The Olympic National Forest will receive $600,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to address a backlog of trail maintenance as well as repair trails damaged in storms.
Among the projects planned, funds will address repairs to the Big Creek Trail Bridge near Hoodsport, which was damaged by the December 2007 storm, as well as upgrade trail signs and informational kiosks throughout the forest and pay for programs to reduce erosion and sedimentation, said Donna Nemeth, Olympia-based public affairs officer for the national forest, in a prepared statement.
The funds will also allow the forest service to work with such groups as the Washington Conservation Corps and Student Conservation Association, which provide employment for high school and college students.
Facilities included
The funds also are to be used to improve, maintain and renovate public and administrative facilities.
Skilled workers will be hired for some of the projects.
The funds of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for Forest Facilities and Trails were announced by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack on July 21. There are 191 projects, funded at more than $274 million, located throughout national forests in 32 states.
The Forest Service Trails System provides access to an array of users, including hikers, horseback riders, mountain bikers, cross-country skiers, snowmobilers and all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts, Nemeth said.
“In many ways, the benefits of maintaining the trails system are similar to those of roads,” she said.
Trail maintenance includes protecting soils and reducing erosion, along with clearing vegetation, controlling invasive species and removing downed trees.
For more information about employment, see the forest service Web site at www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic.
