A plan to revamp the trail system on state trust lands at Burnt Hill is now on file and open to public comment through Nov. 4.
The proposal, known as the Burnt Hill Recreational Trail Plan, was developed by a focus group representing various interested parties, including hikers, horseback riders, off-road vehicle users and neighboring property owners.
The plan is on file at the state Department of Natural Resources SEPA Center, 1111 Washington St. N.E., in Olympia. It is also available online at www.dnr.wa.gov/sepa.
Comments can be sent to sepacenter@wadnr.com or mailed to P.O. Box 47015, Olympia, WA 98504-7015.
Work on the plan began in 1999 as a way to manage what has been unregulated outdoor recreation at the 5,100-acre area south of Sequim.
New trail included
It calls for building 4.7 miles of new trail; rebuilding 11.6 miles of existing trail; and closing 16.5 miles to public use. The proposal relies heavily on volunteer participation and would be complete by 2011.
Part of the proposal calls for a quarter-mile noise and visual buffer on Burnt Hill’s outer boundary as well as a corridor for the Sequim elk herd to migrate to calving areas on the hill’s west side.
The most controversial element has been the decision to continue to allow motorized off-road recreation on the site.
Neighboring property owners have protested to DNR concerning this element of the plan, contending that the noise of motorcycles and ATVs will ruin other recreation uses there and cause problems with parking and trail integrity.
A report from the agency, however, notes that there are relatively few off-road vehicle recreation areas on the North Olympic Peninsula and that it’s better to allow an activity that can be regulated than to drive it underground.
