Ten Mile Coastal Trail Status

June 2000

State Parks Revises Ten Mile Coastal Trail Plan

The State Department of Parks and Recreation has spent considerable effort working on the Coastal Trail Project to provide a multi-use recreational trail from Pudding Creek to Ten Mile River using the historic logging haul road. Over the years we have seen significant changes in environmental issues that surrounded the initial planning and promotion. Recently, the environmental consulting firm of EDAW prepared a feasibility study of alternative trail routes through the Ten Mile Dune portion of the project. This study concluded that it was unlikely that a multi-use trail could be completed through the dunes because of significant environmental issues and regulatory concerns.

Based on this study, detailed plant and animal inventories, public involvement, letters, and consultations with regulatory agencies, State Parks has concluded that it will not pursue the construction of the proposed ISTEA Coastal Trail project from Ward Avenue to 10 Mile River. Additionally, the trail segment from Lake Cleone to Ward Ave. is faced with many complex sensitive environmental issues. It is anticipated that complex and time consuming regulatory compliance would be required to complete this trail segment as well. In order to produce a usable recreational trail alternative to Highway One, State Parks will be seeking permission to modify the ISTEA Grant to a trail project from Pudding Creek (including the trestle) to the Lake Cleone area. As a separate project, the Department intends to pursue trail improvements through the Lake Cleone area to Ward Avenue.

Additionally, State Parks will continue the process of planning and working with regulatory agencies to provide acceptable trail and coastal access in the dune area. It is the Department’s objective to provide appropriate environmental protection while affording meaningful recreational access.

We wish to thank the community for its continued participation in this lengthy planning process.

Foundation Board's Response

While the board of directors of the Ten Mile Coastal Trail Foundation is disappointed at the revision in plans for the Coastal Trail project, we understand the pragmatic considerations involved, express our support of State Parks action and offer our full cooperation. The Board also affirms State Parks commitment to provide future public access for the entire distance from Lake Cleone to the Ten Mile River.

Realistically, environmental agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service could tie up the original seven-mile project and its federal funding for years into the future. To secure use of already designated federal ISTEA funds construction must be underway by 2004. Realizing this, State Parks is asking, based on the results of the EIR preliminary feasibility study completed last March, to be allowed to scale back the federally funded grant to that portion of the trail from Lake Cleone south over Pudding Creek Trestle.

State Parks also clearly states that they will be pursuing "trail improvements through the Lake Cleone area to Ward Avenue" and working "to provide acceptable trail and coastal access in the dune area."

The Ten Mile Coastal Trail project is a huge undertaking better accomplished in segments rather than a single unit. Pursuing the segments separately will allow attention to be given to the various access, environmental and recreation issues involved with each segment.

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