Below are examples of plans and products that our Pacific Northwest Rivers & Trails Program has produced in association with our "cooperators" (project partners). Perhaps you and your conservation partners will find some ideas here for your own projects. At the end of the section is a list of resources available through our national website.
Plans
Stafford Basin Pathway & Trail System Concept Plan (641 KB PDF)
A Concept Plan for building a non-motorized trail in the Stafford Basin area south of Portland, Oregon, that connects the communities of Lake Oswego and Tualatin. Developed in partnership with Three Rivers Land Conservancy to present a trail vision, alignment, and implementation strategies to regional agencies, organizations and the general public.
Latah Trail Plan
A conceptual plan for a 12-mile rail-trail in Moscow, Idaho, where a planning committee of community stakeholders was formed to guide the trail planning process. Developed in partnership with Latah County, the Latah Trail Foundation, and the University of Idaho, the plan is organized around specific sites along the trail, such as trailheads, rest stops, and interpretive areas.
Sisters Community Trails Plan (541 KB PDF)
A draft conceptual plan for a 143-mile trail system that links downtown Sisters, Oregon, with outlying neighborhoods and regional long-distance trails. The plan describes the area's unique resources, the trail planning process, survey results, proposed hike/bike/equestrian trail locations, design standards for trailhead kiosks, and suggestions for implementing the plan. Developed in partnership with the Community Action Team of Sisters.
Talent Greenway Master Plan: A Strategy for Conservation, Preservation, and Connectivity (253 KB PDF)
A synopsis of the comprehensive City of Talent Greenway Master Plan, prepared for a general audience and to supplement requests for funding the greenway. Developed in partnership with an appointed citizen’s committee, U.S. Forest Service Rural Community Assistance Program, and other partners. Adopted by the Talent City Council in 2001.
Rock Creek Valley Conservation Plan
A Conservation Plan produced in partnership with the Friends of Rock Creek Valley, an organization formed to protect the wildlife, natural areas and trails in their community from the rapid pace of development. The plan represents a collaborative process to inventory trails, define important conservation values, and prioritize parcels for open space acquisition in the western foothills of Washington's Cascade Mountains. It was developed to communicate a conservation vision to the public; local, city, and county governments; and potential funding sources.
Fanno Creek Greenway Trail Action Plan
An Action Plan for the 15-mile Fanno Creek Greenway Trail, connecting the shores of the Willamette River in southwest Portland with the confluence of Fanno Creek and the Tualatin River. The action plan describes existing trail resources, design solutions to current gaps in trail alignment, and future action. Detailed maps portray six trail segments with access to a series of local neighborhoods and trail heads. Design details, survey results, and funding sources are also provided. Developed in partnership with Portland's Metro Regional Parks and Greenspaces Department and Fanno Creek Greenway Trail partners.
Brochures
Mid-Willamette Connections (324 KB PDF)
A brochure aimed at informing the public about an on-going “greenway and blueway” planning process involving a large partnership of primarily state, county, and local government agencies along the Mid-Willamette River in western Oregon. The brochure describes the planning area, the motivation behind the project, partnership members, accomplishments, and next steps.
Giving New Life to Streams: Tales from Two Towns (563 KB PDF)
An educational brochure developed in partnership with the city of Caldwell, Idaho. The publication profiles several small communities that opened and restored streams that had been buried for decades under their downtown streets.
Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail (704 KB PDF)
An introduction to the blue trail in the greater Seattle area that connects inland lakes, rivers, waterways, and the ship canal with the shores of Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. Developed in partnership with Washington Water Trails Association, the brochure acknowledges the trail's 14 municipal and agency partners; describes the trail-building process; shows general location of launch and landing sites, and addresses safety and etiquette concerns.
Connecting Communities: A Vision for a Sisters Area Community Trail System (166 KB PDF)
A brochure designed to be an introduction to the Sisters Trail Committee and their vision for a network of community trails to connect every neighborhood within the Sisters School District with downtown Sisters schools and regional trails within the Deschutes National Forest. Produced in partnership with CATS, the Community Action Team of Sisters, Oregon.
A Community Design Event
Summary brochures produced for each of three community charettes, or design workshops, in Seattle, Liberty Lake, and Skagit County. The charettes are provided to selected communities in Washington state through a partnership between the National Park Service Seattle RTCA office and the Washington Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects.
Lower Columbia River Water Trail (547 KB PDF)
A brochure developed in association with the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership and the Lower Columbia River Water Trail Committee. An overview presentation that touches on river history and heritage; early development of the bi-state trail committee; vision and goals for the 146-mile trail; proposed actions; benefits, safety, stewardship and etiquette along the trail.
