The Foothills Rails to Trails Coalition is excited to seek out new members to fill our board! If you, or someone you know has a passion for growing, extending and improving trails in Pierce County and beyond, joining the FTC board is an amazing way to have some input and make your voice heard. It is an exciting time to join the board of the Coalition, as we have recently hired a new Executive Director to run the organization as the FTC looks to increase its involvement and advocacy around activities that further our mission to develop a continuous non-motorized trail from Mt. Rainier to the Puget Sound. If you are interested in joining our board, please contact Steve Brown of the nominating committee at admin@foothillscoalition.org.  Or, send them a short note about why you’d like to be a board member and your relevant background.

DEADLINE for nominations or application is Wednesday, November 30th.

Elections will be at our January meeting. Each board member is elected for a three year term.

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition is pleased to announce the hiring of Shayla Miles as its new Executive Director. Miles will manage day-to-day operations of the coalition and serve as their representative with a number of government and other non-profit agencies. 

Miles earned her BA from the University of Washington and her MPA from Evergreen State College. Most recently, she served as the Development Director for the Pacific Bonsai Museum located in Federal Way, Washington. Her former supervisor there described her as prepared, professional, and driven. She said that the Foothills Coalition would be lucky to have Shayla join the organization. 

“Hiring Ms. Miles is an important step in the growth of the Foothills Coalition,” said Bryan Bowden, Coalition Secretary. “Since our formation in 1984 until now, the management of the organization has been primarily a volunteer activity and our upcoming goals will require the leadership and dedication only an experienced employee can offer.”

The Board made the decision in early 2022 to create this permanent position and after interviewing qualified candidates, found Miles to be the best choice to manage the organization and help it achieve its vision of trail development.

“Living in western Washington, I’ve seen how important trails are in our communities and I believe the preservation and expansion of the Foothills Trail is vital as we move into the future,” Ms. Miles said. “I’m looking forward to being a part of the Foothills Coalition and helping them reach their goals.”

Upcoming projects Ms. Miles will be working on include the expansion of the Foothills Trail into King County and the completion of the White River Bridge which will connect the trail in Buckley to the Enumclaw Trail system. King County Parks is the lead on that important link. Connections to both Kitsap and Thurston Counties are also planned. The coalition partners with many government agencies, especially Pierce County Parks, as well as other organizations to procure and develop trails suitable for users on cycle, foot, and even horseback. Ms. Miles will act as a key liaison for the organization. 

The Foothills Coalition is pleased to welcome Shayla Miles to their leadership team and the trail family. They are confident she will help take them to the next level as they continue to advocate for trail networks in the area. 

About the Foothills Rails to Trail Coalition

The mission of the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition is to assist Pierce County governments and communities in the creation, maintenance and usage of a connected system of non-motorized trails for healthier people from Mount Rainier to Puget Sound. To learn more about the coalition or to become a member, visit www.FoothillsCoalition.org.

From a recent email by Chris Erickson, Project Manager for King County Parks:

"The construction of the White River Bridge was awarded to Ceccanti Inc. out of Tacoma for a bid amount of $11.2M. There are a number of bridge component materials which have a considerable lead time in delivering to the project site. The construction should break ground by early 2023 and be complete in early 2024.

There is one more separate construction contract to be bid out for the final short connection from Mud Mountain Rd to the historic Boise Creek Bridge.  This portion of the alignment has undergone permitting delays, but KC Parks remains hopeful this work can be bid out and constructed in coordination with the projected White River Bridge completion date."

For more information about the project see this article. 

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition is pleased to be able to partner with King County Parks, Pierce County Parks, and the city of Buckley on this important project.

The coalition was pleased to receive a letter of support for our work and the planned Doctor Tait Plaza from Roxanne Miles, the Director of Pierce County Parks & Recreation. She also recognized the work done by the coalition to make the dream of a trail network a reality. 

We're happy to be working with Pierce County Parks, other agencies, and our many supporters to extend this jewel of a trail system. 

To read the entire letter click here.

To support the Doctor Tait plaza and other coalition efforts check out the Take Action page on our website. 

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition Historical Pavilion and Doctor Douglas Tait Plaza project was featured in The News Tribune. Read the article here.

To support the project visit this page: Donate

The Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition (FTC), www.foothillscoalition.org, is seeking to hire an Executive Director to lead and manage all aspects of the coalition’s activities and affairs.  The mission of the FTC is to assist Pierce County communities in the creation, maintenance, and usage of a connected system of non-motorized trails from Mt. Rainier to Puget Sound.  The Coalition has grown to a point where it is no longer feasible for an all-volunteer Board of Directors to perform its work.  The Executive Board of the FTC will supervise the Executive Director and provide overall workload expectations and priorities.  The incumbent will receive little day to day supervision and will have broad flexibility to establish and maintain their work schedule within the parameters provided by the Executive Board.

If you, or someone you know is interested in working in a rewarding position helping progress our mission of developing a trail network in Pierce County, WA and beyond, you can apply here: https://www.workforgood.org/job/602225/executive-director-foothills-rails-to-trails-coalition/

Click here to see the new documentary: R2R An Adventure in Your Own Backyard. The Rainier to Ruston Relay runs from Mount Rainier to Tacoma, and has been a delight for runners for almost 20 years!

Brianne Blackburn, Planner & Trails Coordinator (extraordinaire) for Pierce County Parks gave a great presentation on trails plans at our annual meeting on Thursday, January 27th. 

See this link for the PDF version of her presentation. 

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition has stepped up to support local communities.

The non-profit organization is adding “Giving with our Hearts to Help Others” to its prevailing mission of assisting Pierce County governments and communities in the creation, maintenance, and usage of a connected system of non-motorized trails for healthier people from Mt. Rainier to Puget Sound.

In early May, the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition took notice of the incredible impact the coronavirus was having on individuals, families and businesses and began an effort to embrace the mantra “if you can help someone, do it!”

Initially, eight non-profit organizations and food banks along or near the Foothills Trial were selected and each received donations.

As COVID-19 persisted, the Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition board approved a second round of support for 11 non-profit organizations and food banks to receive donations, just in time for Thanksgiving.

The organization hopes its efforts will help those financially and emotionally impacted by COVID-19 celebrate the holiday season, especially through its contributions to food banks and organizations.

Bill Hilton (Vice President)

Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition

Billhltn@aol.com

253 302-1104

From Pierce County Parks Department:

10/08/2020 – The Voight’s Creek Bridge on the Foothills Trail which was damaged during last winter’s high waters is now fully repaired and open for use! Thank you everyone for your patience during these repairs and thanks to our Parks crew and project managers for completing these repairs ahead of schedule and just in time for the weekend.