Ferry County votes on trail

Ferry County residents will make a critical decision on Nov. 3 regarding use of a prized abandoned railway the county acquired this year: Will motorized vehicles be allowed on the 28.5-mile route that runs from the Canada border to an existing trail at Republic? The election-day issue has become contentious.

[Jessica]

I live a long the trail and I will be voting to keep it non motorized!

[Dan]

Environmental groups have closed down so many roads in our county that we now need to have a POS rail bed to ride... You like minded people have closed down the lumber mill, the forests, and next the lakes and rivers. It is time to run you all out of our county on a rail...

[fred]

Dan wrote:

Environmental groups have closed down so many roads in our county that we now need to have a POS rail bed to ride... You like minded people have closed down the lumber mill, the forests, and next the lakes and rivers. It is time to run you all out of our county on a rail...

be nice now

[Nana in Malo]

I don't live along the tail, and far from it. I am really wondering how many people are going to walk this ? What do (they)mean Less costly to maintain and enforce? I like to know were is a safe place for ORV'S to ride? Do we have trails now for them? Who gets to use this trail when it snows? Is someone going to groom this trail for snow shoe'rs? How many people are going to walk this trail during winter time. We are always talking about things for are young people to do. Could we be taking this away from young people and older people alike of a place to ride? My husband and I have a four wheeler and we could ride down the hill and hit the trail and it would be away for us to get to town but I will tell you at 62 I am not going to walk 3 miles down the hill and then 28 miles to Republic! I just wouldn't do it! But it would make a nice ride for two old people. But town could get some of my money and time if I could ride there on my motorized four wheeler, and look at the gas money I could save doing that. I coud even go down to town and have a lunch out! But I am seeing the paid for citizens ade for a non motorized trai. and I see a picture of a horse there are these people going to want to walk on a trail were there has been a horse. Sure wish we could all share it horse people, bike people and the walker and the people who like to ride there motorized bikes,and not leaving the people out with there winter sports. I guess I want it for all people not just a a couple of walkers? not sure how I am going to vote yet!!!!!!

[Jessica]

you want to ride your four wheeler to town but then what? ORV's aren't legal to ride on the streets yet alone park at Andersons or Pine Grove. Are you going to walk those 'extra' miles to those places and leave your ORV at the end of the trail? No, dont' think so.

as for where to ride those ORV's.. there are PLENTY of roads around these woods for riding.. Trust me I know. I do it all the time!

and as far as I know.. "Us like minded" have not shut down the lumber industry and forests. I grew up in a lumber supported family and worked for Vaagen's myself. Get YOUR facts straight.

[Jessica]

*family supported by Lumber*

Jessica wrote:

you want to ride your four wheeler to town but then what? ORV's aren't legal to ride on the streets yet alone park at Andersons or Pine Grove. Are you going to walk those 'extra' miles to those places and leave your ORV at the end of the trail? No, dont' think so.
as for where to ride those ORV's.. there are PLENTY of roads around these woods for riding.. Trust me I know. I do it all the time!
and as far as I know.. "Us like minded" have not shut down the lumber industry and forests. I grew up in a lumber supported family and worked for Vaagen's myself. Get YOUR facts straight.

[Jessica]

I personally would not feel comfortable with my kids or dogs on the trail with motorcycles or four wheelers zooming by my family. You can already see the damage done on the trail from them. Gravel sprayed all over the road from dirt bikes makes it very hard to ride bicycles and even harder for kids to stay up on it. I've patched up several bloody knees from this!

I know some people have mentioned, "well no one (residents) has complained yet, there must not be a problem".. Only three houses are along the current section of trail now, but I'm sure if you get the whole trail motorized and there will be a problem. We've had dirtbikes and other ORV's behind our house using the trail illegally and it ECHOS TERRIBLY off the rock walls and the ponds below.

and who is going to patrol this section of trail? a guy roaming on the trail all day? Yeah, right.. who going ot pay for that? And if we have to rely on neighbors calling the sheriff for problems, well we might as well not call at all because by the time someone gets out there to investigate the ORV is gone. Half the time there's no one on duty either.

I've never had a problem with other walkers, dogs,skiers, or horses on the trail and there's always some one the trail at all times enjoying it.

If the trail becomes motorized it will lose all the beauty that it is and lose one more family walking and biking on it.

[mr ives]

way to go jessica spoken like a true honest lady give em hell

[Jessica]

I should further add that those dirtbikes that we've had illegally on the trail behind us used it during the day and NIGHT.

Waking up to the sound of dirk bike is quite disturbing.

Are there going to be time limits if it's motorized? It would be a mini highway if not!

People on foot are typically off by dark and I feel sorry for the person who does get a late start and winds up in the dark... hopefully a ORV doesn't run them over.

[Steve]

As another person that has a home on the trail, I strongly urge voters to vote for a non-motorized trail. My wife and I bought our home as a place that we can retire in the beauty and serenity of Ferry County. There are pleanty of places for people to ride their ATV's that don't run right past peoples homes and disturb our environment. Let's keep the trails for the hikers, horse back riders, and bikes; a place where family's can feel free to explore without fear of being run over by on off road vehicle.

[putt putt club]

what the heck is a man from lake stevens care about my rights in malo . the head of rails to trails has never walked the whole thing but drove it in his red neck truck that about sums it up dont you think .

[Lives on the trail]

putt putt club wrote:

what the heck is a man from lake stevens care about my rights in malo . the head of rails to trails has never walked the whole thing but drove it in his red neck truck that about sums it up dont you think .

have you walked the whole 28 miles?

[putt putt]

Lives on the trail wrote:

<quoted text>
have you walked the whole 28 miles?

I see that you didn't get the point (who is going to walk the 28 miles) and why should the tax payers of ferry county spend our tax $ on some thing that .001% are going to walk did you know that we all ready have a paved walk in republic and have you any clue how much has been spent on that one to benefit so few. There is no free money THE PEOPLE THAT BOUGHT LAND NEXT TO A RAIL ROAD EXPECTED TO HEAR NOISE IT WASN'T AN ELECTRIC TRAIN THAT WAS RUNNING