Help Build The Latah Trail (415 KB PDF)
An informational brochure developed as an incentive for raising awareness and funds for a 12-mile rail-trail project in northeastern Idaho. Includes “Frequently Asked Questions," a general map of the proposed rail-trail, and an explanation of the efforts of the Latah Trail Foundation, a non-profit trail advocacy group that helped raise nearly $1,000,000 in public and private funds to support development of the trail.
Northern State Recreation Area
An illustrated brochure depicting the major elements and facilities proposed in the Northern State Recreation Area Master Plan, a proposal for a 726-acre site in northern Washington that was once part of the state hospital's working farm. The brochure is an easy way to show people a summary of what is planned for the site. It was designed for presentations, general mailings, and fundraising efforts. Developed in partnership with Skagit County Parks and Recreation.
Newsletters
The Talent Trail: A Place in Transition
Developed in partnership with the city of Talent Planning Department, this is the first in a series of 12 monthly Spanish/English newsletters that invites residents to explore the nearby Bear Creek Greenway Trail, and reports on plans to create a larger network of greenways and trails in town. Each edition provides information about one of the Greenway's 12 educational “trail stops,” which are keyed to the trail by a corresponding number within a maple leaf graphic.
Lower Clark Fork Valley Trail Study: Winter 2002/Spring 2003
Two in a series of newsletters developed in partnership with Avista Corporation for a trail study that explores trail opportunities from Thompson Falls, Montana, to Clark Fork, Idaho. The Winter edition introduces the trail study and the planning team; explains the planning process; and invites community members to get involved in the process. The Spring edition describes the draft recommendations of the trail study, including trail vision and goals, and the location of 26 proposed trail segments within the 55-mile Lower Clark Fork River Valley Corridor.
Gold Hill Trails Bulletin: Spring 2003
A bulletin sent to all households in Gold Hill, Oregon, a small rural town of 1,000 residents. Reports on progress made towards developing a community-wide system of foot and bike paths, and promotes the town’s National Trails Day event in June. Developed in partnership with Gold Hill Parks & Recreation Committee.
Maps
Lakes-To-Locks Water Trail: A Guide for Rowers, Kayakers, and Canoeists
East and West Sections Maps depict over 100 launch and landing sites along the water trail and provide detailed information regarding location, access, parking, ownership, and support facilities. Water trail partners are featured prominently, along with many photos of people enjoying the blue trail. Available from Washington Water Trails Association at www.wwta.org for $9 each.
Questionnaires and Assessments
(The following tools were not designed as statistically valid surveys.)
Mid-Willamette Connections Open House Questionnaire (146 KB PDF)
The Mid-Willamette Connections Committee hosted three open houses designed to inform the public of the group’s planning efforts and to allow a forum for the communities along the river to voice their input about what a "greenway" means to them. Along with informative displays, facilitated discussions, and map exercises, attendees were given this questionnaire, which was returned at the open house.
Rock Creek Trail Inventory Sheet (103 KB PDF)
This sheet was designed to assist volunteers who were tasked with inventorying and digitally recording trail information using handheld Global Positioning Systems in the Rock Creek Watershed. To keep their efforts as objective as possible, this inventory sheet was designed to ensure that volunteers were recording the same information using the same format.
Northern State Recreation Area Community Assessment (679 KB PDF)
This “survey” was created to elicit public input for the design of an undeveloped 726-acre parcel of land owned by Skagit County in northwest Washington. The “survey” was distributed to every licensed driver in the county, and was accompanied by the cover letter shown here. Results from the "survey" drove the creation of several alternatives explored in an intensive design workshop that helped form the site's final Master Plan.
Sisters Trails Questionnaire (22 KB PDF)
An informal survey developed to collect information from Sisters-area residents for design of a community trail system. Surveys were distributed through open houses, electronic mail, placement in key locations throughout the community, and to every high school student. Sisters Trail Committee members used the results to help guide development of their draft trails plan, and also to recruit more volunteers to help plan and build the trail system.
Latah Trail Questionnaire/Article
A combined questionnaire and article designed to provide information on rail-trail planning efforts and gauge the public's feelings on trail design and trail-related issues. Designed in partnership with Latah Trail Planning Team members, who purchased a page in two local community newspapers and dedicated the space to both informing the public and providing a cut-out questionnaire for return to them.
Lower Columbia River Water Trail Survey (27 KB PDF)
A one-page sheet designed by the Water Trail Mapping and Inventory Committee to collect consistent information for "waypoints" (launch, landing, and rest sites) along 146 miles of the Lower Columbia River. The inventory information forms the basis for a data management system that will be used to produce trail maps and an interactive web site.
