Hundreds of miles of trails in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest are getting long-needed maintenance this summer thanks to $627,000 in federal economic stimulus money.
With dollars from the 2010 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Forest Service will work with the Washington Conservation Corps, Northwest Service Academy, Student Conservation Corps, Northwest Youth Corps, Mount St. Helens Institute, Pacific Crest Trail Association, and Backcountry Horsemen to restore tread, repair damage, replace signs, remove brush and replace minor bridges.
The spending will be split $232,000 aimed at the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail and $395,000 for other trails in the 1.3-million-acre Pinchot.
“These are the projects that are most shovel-ready at the time and the best fit for the Recovery Act contracts or agreements with youth employment organizations,’’ said Robin Rose, recreation program manager for the Gifford Pinchot.
Work actually began last fall with replacement of two minor bridges on Dry Creek trail No. 194 in the Mount Adams District.
Crews started in mid-May on the north side of Mount St. Helens and have put in seven days on Lakes trail No. 211, two days on Boundary trail No. 1 and three days on Coldwater trail No. 230.
This month, crews will start on Mount Adams and in the Cowlitz Valley.
The first Pacific Crest trail work will be in the Sedum Ridge area of southern Skamania County. Initial work in the Cowlitz Valley will be on Packwood Lake trail No. 78 and Upper Lake Creek No. 81.
Ninety-five miles of the Gifford Pinchot’s 147 miles of Pacific Crest trail will get routine maintenance and sign replacement, along with 65 miles of feeder trails in the Mount Adams district and 75 miles of feeder trails in the Cowlitz Valley district.
Extra work will be done on the Indian Heaven stretch of the PCT in the vicinity of Blue Lake, Junction Lake and Bear Lake. Extra repair is planned in the Cispus Basin and Frying Pan Lake segments of the PCT in the Goat Rocks and William O. Douglas wildernesses.
In the Mount Adams district, Round the Mountain No. 9, Stagman Ridge No. 12, East Crater No. 48, Thomas Lake No. 111 and Indian Heaven No. 33 also are slated for damage repair or tread restoration.
In the Cowlitz Valley, Jug Lake No. 43 will get drainage repairs and Snowgrass No. 96 will get rehabilitation of multiple parallel trails through meadows.
In the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Loowit trail No. 216 will have brush cut, cairns placed and tread reestablished in the 11 miles between Abraham trail and the South Fork of the Toutle River and the five miles between the South Fork of the Toutle and Butte Camp trail.
Willow trail No. 207A will get a mile of tread work.
Boundary trail No. 1 will receive new water bars and tread work from Norway Pass trailhead to Norway Pass (2 miles) and from Coldwater trail junction to Bear Camp (5 miles).
Other trails near the volcano getting tread work include Truman No. 207 (3.8 miles), Loowit Falls No. 216F (0.25 mile), Castle Ridge No. 216G (2 miles), Lakes No. 211 (14 miles), Castle Lake No. 221 (3.9 miles) and Coldwater No. 230 (2 miles).
In the Mount Adams district, Middle Service trail will get tread armoring, brush will be removed along cross-country ski trails and the trailheads leading into wilderness areas will be upgraded.
Rose said some projects may get substituted.
“Under agreements with the youth organizations we are able to be a little flexible if more pressing projects are identified, like if we have a bridge or trail failure we don’t know about yet,’’ Rose said.
