EVERETT — The Washington Trails Association (WTA), a nonprofit dedicated to trail upkeep, works all over the state. Locally, it is having work parties improving the Loganberry Lane Trail system in Everett this week.
It relies on volunteers and partners with local and federal government departments to accomplish this goal. However, with recent budget cuts and funding freezes by the Department of Government Efficiency to the U.S. Forest Service, the WTA will focus on projects with cities and counties in the meantime.
“We’ve extended our season working on local trails this spring while we wait for more clarity from federal partners,” Brandon Tigner, a WTA employee, said. “We typically focus on urban trails in the winter and spring when high-elevation trails are under snow, but this year we’ve stayed local longer as we wait for the green light on federal projects.”
Volunteers are a large part of WTA operations, but it may have to find other work locally for volunteers to assist in with federal funding freezes in place. “There’s always a need for volunteers — but the real challenge is having the resources and agency capacity to support their work,” Tigner said. “Without support from land managers, especially federal ones, we can’t move forward on projects, even if we have volunteers ready to go.”
The Loganberry Lane trails are a web of trails in-between Kasch Park, Walter E. Hall Golf Course, and the Loganberry Lane Off-Leash Area.
Working together, the City of Everett and the WTA have specific improvements in mind for the trail. Enhancements are being made to improve access, protect hikers from the environment and to help with any drainage issues. New signs informing trail users on navigation and education about the environment will be erected, along with fencing and signage for protecting critical areas.
Social trails made by people wandering off the main path will be cleaned up and replanted with native plants while “a new section of trail will be created to improve access to Kasch Park, enhancing walking connections between the Holly Neighborhood and existing park amenities,” city spokeswoman Simone Tarver said.
As a locally funded project,Tarver said that the federal budget cuts have no anticipated impacts to the improvements to Loganberry Lane Trails.
Being a volunteer for a WTA work party requires no prior trail maintenance experience, according to a handout from the WTA. “A typical work party might include anywhere from eight to 20 people, depending on the project,” Tigner said. The WTA encourages people in the state to seek work parties close to home.
“We welcome everyone to come out and make our trails a better place,” WTA volunteer Anne Kang said.
The next work parties at the Loganberry Lane Trails are Thursday, April 24; Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26. The party on Thursday, April 24 was open for sign-ups. Work parties on April 25 and April 26 are full. Expect to start at 8:30 a.m. and hike in, and help build the trail through to 3:30 p.m. Bring sturdy shoes and a lunch, and meet new friends.
To sign up, a short link is www.tinyurl.com/LoganberryTrails
Meet at the area near the playground, restroom and picnic shelter.
To volunteer for any WTA work party statewide, visit wta.org/volunteer/
