Blue Creek gets green light
LISA JAMES/Press Bureau of Land Management public affairs officer Suzanne Endsley stands in a marshy meadow along lower Yellowstone Trail and Blue Creek Bay to discuss the future of a 751-acre conservation area east of Coeur d’Alene which will include new equestrian and hiking trails, connector trails to existing trails, extended parking lots, and mountain bike trails. The marshy area where Endsley is standing is an example of what is called a “social trail,” or a trail forged by the public, and will be developed by the BLM into maintained trails in the new area, which will be …
LISA JAMES/PressStanding near the summit of Bonnell Road, Bureau of Land Management public affairs officer Suzanne Endsley, right, points out where additional trailheads will be added to existing trails as outdoor recreation planner Mitch Owens, center, and forester Debbie Paul join in the discussion of the future of a 751-acre conservation area east of Coeur d'Alene which will include new equestrian and hiking trails, connector trails to existing trails, extended parking lots, and mountain bike trails - which have been one of the most hotly-debated topics during the public comment period.The…
LISA JAMES/PressA deer stands in a patch of trees near a meadow along lower Yellowstone Trail and Blue Creek Bay where the Bureau of Land Management is planning a 751-acre conservation that will include increased public access and recreation oppurtunites.The project contains open meadows and marshy area which are popular with wildlife, and forested hilltops where trees will be selectively thinned for trees damaged by the 2015 drought.
LISA JAMES/PressAn area near the summit of Bonnell Road contains hiking trails which will be expanded with additional trails and connector trails for hikers, bikers and equestrians as part of a 751-acre conservation that will include increased public access and recreation oppurtunites.The project contains forested hilltops such as this one where trees will be selectively thinned for trees damaged by the 2015 drought.
By BRIAN WALKER
Staff Writer
The future of a 751-acre conservation area east of Coeur d'Alene will include mountain bike trails — a hotly-debated topic during the public comment period.
But officials at the Bureau of Land Management, which manages the Wallace Forest Conservation Area around Blue Creek Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene, hopes its revised plan for the site announced Thursday is a happy medium that both incorporates recreational uses that are in demand and preserves the property's natural beauty.
The agency plans to:
- create additional equestrian and hiking trails on the west side where the uses are already occurring
- build mountain bike trails in the northwest section
- construct a small gravel parking lot off Bonnell Road
- enlarge the existing meadow parking area
- develop a connector trail that links both sides of the site
- open a children-friendly mountain bike loop on the east side of the site.
"These projects balance the demands of the recreating public, create jobs through implementation of the forestry and fuels reduction work, and help protect adjacent landowners from the threat of wildfire," said Kurt Pavlat, BLM's Coeur d'Alene field manager.
Forestry management activities on the property are expected to start this summer. Trail improvements could start as soon as this fall.
The BLM received more than 250 public comments on the future of the site. About 200 people last fall attended a contentious meeting hosted by the agency.
Suzanne Endsley, BLM public affairs officer, said the site has been a "hidden gem" that's being discovered by more people. The future of the site has become a passionate topic for many residents.
"It's close to town (about 8 miles from Coeur d'Alene) except you feel like you're out of town," Endsley said.
Brent Regan, who is part of an advisory committee formed to offer unified input on the site, said the committee is aware of the BLM's decision, but has not had a chance to study it in detail.
"The committee will meet next week to deliberate what, if any, actions we will take before the expiration of the appeals period," he said.
Residents have 15 days to appeal the forest management portion of the decision and 30 days to protest the recreation improvements.
Visitors to the site will not be allowed to operate motorized off-road vehicles, target practice, camp overnight or cut firewood.
A mountain biking skills park, or warmup area, will not be developed on the west side as originally planned.
The parking area off Bonnell Road has been cut in half, to a half an acre. It will accommodate seven vehicles and three trucks with trailers.
Some residents during the public comment period argued mixing mountain bikes with horses raises safety concerns, but BLM Outdoor Recreation Planner Mitch Owens said the uses will be separated as much as possible.
He said enthusiasts of both recreational types offered input that resulted in a plan in which both of the activities could co-exist.
Owens said the plan is to formalize trails through signage so the site is more user-friendly. He said volunteer groups have offered to help develop the trail systems.
"There's demand for the trails," he said, adding there are about 4 miles of user-created trails on the site. "We want to make sure that the trails that are here are sustained to protect the natural resources. It's important to have designated access."
Endsley said the intent is for the property to be as family-friendly as possible and not a site for large events.
She said concerns about the deteriorating condition of Yellowstone Trail and Bonnell roads were expressed during the public input phase and the East Side Highway District is seeking funding to construct improvements.
Hazardous fuels reduction and forest health improvements, which include a selective harvest, will occur over 616 acres of the project area. BLM Forester Debbie Paul said Douglas and grand fir trees, which are not as adaptive to fire as other species, will be the targets of the selective harvest program.
The BLM has managed the WFCA and Blue Creek Bay Recreation Area since 2003. Improvements from 2009 to 2012 included picnic areas, a dock to fish from and an access to the multi-use trail system on the east side of the property.
For more information about the decisions on the improvements, the appeals process and the environmental analysis, visit http://bit.ly/bluecreekbay.