An antagonizing state parks commission

In the S-R article about the new Palouse to Cascades State Park “Trail rename ditches The Duke, makes landscape second act,” May 18, 2018), the state parks commissioner and director of planning present an antagonistic dialogue about how they’ve bridged the Cascade curtain and connected, even united the state. Particularly frustrating is the tone from Mr. Brand suggesting that Eastern Washington hasn’t taken responsibility of this trail as “theirs” from 1980-now. This leaves me with a few questions for the commission about making the trail “ours.”

If this trail presents such a great opportunity to develop recreation on the East Side, why is $25,000 of the $32,000 going to the West Side, the portion of the trail that is already complete? I’ve also taken the director’s advice and planned my hike of the new state park to take ownership of this trail as an Eastern Washingtonian.

I’ve hiked over the impassable trestle bridges and tunnels, and the private property sections the state doesn’t control, and now I’ve made it to Beverly Bridge. Closed to pedestrian and bike traffic, no other crossings for 50 miles. In the excitement of having connected East to West, they forgot to … connect East and West. How shall we tear down this Cascade (Red) Curtain?

John Maxwell

Pasco