Trail From Tri-Cities To Spokane Needs A Name

Sun., Feb. 18, 1996

Vince Dice

A 130-mile stretch of abandonded railroad track which runs between the Tri-Cities and Spokane is in need of a design and a name.

The trail, which is currently called the Pasco to Fish Lake Trail by Washington State Parks and Recreation Commision officials, runs from Fish Lake, through Cheney and on to Pasco.

It runs through the Turnbull Natural Wildlife Refuge and the Snake River Canyon and comes to an end at Ice Harbor Dam in Pasco. Planners expect to connect the new trail with the John Wayne Trail and the Spokane River Centennial trail and to have it open by fall 1997.

A special planning team, consisting of rangers, an environmental specialist, an archeologist, an engineer and a landscape artist, has been created to examine the project. The team will hold a public meeting Feb. 29 at Eastern Washington University’s Pence Union Building.

“We are in the early planning stages for the trail and want to let potential trail users, nearby land owners and others interested in the trail know of our planning effort,” said Bill Fraser, the planning team leader, in a press release.

“We want to get the names of all the people interested in the trail so we can get information and feedback from them during the planning process.”

Anyone with design or name ideas should write to Fraser at the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission. 2201 N. Duncan Dr., Wenatchee, Wa., 98801, or call him at (509)-663-9751.

The planning team will use name suggestions while making recommendations to the Parks and Recreation Commission at its June meeting in Ephrata.

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