National Forest Seeks Public Involvement Developing Wild Sky Wilderness Trails
Everett, Wash. June 13, 2011—The Forest Service invites the public to help plan hiking and equestrian trails for Wild Sky Wilderness June 23, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at Park Place Middle School, Monroe, Wash.
The trails are on national forest lands north of Highway 2 adjacent to and in the Wild Sky Wilderness. The meeting will address the planning area, potential issues and review a map of existing and proposed trail development. Attendees can propose additional trails not included on the draft planning map, provide comments and identify priority trails for development. The public can comment on the plan until Oct. 1.
“This gives them the summer to explore the wilderness and some of the proposed trails,” said Gary Paull, wilderness and trails coordinator for the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The forest will develop a draft plan by winter.
The Wild Sky Wilderness Act enacted in 2008 called for a trail plan that includes a system of hiking and equestrian trails. The trails shown in the Wild Sky Wilderness proposed trail map include those listed in the 1990 Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, additional trails proposed during the Wild Sky Wilderness legislative process and during a series of public meetings in 1993-1994 to help disperse users from the heavily used Alpine Lakes Wilderness.
Review a map of existing and proposed trails at http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/mbs/wild-sky. For more information contact Tom Davis at tdavis@fs.fed.us or 360- 677-2242. Mail comments to Skykomish Ranger District, 74920 N.E. Stevens Pass Highway, P.O. Box 305, Skykomish, WA 98288.