News of Spatial Interest

May 7, 2008

Volume 1, Number 4

In This Issue

1. · Bridging Rural Economies

Mission and history of the Methow Valley Sports Trail Association.

Read the Planned Development Ordinance that provides density bonus incentives for trails, open space and other public benefits.

Economic Impacts

An analysis of the economic impacts of the trails on the Methow Valley.

Slideshow of Methow Valley

View pictures taken from a hike in the Methow Valley.

Bridging Rural Economies

Methow Valley, WA was home to a natural resource based economy, a familiar pattern for many western U.S. communities. The valley historically hosted timber, agriculture, ranching and mining. In the 1950’s, trails primarily were used for horseback riding. In contrast,

today the trails are a multi-use recreation infrastructure etched in the valley’s landscape and economy. Two organizations in the valley shared the history of the area at the 2008 Northwest Land Trust Conference, held in Winthrop, Washington May 1-3^rd. The Methow Conservancy and the Methow Valley Sports Trail Association (MVSTA) described the fifty year transition.

In the 1970’s, cross-country skiing increased in popularity. With the completion of the North Cascades Highway in 1972, the number of skiers arriving in the valley increased. Horse trails were restructured to accommodate a trail design that includes a skate lane on one side and a traditional skier track on the other. Three separate ski areas evolved in response to the sport’s popularity, but they lacked any connection. The Community Trail eventually bridged the gaps, and contributed to the ski boom in the valley which today draws 40-50,000 skier days annually on over 200 kilometers of trails.

A public policy in the form of a Planned Development Ordinance established an incentive. Private landowners who conveyed land for the purpose of public recreation received a development density incentive. This creative policy enabled the Community Trail to develop without a single dollar spent for land acquisition! The land value served as local match for grants needed to financially support a complete trail system.

While many rural western communities are suspended between economic eras, the Methow Valley strategy has bridged the old and the new. The economic impact of the recreation infrastructure was evaluated in a report to MVSTA conducted in 2005. The analysis concluded that the cumulative annual impact of the trail system and the supporting lands is $29.9 million. The success combined a vision of the future, a private landowner incentive established by public policy, and a long-term commitment to success by key group of community residents.