will be relocated and constructed to current city specifications starting this March 2015 said Leslie Bryson the Design and Development Manager for City of Bellingham Parks and Recreation Department.
Bryson says that the project should start in the fall. The work will be done by volunteers, She said. “Hopefully the project will take about 90 days once the permits are issued in March or April.”
Organizing the volunteer workforce is Todd Elsworth the Executive Director of Recreation Northwest.
"We are working with Welsh Ecological Services and Gerry Wilbour of Northwest Trails Inc. on the design for the Fairhaven Park trail project. Right now we are in the planning and fund raising stage," He said.
Recreation Northwest are the stewards of both Fairhaven Park and Cordata Park Bryson said.
Recreation Northwest is the epitome of a Bellingham outdoor club. According to Elsworth the group is dedicated to promoting outdoor activities that bring awareness to the community about our green spaces and the animals that live there. The group specializes in events that involve relay races through the Whatcom County countryside, using mountain bikes, road bikes, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and running.
Recreation Northwest organizes “Northwest Traverse Multi-Sports Series” a race series created to celebrate the life cycle of the salmon. The series caps off with “The Bellingham Traverse.” A 39 mile relay race originally started by Elsworth. It has become a very popular community event.
According to Christopher Grannis the South Neighborhoods former Association President and current Area Representative the old community trail started because people took a shortcut through the wetlands on their way to Fairhaven Park or the “100 Acre Wood.”
The old trail starts at the south end of 18th Street runs across the southeast end of Fairhaven Park up into the “100 Acre Wood.” The locals refer to the “100 Acre Wood” as the "Chuckanut Community Forest," Grannis said.
"The problem is that the trail is heavily used and runs through a wetland buffer zone. Once the wet season starts folks walk in a wider and wider path trying to avoid the puddles. It is starting to do some real damage to the wetland area," Grannis said.
Grannis lives in the South Neighborhood next door to Wilbour, owner of Northwest Trails Inc., and through Wilbour Grannis got in touch with Elsworth and Recreation Northwest who in the meantime had become the stewards of Fairhaven Park itself. Grannis and the South Neighborhood Association made Elsworth aware of the situation and he took it from there.
The project, according to Elsworth, has been proposed as a two-phase relocation and restoration project. Phase I would relocate the trail from where it starts at the south end of 18th Street and reroute it so that it heads immediately up onto higher ground so as to avoid that wetlands altogether. The trail design work is being done by Wilbour of Northwest Trails Inc.
“The relocation will make the trail stable and sustainable and preserve the wetlands,” Elsworth said.
Phase II would rebuild and restore portions of the trail that run directly into Fairhaven Park and also into the “100 Acre Wood,” He said.
Bryson says that her department has only approved Phase I and that the submitted plan is still under review.
Elsworth and Recreation Northwest have been told by Wilbour of Northwest Trails Inc. that Phase I will cost 30,000 dollars. Elsworth and his volunteers hope to raise that amount over the winter. They have submitted all of the necessary paperwork for issuance of the permit along with signing a “Memorandum of Understanding” according to Bryson. She doesn’t see there being any problem with the project going forward in the fall.
Citizens of the South Neighborhood along with Elsworth and Recreation Northwest will be hosting a trail walking and information event on Nov. 30th at 1 p.m. starting at the existing trail head at the south end of 18th Street, Elsworth said.
Elsworth wants citizens of Bellingham to know that they can make donations toward the project at http://fundly.com/help-launch-recreation-northwest-s-stewardship-program.