve safety by being a presence in the area and reporting any suspicious activities to law enforcement.
In the coming weeks, DNR will be working with non-motorized recreation users to plan trails in the western part of Reiter.
DNR hosts regular work parties in Reiter Foothills Forest on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month. Next up is the June 5 work party, which will celebrate National Trails Day. Stay tuned for more details… or contact David Way 360-854-2830 or david.way@dnr.wa.gov for more information about upcoming volunteer opportunities at Reiter.
If you want regular updates about Reiter Foothills Forest, send an email to reiterfoothills@dnr.wa.gov and put “subscribe” in the subject line.
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