PS – Just got back from a trip to Lake Wenatchee and rides on the many miles of trails above the lake, trails that were built by and with moto riders in mind. Super flowy, bermed, fast and incredibly fun trail. I don’t know a ton about trail construction, but it seems to me that moto folks are good partners.

I wonder if in the future we could draw on IMBA resources to show the economic benefits of trails as recreation vs. logs. They have a number of economic impact studies posted on their website which show the huge amounts of money that trails generate. For instance, I believe Jackson Hole’s trail network contributes $18million per year to its economy. I know I’ve read a lot of stuff over the years in mountain bike magazines, Outside, etc. that shows that using forest land for recreation can contribute more money to a local economy than logging. Not saying that this land shouldn’t be logged, but wouldn’t it be nice if it was done in such a way that respected its value as a recreational resource?

But at the end of the day I guess I am just happy this isn’t Portland, where you have to drive 45 minutes to find dirt to ride on.

I would love to see a pump track on the yarder landing spiraling out and dropping into a “super” flow trail like Bad Motor Scooter. This could intersect the original trail (at an uphill slant of course) with trees planted on the inside curves and planting flowering idigenous plants along with vine maple. Make the early undergrowth pleasing. Maybe even a few fruit trees at the bottom and top for inseason snacks. Time to think forward.

One has to remember that the $52,800 per mile of trail must be amortized over the 60 year cut cycle. Forest tourism dollars, on the other hand, are captured every year. This makes a big difference when you think about implementing a user fee to offset preservation and lost timber dollars.

Temira did her best to gather information and share it. She clearly has a viewpoint which she expresses in her post and her reply. I don’t see Temira’s responses as shouting anyone down– she’s standing up for her argument, which aligns pretty closely with the county’s position.

It would be great to do some independent research and verification– that should absolutely be part of our role– but it’s not likely to happen spontaneously. Anyone who can call an expert to get a quick “smell test” on the info we’re receiving, please step to the head of the line. I’m happy to help with political strategy, but our effectiveness depends on having solid facts behind our arguments.