Julie Powell, of Adna, and Jenaya Lawrence, of Onalaska, walk along the Willapa Hills Trail in 2016.
On April 23 the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will convene a public meeting in order to spread the word about grant funding opportunities that could help with planned improvements on a 15-mile section of the Willapa Hills Trail.
The section of the Willapa Hill Trail slated for repairs is located between Lebam and Raymond. The State Parks and Recreation Commission says additional funds are needed in order to continue with ongoing efforts to connect, and upgrade, the trail from Chehalis to Raymond.
According to a press release, State Park planners are working on a grant application through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program in the State Parks category. If efforts to obtain grant funding are successful that money would be used on a variety of improvement efforts. Those projects would include expansion and maintenance of the compacted gravel trail surface, a rerouting of the trail near Bridge 48, a new bridge near Lebam at mile 38, two new trailhead parking areas at Menlo and Lebam, and other minor improvements to bridges along the route.
State Parks staff expects to submit the grant in August. If that bid is successful then funds could be made available as early as July 2019.
The public meetings is scheduled from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Willapa Valley Middle/High School in Raymond. State Parks staff will be on hand in order to provide information about the grant proposal as well as current plans for the trail.
Willapa Valley Middle and High School is located at 22 Viking Way, Raymond. For additional information about the trail project and the grant application process, contact Michael Hankinson, Parks Planner at 360-902-8671, or Michael.Hankinson@parks.wa.gov. Information is also available online at http://parks.state.wa.us/1023/Willapa-Hills-Trail.
