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Trail Closure Help in Kittitas County

By Pro_Marinero,
in Northwest

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Pro_Marinero

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Hope I didn’t alarm anybody with the title.

As we go through life, sometimes we find ourselves in places we never would have expected. My path has taken me from a knucklehead hoon astride a CR500 running just slightly (more like way too) rich many years ago to longingly looking at a fleet of XR650R’s needing TLC as I run out the door to my day job. Recently, my day job changed to Kittitas County Commissioner. My name is Cory Wright and I now represent District 1 here in the center of Washington.

As you can see to the left, I have spent a very long time on this forum. While my posts may wander from KLR’s to trials bikes, I have always been a firm advocate for public access and have spent significant time writing letters and comments to elected officials trying to make a difference. I now find myself in the position to do more and hopefully have greater influence in this process.

I am asking all of you to keep me informed on potential road and trail closures you might hear of in Kittitas County. I seem to have less and less time to spend on here, so please contact me at my email address on the county website at https://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/boc/default.aspx if you become aware of issues which may affect riding or other access to public lands. I am willing to pick up the torch to not only help our riding community but also support our dealers, restaurants and other establishments that benefit from your business while enjoying our county lands.

I believe in comprehensive solutions and am asking this community to be not only responsible representatives of our hobby but also active participants in the legislative process. Trying to get the specs to jet your TM40 properly is pointless when you have nowhere to ride it. Take the time to pay attention and make your voice heard. Thank you for your efforts in this area, and I look forward to working with all of you to keep Kittitas County the riding destination it is. 

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Grand Master

TigerTanker

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10 hours ago, Pro_Marinero said:

Hope I didn’t alarm anybody with the title.

As we go through life, sometimes we find ourselves in places we never would have expected. My path has taken me from a knucklehead hoon astride a CR500 running just slightly (more like way too) rich many years ago to longingly looking at a fleet of XR650R’s needing TLC as I run out the door to my day job. Recently, my day job changed to Kittitas County Commissioner. My name is Cory Wright and I now represent District 1 here in the center of Washington.

As you can see to the left, I have spent a very long time on this forum. While my posts may wander from KLR’s to trials bikes, I have always been a firm advocate for public access and have spent significant time writing letters and comments to elected officials trying to make a difference. I now find myself in the position to do more and hopefully have greater influence in this process.

I am asking all of you to keep me informed on potential road and trail closures you might hear of in Kittitas County. I seem to have less and less time to spend on here, so please contact me at my email address on the county website at https://www.co.kittitas.wa.us/boc/default.aspx if you become aware of issues which may affect riding or other access to public lands. I am willing to pick up the torch to not only help our riding community but also support our dealers, restaurants and other establishments that benefit from your business while enjoying our county lands.

I believe in comprehensive solutions and am asking this community to be not only responsible representatives of our hobby but also active participants in the legislative process. Trying to get the specs to jet your TM40 properly is pointless when you have nowhere to ride it. Take the time to pay attention and make your voice heard. Thank you for your efforts in this area, and I look forward to working with all of you to keep Kittitas County the riding destination it is. 

Awesome to have an ally like you in such a vital part of our state and not just ORV use, but for hikers, horses, hunters... WE THE PEOPLE that have an inalienable right to the land we live in, and the right to pursue happiness in recreation without interference by govt bureaucrats meant to serve us, or corporate interests that believe they have the ability to usurp our rights to access. 

Thank you big time!

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jrodicus100

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Posted

Awesome! 

Kittitas County seems to be leading the way for the entire PNW for offroad recreation. The WATV ordinance, green dot roads, single track, etc. - there's no other county with the concentration of uses available. Hopefully the county can influence other counties to follow suit, and still maintain all the access that we currently enjoy. 

The obvious concern is the massive influx in population buying vacation properties, and people like Suncadia, Nature Conservancy, Weyerhaeuser, etc. buying up land and closing roads that lead to our trailheads, and the trails themselves. 

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trailmeisterjoe

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1 hour ago, jrodicus100 said:

Awesome! 

Kittitas County seems to be leading the way for the entire PNW for offroad recreation. The WATV ordinance, green dot roads, single track, etc. - there's no other county with the concentration of uses available. Hopefully the county can influence other counties to follow suit, and still maintain all the access that we currently enjoy. 

The obvious concern is the massive influx in population buying vacation properties, and people like Suncadia, Nature Conservancy, Weyerhaeuser, etc. buying up land and closing roads that lead to our trailheads, and the trails themselves. 

…...And yet, the tourism advertising that Kittitas has always done over the years has continued to highlight fishing, bicycling, hiking, and horsing only when we all know that off road motor sports is the true driver of the tourism ( $$ ) that comes to play in the county. 

