Mount Si Trail Not Closing

Mount Si trail saved from budget cuts

April 13, 2010

By Laura Geggel

Trails at Mount Si, Little Si, Middlefork and Rattlesnake have received a second lease on life from the state Legislature. The Legislature passed a supplemental budget for the 2010-11 year April 12 — a budget that had to deal with $2.8 billion in cuts.

Though $278,000, which translated into the closing of 22 trails and trailheads, had been on the chopping block, in the end the Legislature choose to maintain money for the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, said Mark Mauren, a DNR assistant division manager for recreation and public access.

“They had some really tough decisions to make and fortunately were able to keep the outdoors open to the public,” Mauren said.

He said he was relieved to hear the trails would remain open. State funding pays for services such as pumping outhouses, maintaining facilities and trails, training and supporting volunteers, replacing vandalized and worn out signs and more.

“In this economy, people need to have access to physical exercise and the outdoors,” Mauren said.

Thousands of people visit Snoqualmie Valley’s trails annually, with 150,000 at Little Si, 350,000 at Mount Si, 30,000 at Middle Fork in Snoqualmie and 30,000 at Rattlesnake, according to DNR estimates.

Source:  Sno Valley Star:  Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.