Feds extend comment period on trail

The U.S. Forest Service is extending the public comment period for the proposed 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail until Nov. 14.

“During the scoping period, the Forest Service is seeking comments on what should be included in the comprehensive plan, as well as issues and alternatives to be analyzed in the supporting environmental analysis,” Forest Service officials said.

The planned route for the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail starts at the Great Divide in Glacier National Park and crosses through seven national forests and three national parks before finally arriving at Cape Alava, Wash.

At this stage, Forest Service officials said the agency is just seeking public input in the ongoing development of the trail’s comprehensive plan. After which, the agency will begin consultation with affected tribes, before finally completing a final draft of the document by next summer.

The trail will pass through the Flathead, Kootenai, Idaho Panhandle, Colville, Okanogan-Wenatchee, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie, and Olympic national forests.

That final presentation is also open to discussion, though any comment sent next summer will not influence the drafting of the trail’s comp plan, only its potential approval by the USFS.

The trail had been discussed since the 1970s, but was approved for planning in 2009.

The USFS is asking the public to read the documents and comment on the proposal by going to the project’s homepage at bit.ly/PNWTrailPlan and selecting “comment/object” in the right-hand tab that says “get connected.”

Public comments help the agency identify important issues and determine the extent of analysis necessary for an informed decision on a proposal, officials said.

The concerns and ideas brought forth in the “scoping” period will then become part of the comprehensive plan, which will direct the development and maintenance of the trail.

“The comprehensive plan project goals are to fulfill legislative requirements from the National Trails System Act, to ensure [that] future administration and management of the trail provides for its nature and purposes, and to ensure this administration and management safeguards the values for which the trail was designated,” USFS officials said.