 

Joe

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Pro_Marinero

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On 9/12/2018 at 7:00 PM, shrubitup said:

Congratulations Cory on your new job! :cheers:

Great to have you as an elected official. ?

Now, about that newly constructed gate on Weyerhauser land that's blocking access to Three Brother's trail....

Thanks Tom. I’m coming in late on some of this stuff. Where is the gate located?

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shrubitup

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2 minutes ago, Pro_Marinero said:

Thanks Tom. I’m coming in late on some of this stuff. Where is the gate located?

It’s on a forest service road that has a private in holding parcel owned by Weyerhaeuser. I’ll post up coordinates later today. 

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Pro_Marinero

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Yes, we are indeed growing at that rate. Growth is my biggest concern as well as economic development so we don’t become just a bedroom community to Puget Sound. 

On another note, I have talked with The Nature Conservancy about their land ownership here and how we can maintain access. The local director has said she is certainly willing to work with the off-road community to develop responsible access. If anyone is interested in developing potential new trails and wants to work on this, please email me. I would be interested in promoting different types of potential trails (think technical trials-type limited to small displacement with low dB exhaust) that could supplement our existing trail networks. I think it could show how our community can co-exist closer to urban areas  

 

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Cycle_Path

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7 hours ago, Pro_Marinero said:

Yes, we are indeed growing at that rate. Growth is my biggest concern as well as economic development so we don’t become just a bedroom community to Puget Sound. 

On another note, I have talked with The Nature Conservancy about their land ownership here and how we can maintain access. The local director has said she is certainly willing to work with the off-road community to develop responsible access. If anyone is interested in developing potential new trails and wants to work on this, please email me. I would be interested in promoting different types of potential trails (think technical trials-type limited to small displacement with low dB exhaust) that could supplement our existing trail networks. I think it could show how our community can co-exist closer to urban areas  

 

My friend from Ellensburg put his house up for sale. The real estate agent told him that Ellensburg has already turned into a bedroom community of Seattle(did I say Ellensburg?). His next door neighbor commutes downtown Seattle every day. I guess he was complaining how so many others are doing the same that his commute time is growing. Last year I saw new houses for sale in Cle elum with giant signs saying  "Just one hour to Seattle" -lol

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cougbike

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It is what it is.  Can't stop progress and population growth.   I have been investing in Cle Elum / Roslyn for a couple years now. People are leaving this area and heading East to Idaho as people are escaping Seattle to come hear LOL.   @Pro_Marinero ANY help you can give the riding community a hand will be GREATlY appreciated.   The Three Brothers trail being land blocked by Weyhauser is especially disturbing.  They are basically leasing large sections of their lands to private LLC's which in turn are blocking any access to additional lands down the way for other recreation groups.   Fair maybe not, legal maybe, but there should be some give and take in this day and age (hopeful thinking)  A call from someone of your stature might lead to some compromise.  Cle Elum is or can be a world class single track riding area with more participation and effort.   Hopefully it can beat back the tide from the other side......

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cougbike

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26 minutes ago, Slackkinhard said:

They'll soon change our name to San Fran2_the sequel

The Seattle SH&%$T show is already surpassing  San Fran, and look how crazy it is an hour away from San Fran or LA.  It's coming...........

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Grand Master

shrubitup

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58 minutes ago, motovita said:

 It's in Chelan county.

You're right, unfortunately. Maybe Cory can discuss it further with Chelan County on this? It's one or the other of these two parcels that have the gate blocking the public FS road. These are not private inholdings as I let on earlier. Weyerhaeuser owns both sections.

https://pacs.co.chelan.wa.us/PropertyAccess/Property.aspx?cid=91&year=2018&prop_id=14092

https://pacs.co.chelan.wa.us/PropertyAccess/Property.aspx?cid=91&year=2018&prop_id=14082

assessors parcel numbers 221709000000 and 221715000000

 

@Pro_Marinero

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Grand Master

Slackkinhard

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3 hours ago, shrubitup said:

You're right, unfortunately. Maybe Cory can discuss it further with Chelan County on this? It's one or the other of these two parcels that have the gate blocking the public FS road. These are not private inholdings as I let on earlier. Weyerhaeuser owns both sections.

https://pacs.co.chelan.wa.us/PropertyAccess/Property.aspx?cid=91&year=2018&prop_id=14092

https://pacs.co.chelan.wa.us/PropertyAccess/Property.aspx?cid=91&year=2018&prop_id=14082

assessors parcel numbers 221709000000 and 221715000000

 

@Pro_Marinero

is there anywhere we can build a bypass?

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