Wenatchee hosted the 2018 biennial statewide conference for the Washington State Trails Coalition. Over 250 trail leaders from businesses; non-profits; and municipal, county, state, tribal and federal agencies gathered together to create a forum centering on protecting, promoting, and enhancing the statewide system of trails. This includes both motorized and non-motorized outdoor recreation and transportation infrastructure. WSTC president Ben Monte Calvo, a ranger with the Tacoma Metro Parks Department, reports, “The coalition has been around for over 20 years. We are all volunteer run, and we hope to foster community within the trail community of Washington State, and inspire folks to get out, get to know each other, network, and then go out and do awesome trail work.” At this year’s conference, the 2018 Outstanding Trail award went to the Foothills National Recreation Trail in Pierce County, one of the most visionary rails-to-trails projects in the entire State. //