Other Publications
Building Gateways Partnerships: A Process for Shaping the Future of Your Community
A hands-on notebook produced in response to partnership work with gateway communities around Mount Rainier. The notebook outlines a four-step process designed to bring a community together to define their unique needs and desires—and then to interact, cooperate, and collaborate with gateway neighbors to achieve shared goals. Available through our non-profit partner, Northwest Interpretive Association, at 206-220-4283 or dianel@nwinterp.org for $26.
What's Happening on the Latah Trail (657 KB)
A poster designed for display in libraries, grocery stores, and other public places within the community. It celebrates the creation of a concept plan, successful fund-raising efforts, and on-the-ground construction of a segment of this 12-mile rail-trail in northeastern Idaho.
Taking Charge: Successful Models for Scenic Towns and Highways
A notebook and 22-minute video that highlights towns and counties around the U.S. that have taken steps to save scenic and historic community character through innovative land use and design programs. Produced in partnership with the Mountains-To-Sound Greenway Trust, with assistance from the National Scenic Byways Program of the Federal Highways Administration, and the Washington State Department of Transportation. Designed for general audiences, and especially suitable for showing to community clubs, service groups, municipal land use boards, and town councils. Available for loan from our Seattle Rivers & Trails office, or from the Mountains-To-Sound-Greenway Trust at www.mtsgreenway.org.
Volunteer Monitoring of Indian Creek (228 KB PDF)
A fact sheet developed for a celebration of Indian Creek on National Water Quality Monitoring Day, sponsored in partnership with Albertson's College of Idaho. Provides background information on water quality, the importance of volunteer monitoring, and invites the community to get involved with efforts to monitor Indian Creek.
Revitalization of Caldwell and Indian Creek
A fact sheet developed in partnership with the city of Caldwell, Idaho, that introduces residents to the concept of daylighting (uncovering) Indian Creek, a buried downtown stream. Presents the benefits and challenges associated with daylighting projects.
Case Studies of Water Trail Impacts on Rural Communities (4.01 MB PDF)
A comparative analysis of rural communities that have calm water trails. Case studies illustrate the impacts of calm water trails, and identifies trends drawn from the community economic development associated with water trails. Produced by Lindsy Johnson, MCRP, in association with Seattle Rivers & Trails.
Visit our national website at www.nps.gov/rtca/ and click on "Helpful Tools: Publications" to access the following resources.
Community Tool Box
National Park Service, Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program, 2002. A collection of techniques for public participation that communities can use to get organized, to turn their vision into reality, to work together to improve their special places.
Creek Care Guide
National Park Service, Friends of Alhambra Creek, and the City of Martinez (CA), 1994. Offers practical information on proper creek care and how to solve existing problems in degraded creeks.
Conservation Assistance Tools (CAT)
National Park Service et al., 2000. A searchable database of grants, cost sharing, and technical assistance available for natural resources projects in the western United States.
Economic Benefits of Conserved Rivers: An Annotated Bibliography
National Park Service, June 2001. An effort to document, enhance, and share knowledge of the economic benefits of conserved rivers. It offers an extensive list of studies, papers, and articles on this subject, with summaries of their content.
Economic Impacts of Protecting Rivers, Trails and Greenway Corridors, 4th edition
National Park Service, 1995. Shows how parks benefit the local economy by creating jobs, enhancing property values, attracting businesses and increasing local tax revenues.
Impacts of Rail-Trails: Executive Summary
National Park Service and Penn State University, 1992. Studies three trails' effects on the communities through which they pass.
How Greenways Work: A Handbook on Ecology
National Park Service and QLF/Atlantic Center for the Environment (Jonathan Labaree), 1992. Full text and illustrations of QLF's 1992 handbook, published with the National Park Service, that describes how to design and manage greenways to fulfill ecological functions in the landscape.
Nationwide Rivers Inventory
National Park Service. A register of over 3,000 rivers that potentially qualify as national wild, scenic or recreational rivers.
Recreational Use Statutes and the Private Landowner
National Park Service, American Association for Horsemanship Safety, American Whitewater, Equestrian Land Conservation Resource and International Mountain Bicycling Association, 2002. This PDF contains printable files for the fifty states that have a Recreational Limited Liability Law.
Restoring Streams to Reduce Flood Loss
National Park Service and Trout Unlimited, 1998. Describes how flood control work causes more problems than it solves and how natural streams and floodplains work to reduce flood damage.
River and Watershed Conservation Directory, 2001
National Park Service and River Network, 2001. A directory with addresses and brief descriptions of over 3,000 river-related organizations.
Trails for the Twenty-First Century, 2nd ed.
Charles A. Flink, Kristine Olka and Robert M. Searns, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy. Planning, design, and management manual for multi-use trails.
Watertrails: Ribbons of Discovery
National Park Service and North American Watertrails, Inc., 1999. Brochure introduces concepts and benefits of watertrails.
