Washington State came one typo away from throwing away hope of ever completing the cross-state John Wayne Pioneer Trail and park (also known in Western Washington as Iron Horse State Park). If improved and connected, it would be the longest rail-trail in the nation.

Without any public outreach or hearing, two 9th District Representatives quietly inserted a last-minute provision in the state’s Capital Budget that they hoped would give away 130 miles of trail right-of-way to adjacent landowners. And because it was not its own bill, the idea never had to pass committee scrutiny or public input.

But rather than close the trail from the Columbia River to Malden, the provision closes the trail “from the Columbia River to the Columbia River.” This wonderful typo means the provision is nullified, and lawmakers will need to try again next session.

But this time people know about it, and communities across the state are outraged to learn how close the state came to throwing away this amazing and rare public resource. So far, the biggest trail support has come from within the 9th District, especially Tekoa where the trail ends in the east.

“Our state reps snuck this in the last minute in the darkness without any hearing or any attention for us to be able to know about it,” said Ted Blaszak, President of the Tekoa Trestle and Trail Association and member of the Tekoa City Council. “They abandoned their public service to actually represent their constituents and to inform them of the laws they are writing.

“Instead they did it behind our back and in secret. They betrayed us, and they betrayed the town of Tekoa,” he said. (more…)