The Ferry County Rail Trail Partners (FCRTP) ANNUAL MEETING

Our Annual Meeting will be 2:30 p.m., Sunday March 29th at the Old Republic Fire Hall. We look forward to seeing you there! Refreshments provided.

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARE: Bob Whittaker, President; Melissa Rose, Vice President; Sarah Spark, Secretary; DiAnne Hewitt, Treasurer; and Judy Cribby, Community Outreach Coordinator. Madilane Perry serves as our alternate.

WHAT’S NEW: (1) As of January our minutes our now posted on our website. (2) Enclosed is the Ferry County Commissioners’ (FCC) News Miner advertisement for Trail Advisory Board applicants. (3)Also enclosed is the letter we presented to FCC during a regular Commissioners meeting Monday, 26 January. At that meeting, one of the Commissioners indicated that, in his opinion, public comment statistics (cited in our letter) may not represent the County. We reiterated that, according to public comment statistics, seating any motorized representatives on the proposed advisory committee would not be fairly representative. Commissioner Heath stated his support of a completely non-motorized rail trail; the other two Commissioners made no such statement. Funding issues were discussed, including the inherent difficulties of patching together motorized grants with non-motorized. This would be especially difficult in terms of the rail corridor as a “ Safe Route to School” (SRTS) corridor that Curlew School has expressed great interest in. Commissioner Miller stated that no kids south of Curlew walk to school and there is already a safe route to school elsewhere.

We explained that, as a non-motorized trail organization, we are also an adjoining landowner’s advocacy group. We reminded the FCC that adjoining landowners have endured illegal corridor use for quite some time. They have a right to a specific designation so that work towards a funded, developed, safe, quiet trail can begin without further delay. Grant opportunities are competitive and do expire. After a bit of colorful discussion regarding such illegal use, Commissioner Miller adamantly (and wisely) advised all present to NOT try to stop/engage with anyone illegally using the rail corridor, and leave that to law enforcement as the corridor is County property.

Some OHV advocates desire an entirely motorized rail trail while others want it partially motorized; many have implied that a non-motorized rail trail would be exclusive. On the contrary, by studying the 80+ working rail trails in Washington State one can only conclude non-motorized rail tails are the preferred and best working model to serve the greatest variety and number of users. They reduce user conflict and do not jeopardize standard rail trail funding. Only a non motorized trail will include the most user groups possible. Walkers, equestrians, bicyclists, young children and families out to get healthy exercise together, those who jog or run for health, the school track team and other self- propelled sporting and health enthusiasts can most safely utilize and benefit from a non motorized trail. Mixing such use with ATVs/OHVs in fact often results in a defacto totally motorized trail. Thus the argument could be made that motorized advocates are the ones being exclusive, as rail trail statistics indicate that when a rail trail is motorized, few others use it at all.

WHAT’S NEXT: Be sure and join us for our annual meeting on Sunday March 29 and bring your neighbors. In the meantime, if you or someone you know is an adjacent landowner and not getting our mailings, please contact us at: FCRTP POB 3 Malo WA 99150 or by email www.ferrycountyrailtrail.com . If emailing, please make sure our email address, info@ferrycountyrailtrail.com is in your address book so updates aren’t filtered.

THE FCC ARE NOW ADVERTISING for applicants to form a rail trail advisory committee (copy below) and from submitted letters of interest they will seat 9 persons to this committee. If you are an adjacent rail corridor land owner, adjacent resident or member of a local Ferry County organization interested in advising the Commissioners as to your desired designation of the rail corridor as a non-motorized rail trail, we strongly suggest that you submit a letter of interest now to sit on this advisory committee. It is imperative that your voices are heard.

CALL FOR APPLICANTS: Be advised that the FCC is currently running the below ad in the Republic News Miner. We were admittedly disappointed to not see a spot allocated for the FCRTP on this board. Therefore it is imperative that our supporters apply for positions. Be sure to identify which category (or even better = categories) you would wish to represent. In an attempt to track applicants and their various interests, we would appreciate your copying us on your application.

Located in the News Miner under JOB OPPORTUNITY

FC RECREATIONAL TRAILS Committee: the FC Board of Comm is Seeking Ltrs of Interest in Serving on the FC Rec Trails Committee: This Board Will consist of a 9 Member Comm Comprised of a Rep from Ea of the Following: 2 Adjacent Land Owners, 1 Non Motorized, 1 motorized, 1 Small Business Owner, 1 Curlew School Community Association (CSCA) Member, 1 Law Enforcement, 1 Back Country Horseman Member and 1 Kettle River Advisory Board Member. All Positions are Open at This Time; The Function of this Comm is to Advise the FC Comm on Any Future Use & Mgmt of the Abandoned Rail Corridor Consisting of 28.361 Miles From MP48.779 Near Danville to MP77.14 at San Poil & Any Other Future Rec Trail Projects; The FC Rec Trails Comm is an Advisory Committee Appointed by the FCC to Provide a Balanced Representation of the Citizen Interests of the County & To Advise & Make Recommendations Regarding Recourses & Activities in FC; Rec Trails Committee Members Will Serve w/out Compensation; Anyone interested in Serving on the Rec Trails Committee Please Respond by Ltr to the FC Commissioners, 290 E Tessie Ave, Republic, Wa 99166; Briefly State in Your Ltr Which Category You Will Be Representing, Why You Are Interested in Serving & Any Related Background Exp That You May Have; Exp is Not required, the Views & Opinions of county Residents are an Important Factor to the Balance on the Committee.

