On June 30th, the South Coast Steering Committee for Outdoor Recreation met at the Wild Rivers Coast Alliance building to discuss the South Coast’s extensive trail system. The purpose of the meeting was to update the Regional  Trails Plan in order to explore proposals to develop and expand existing trails.

OSU Extension/Sea Grant’s Frank Burris facilitated the meeting while other members were from a variety of outdoor recreation-based organizations from the South Coast. After going through the list of 48 trails, individuals ranked each trail based on five criteria: 1) the trails contribution to the outdoor recreation-based economy, 2) its environmental impact, 3) the need for maintenance, 4) the trail’s infrastructure, 5) and the support it provides to the local community. The results are being compiled and will be reported as an addition of the Regional Trails Plan to help guide grant and development work in the future. The network of community stakeholders is currently discussing and planning applications for multiple grants to support trail and outdoor recreation development in the region.