State seeks comment on Miller Peninsula State Park property at meeting tonight in Sequim

Published 12:01 am Monday, November 24, 2014

Peninsula Daily News

SEQUIM — State officials will take public comment at 6:30 p.m. today on a draft interim trail plan for the Miller Peninsula State Park property near Sequim.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will host the meeting at the Guy Cole Convention Center, 202 Blake Ave., Sequim.

Public comment gathered at the meeting will be considered in making recommendations to agency director Don Hoch for a final interim trail plan.

The meeting will include a presentation of the plan and discussion of project plans and future efforts.

The Miller Peninsula State Park property is a 2,860-acre undeveloped property on the Miller Peninsula east of Sequim.

The property is managed from Sequim Bay State Park.

It was acquired in sections in 1993 and 1994 from the state Department of Natural Resources.

Though the property is undeveloped, it is well-used because of its trail network, access to beaches, bluff vistas, forests and wildlife viewing.

In 2005 and 2006, the state commission began a six-year planning and development process for a destination state park.

Though state officials and the public were engaged in developing a park vision, a name for the property and consideration of possible uses and facilities, funding sources dried up and state park officials postponed the process.

The property now lacks any sort of formal trail system or trail signage.

The interim plan, state officials said, is intended to “designate appropriate trail uses and guide management of the area” until a more comprehensive plan is completed.

For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-millerpeninsula.