Folks,
After a chat with colleagues here in my university dept, it is suggested
to designate and develop a coastal walking trail from the Everett Marina
south to Point Defiance for foot-traffic only. Access points could be at
the various public beaches with pass-through privileges only along the
privately owned Sound-front areas. This Millennium Coastal Walking Trail
could celebrate/educate/integrate all aspects of the human experience AND
human impact in our outdoors-minded NW culture.

It would pass by old-growth forest, variously logged tracts, suburbs,
marinas, commercial shipping ports and other coastal industrial sites,
inner city waterfront, and also have long, quiet stretches of intermittent
development. There could have frequent sites/sights with educational
signs. Yes, given the tides, not all areas of it could be walked at any
given time, but that, too, requires a valuable exercise in thinking and
planning! This IS the Northwest, a region bounded by and dominated by the
Pacific Ocean.

So, I suggest the Millennium Coast Walking Trail as our region's
substantive, enduring, and culturally-reflective contribution to the 21st
Century. Yes, developing it would be a real challenge in getting people
to cooperate and to consider the community benefit as a whole. Moreover,
such a project could probably be done for moderate costs and be cost-
effective as a low-impact attractive activity for visitors who happen
to spend dollars. Maintaining the trail for require responsibility from
current and future generations, a worthwhile community project that can
involve everyone and offer something to everyone.

Cheers and cheers,
Maureen Ellis me2 at u.washington.edu Univ of WA and Des Moines, WA

"Finding the occasional straw of truth awash in a great ocean of
confusion and bamboozle requires vigilance, dedication, and courage."
-Carl Sagan-