Public’s wishes on county trails sought

Communities plan for roads, so why not trails?

The nonprofit Inland Northwest Trails Coalition, Spokane County Parks and Recreation, the National Park Service and the Bicycle Alliance of Washington are joining forces to develop a Spokane County recreational trails plan.

The countywide plan will be designed to connect towns and major recreational areas, and is a key step needed to go after state and federal grants, said Inland Northwest Trails Coalition spokesman David Bauermeister.

The Centennial Trail is already in place, linking west Spokane to Coeur d’Alene, but other trails could be added or improved.

For example, the Fish Lake Trail between Cheney and Spokane still needs to be completed.

The plan will be included in the county’s comprehensive plan update, said Bauermeister.

“So as new developments go in and new roads are built, it’s there to be taken into account,” he said.

Though the coalition is also conducting a trail inventory, it won’t be included in the countywide plan.

“We will have an inventory of regional trails, but there are trails on park and private lands that are too numerous to include,” Bauermeister explained.

The groups will be seeking public input on the plan at Saturday’s RiverFest in High Bridge Park. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

They want to hear about the community’s wishes and desires when it comes to a trail system, said Spokane County Parks and Recreation Planner Steve Horobiowski.

It’s too early to say where trails may someday be built, he said.