Coos Regional Trails Partnership Meeting: April 21, 2009

Attendees: Don Luce, Mike Smith, Dave Gray

Approval of minutes of the last meeting: John Bragg (acting secretary at the meeting) has not yet produced the minutes from that meeting, so they were unavailable for approval.

Committee Reports:

South Coast Striders – Don Luce reported that South Coast Strider hikes were being well attended. Golden and Silver Falls had 60 participants. Rocky Peak had 39 participants. Euphoria Ridge had 49 participants. Next hike coming up will be to Hanging Rock and on the Panther Ridge trail.

Old Business:

Approval of minutes from May 2008 meeting: We agreed to attach Mike Smith’s account of the meeting to the minutes and approved the minutes as amended.

New Business:

Don Luce presented a proposal to create a new subcommittee focused on trails in or within walking distance of major population centers. He said that if people were going to walk as often as the health community says they should they need to look at their opportunities close to home.

It will be called the Urban Trails Subcommittee.

The overall goal will be to improve trail opportunities in or near our major towns.

Don presented the following outline of the task they would perform:

1) Provide support and assistance to those who are already working on such projects.

Here are some projects that are underway already but could use some support.

Bandon Schools: Gross Creek Restoration Project Carolyn Goldwasser – 347-2567, Trent Hatfield.

Millicoma Marsh: Jamie Faraday and others maintain, but could use help and development.

Empire Lakes: Bridges need repair – grant request to ORTAC have not received funding yet.

City of North Bend: New Section of trail between Harbor Ave and Mill Casino Property.

Coquille Tribe: Plan to build boardwalk trail along their property from new North Bend section to site of new Coos Historical and Maritime Museum.

Blossom Gulch Nature Trail – Needs maintenance and development of environmental education sites. Coordinator of CE2 Progam at Marshfield HS has some funding for this purpose.

2) Take a look at the overall picture for each town.

a) Talk to local people and survey existing paths and trails.

b) Draw maps and identify areas of opportunity.

c) Identify resource owners and other stakeholders for each project.

3) Bring to the attention of policy makers and other stakeholders and promote projects to the general public.

Mike Smith said that we should add the Pony Creek Trail to the list of ongoing projects. The current person heading up that effort is Eric Clough with the Cape Arago Audubon Society. Monica Schreiber is another contact on this.

It was agreed that we should create the Urban Trails Subcommittee.

Don will begin work on it.

Meeting Adjourned.