CASCADE LOCKS — Commissioners heard a presentation on the conceptual planning of a Marine Park trail system, at the Port of Cascade Locks meeting on Nov. 21.
The project aims to develop a trail network connecting the future rail overpass at the south end of Marine Park to the rest of the park, including Thunder Island. Parametrix designed the trail concept through a contract ending in late November, paid for with a federal grant administered through the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).
“The funding was kind of left over from the overpass project, so we’ve gotten a lot of mileage out of that funding,” Parametrix Project Manager Ryan Farncomb noted.
Trail alignment has been updated to avoid potentially sensitive areas, based on a canine survey completed in collaboration with ODOT.
“We’ve ... had a lot of interaction with the tribes on this project. And one of the things we heard from the tribes was a concern about the potential presence of historic human remains in the park,” Farncomb noted. Roy Watters, ODOT archaeologist and tribal liaison, was a collaborator throughout.
Funding was added for a canine forensics team, which finished a survey of the park in September. Alignments were adjusted after canine alerts were recorded in certain areas. “The survey was very valuable in helping us refine that,” Farncomb said.
“We made some minor modifications,” Transportation Planner Nadine Appenbrink said.
The port first considered this trail in 2021. The current concept includes access to Thunder Island, the marina, parking area, beach, central lawns, campsites and Portage Road. The 10-foot-wide asphalt path could be ADA accessible throughout, even the single gravel section spanning Thunder Island, with its wheelchair-inaccessible bridge. A potential boardwalk are also in the plan.
Farncomb updated commissioners on each section of trail. “A key opportunity and challenge of this whole work has been the park is in a stunning setting, and it has a ton of not just natural history but archaeology and history,” he said. “And it’s an important and sensitive environmental location as well. So given the nature of the park, we had to spend a long time making sure our trail alignments would respect all those resources.”
Responses from two public outreach periods emphasized that, with respondents’ top values being conservation and accessibility for everyone. “Conservation and then access,” Appenbrink said. “Not necessarily physical access but the visual access to the river was really important ... those gorgeous stunning views.” Respondents were a mixture of park users, locals, and other stakeholders.
A planning-level estimate of the material costs for the entire trail reaches $3.8 or $3.9 million, depending on choices between alternative routes. Next steps include advancing the design and environmental clearances through NEPA and continued coordination with the Tribes. Parametrix pledged to provide a preliminary design, updated cost estimate, and a memo on finalizing alternatives.
“This is by no means the final design,” added Farncomb. “We have taken this to an advanced conceptual stage... There’s absolutely more work to be done to have more nuanced conversations.”
Commented