Existing trails in Haines should be maintained and marked before new paths are built, about 20 community members told the Haines Borough Parks and Recreation Committee.
The committee was looking for specific suggestions at a May 7 trails workshop on how to improve existing trails, as well as ideas for new trails in the valley.
Community member Heidi Robichaud said it’s easy to get lost on the Seduction Point trail.
“That trail really kind of peters out at the end…it’s real easy to get lost down there. From David’s Cove down can be really tricky to follow unless you really know and have good trail-following skills,” Robichaud said.
Other trails mentioned that might need maintenance include Mount Riley, Mount Ripinsky, Piedad Trail and Jones Point.
“We in this community really need a mechanism for maintaining our trails,” said borough manager Debra Schnabel.
Haines resident C.J. Jones agreed, saying “We need to work on maintaining our existing trails before we start building a whole bunch of new trails.”
Park ranger Travis Russell later said the environmental evaluation process of building a new trail is expensive and could take years. The borough would also need to be considerate of private landowners and Native allotments in picking a route for a new trail.
Alaska State Parks received a grant to improve the first section of Seduction Point Trail to Moose Meadows this summer.
A group including Takshanuk Watershed Council, Chilkoot Indian Association and the Southeast Alaska State Fair also is working to connect downtown trails in a loop with the fairgrounds and Jones Point.
Marking trails may be the first step to maintenance, several committee members said. “I think on all of our existing trail system the marking is insufficient,” said committee member Thom Ely.
Assembly liaison Ron Jackson said the borough purchased 4,000 reflective metal trail markers several years ago that were never used.
Russell said state parks does not have money to spend on manpower to maintain trails, so others suggested a volunteer group should be organized to install the markers under Russell’s instruction.
“I think marking it is obviously the first step,” Russell said. “It wouldn’t cost us a whole lot, because we already have markers. It’s just simply time.”
Committee member Lori Smith said the committee could take formal action on forming a volunteer trail group at the next meeting.
The committee also discussed inviting a member of Juneau’s Trail Mix, Inc., a nonprofit organization aimed at creating and improving Juneau’s trails, to Haines for a workshop.