The governor was honored with an award from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
A shared enthusiasm for trail networks and the unique recreational opportunities the Olympic Peninsula offers set the tone for this year’s in-person board convening of the national Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) in Sequim. RTC is based in the other Washington, Washington DC, and the 135-mile Olympic Discovery Trail is what lured them here.
The Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) stretches from Port Townsend to La Push across lush forests, alongside mountains, farms, and shorelines, and in 2019 it was designated by RTC as the official western end of their 3,700-mile, 12-state, multi-use trail corridor, called the Great American Rail-Trail.
A Jamestown S’Klallam welcome was given by Theresa Lehman, Tribal Council Treasurer. Attending the receptions hosted by RTC at the Jamestown S”Klallam Tribe’s 7 Cedars Hotel and Red Cedar Hall at the Tribal Center were local trail advocates – the Peninsula Trails Coalition, the newly formed Puget Sound to Pacific Collaborative, Bainbridge Island Parks & Trails Foundation, the Washington Backcountry Horsemen, Sequim Wheelmen’s Adaptive Bike Program, Ian McKay (Ian’s Ride), Cascade Bicycle Club, Washington Trails Association – Washington Representative Steve Tharinger, Clallam and Jefferson County councilmembers, tribal representatives, and many others.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, a national voice for trails since 1986, visited the Puget Sound region to also bestow Governor Jay Inslee with the annual Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion award for 2023. State Parks Commissioner Sophia Danenberg praised the Governor’s work on the trail system.
“Governor Inslee has forged a legacy – and it is the state’s trails and parks,” Danenberg said. “Trails and parks are a nexus of cultural, natural, and economic values. Trails welcome all – regardless of age or ability.”
Danenberg noted this wasn’t the only trail to see improvements.
“The Governor has considered the parks as being complementary and not competitive to development and his support has helped fund important trail gaps like the rebuilding of the Palouse to Cascades Beverly Bridge and the Teko and Renslow Trestles, and the Olympic Discovery Trail through Jefferson County’s Anderson Lake State Park,” she added.
In their news release, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy noted the importance of trails to the climate work for which the Governor has become known.
“For decades, Governor Inslee has championed the role of trails in addressing significant challenges facing our communities – building climate resilience, generating economic development and delivering quality of life,” said RTC President Ryan Chao.
“He has leveraged his position to raise the financial and political capital needed to unlock incredibly difficult projects that are transformative for the people they serve, the regions they connect and the entire nation,” Chao added. “He is raising the bar for the country’s elected officials, while showcasing how integral trail and active transportation networks are in addressing the intertwined issues of climate change and our country’s economic future.”
