TRAILS -- The east-west trail across Washington, Idaho and Western Montana has taken another step higher in stature.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack recently appointed 23 members to the inaugural Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council under the authority of the National Trails System Act.

The council will advise the Secretary, through the Chief of the Forest Service, on managing the route from the Pacific Ocean to Glacier National Park.

 Designated as one of America’s 11 National Scenic Trails in 2009, the Pacific Northwest Trail is the second such trail – along with the Pacific Crest Trail – to traverse Washington State.

The council is composed of citizens, county commissioners and land managers with diverse backgrounds chosen for their expertise in recreation-related issues, and ability to represent a balance of stakeholder perspectives and geographic areas. The council also includes representatives of the Forest Service, National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, which manage sections of the trail.

First proposed in 1970, the 1,200-mile route runs from the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park to the Pacific Ocean at Cape Alava in the Olympic National Park, connecting spectacular natural features as well as communities. 

Establishing the council is a major milestone in the trail’s short history. The Forest Service is cooperating with many other federal, state, and local agencies as well as private landowners to develop a trail-wide comprehensive plan. Over the next three years, the council will provide recommendations on trail uses, signage, establishing a trail corridor, and prioritizing projects.

Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council Members

• State of Montana: Pete Brown, Montana State Historic Preservation Office, Helena, MT
• State of Idaho: Dan Dinning, Boundary County Board of Commissioners, Bonners Ferry, ID
• State of Washington: Brock Milliern, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Olympia, WA
• Tribes: Vacant – ongoing recruitment for one or more members
• National trails organizations: Almer Casile, International Mountain Bicycling Association, Coeur d’Alene, ID
• Mike Dawson, Pacific Crest Trail Association, Vashon, WA
• Teresa Martinez, Partnership for the National Trails System, Pine, CO
• Regional trails organizations: Jon B. Knechtel, Pacific Northwest Trail Association, Sedro-Woolley, WA
• Outdoor recreation (hiking): Wayne Hare, Grand Junction, CO
• Jeff Kish, Portland, OR
• Outdoor recreation (pack & saddle): James R. Michaud, Sagle, ID
• Environmental organizations: Jessie Grossman, Yaak Valley Forest Council, Troy, MT
• Archaeology and history: David M. Kennedy, Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford U., Stanford, CA
• Adam M. Sowards, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
• Wildlife organizations: Brad Smith, Idaho Conservation League, Sandpoint, ID
• Timber industry: Randall S. Hansen, Hansen Woodland Farm, Kettle Falls, WA
• Tourism and commercial outfitters: Diane Brockway, Dover City Council, Dover, ID
• Katie LeBlanc, Cabela’s Outpost, Kalispell, MT
• Mike Lithgow, Pend Oreille County, Newport, WA
• Clea Rome, WSU Clallam County Extension, Port Angeles, WA
• Environmental education: Wendy C. Walker, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
• Youth engagement and employment: Steve Quick, Oroville School District, Oroville, WA
• Raynelle Rino-Southon, Urban Sprouts SF, San Francisco, CA
• Private landowners: Jeff Chapman, Port Townsend, WA
• Forest Service: Brad Cownover, Pacific Northwest Region, Portland, OR
• National Park Service: Rosemary Seifried, North Cascades National Park, Marblemount, WA
• Bureau of Land Management: Diane Priebe, Spokane District, Wenatchee, WA