LETTER SUBMITTED TO FERRY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

The Ferry County Rail Trail Partners
POB 3
Malo WA 99150

Ferry County Commissioners
290 East Tessie
Republic WA 99166

26 January 2009

Dear Commissioners Bond, Miller and Heath :

We, the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners, are elated with the completed rail banking in December 2008 transferring control of the 29 mile rail corridor to the County. We commend you for securing and preserving the corridor for our community and generations to come. Now is the time to begin the long process of developing and funding the corridor, as well as protecting the interests of adjacent landowners and the Ferry County community at large.

At the regular Commissioners' meeting of December 15, 2008 , the sitting Board signed the rail banking agreement. At that time, they also suggested to those present they would like to appoint a Rail Trail Advisory Board to advise Commissioners what to do with the rail corridor. A show of hands was requested as to who in the room would be interested in sitting on such a board. It would be fair to say most of the 12 individuals who identified themselves as representing the Tri County Motorized Recreation Association ("TCMRA") raised their hands. Had we known this agenda item would include not only a discussion but a proposed action plan as to how best determine the use of the rail corridor, we would have alerted our Board of Directors, and if appropriate, our membership, to be present, take part, and be heard.

This project has been at issue for years and its resolution is overdue. Much research has been done, surveys completed, opinions voiced, and documentation presented. It is believed that evidence is at hand in order for definitive decision-making.

Our ever-increasing concern, as voiced not only by our directors and membership but by the overwhelming majority of the community is this: such an advisory board, in order to be legitimate, must represent the majority. How to do that? We suggest this: Listen to those voices and opinions which have been heard, both verbally and through various documentation, including the compiled public comments solicited by the Commissioners from the three rail corridor meetings, as well as the written public comments via email and snail mail to the Commissioners' office*. Additionally, the Petition, signed and addressed by 798 individuals- 620 of which are Ferry County residents**-- supporting a non-motorized rail trail, must be respectfully honored for its local indications and instructions.

It is with this respect -- for surely we must respect the wishes of the majority -- for the 3 years of public comment and clear directive from adjacent landowners, residents and property owners of Ferry County alike, that the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners calls for the Board of Commissioners to make the tough decision to seat a completely non-motorized rail trail advisory board. This decision would thus advance our County's desire and goal of a worldclass rail trail on the 29 mile right-of-way. We, like you, must answer to our constituents, our membership. And the call from them is decisively clear: a non-motorized rail trail for Ferry County. This would absolve the BOCC of the responsibility of having to seat an advisory committee. Further the FCRTP would then work on behalf of the BOCC and the County majority to do the initial assessments, surveys and PR, in addition to fielding all public comments.

Therefore, we urge that such an advisory rail trail committee legitimately be comprised of users and user groups familiar with rail trails and those most directly affected by such a trail.

For, in reality, who best to comment on such a project? We respectfully request that the committee be formed from the following:
Adjacent landowners: Homeowners, ranchers, Curlew Lake Association members, adjoining lakeside resort owners
Schools: board members/athletic program directors/ student safety/transport officials
Recreation/community : equestrians, bicyclists, walkers, handicapped, elderly, health advocates/medical community and Mothers Of Preschoolers
Rail Trail advocates: FCRTP is a 501c3 comprised of local (not Tri-County, not state, not national, but local) membership with a diverse board of residents who walk/hike, ride, ski, and understand rail trail complexities

Respectfully, Bob Whittaker President, FCRTP
Melissa Rose VP FCRTP

** Petition submitted for the public record at public Meeting Tuesday 14 October 2008 and including addendum submitted today to total above amounts

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Tabulated from the BOCC Rail Corridor Public Comment File:
Rail Corridor Public Comment Tally as of 9/13/07 Letters/Emails to the Commissioners: Non-motorized Supporters within Ferry County : 188
Non-Motorized Supporters elsewhere: 52
Motorized Supporters within Ferry County : unchanged: 5
Motorized Supporters elsewhere: unchanged: 26
Mixed Use Supporters: unchanged: 7

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Public Meeting Written Comments to Ferry County Commissioners Tally. At the February 20, 2007 meeting held by the Ferry County Commissioners the following was reported: 89 people signed in.
71 written comments were submitted to the FCC.
Out of those: 60 expressed support for rails to trails due to one comment sheet being checked twice (possibly a spouse shared the sheet) taking the total from the Commissioners earlier reported 59 to 60
21 supported a non-motorized trail
2 supported a motorized trail