Turtleback Management Plan accommodates usage by hikers, bikers and horseback riders

The Turtleback Mountain Preserve Management Plan was approved by the County Council six months ago, and on June 22, Ruthie Dougherty, Land Bank Steward, gave a report to the County Council on the progress toward providing public access and multiple use along the trails in the Preserve.

As Turtleback Mountain becomes an increasingly popular place, the Land Bank is learning about use patterns and developing its plans accordingly, Dougherty said.

Volunteer stewards who patrol the mountain preserve in shifts report that the vast majority of Turtleback users are from off-island, The southern access point along the West Sound to Deer Harbor Road is the more popular stopping place, and the parking there is adequate and litter is not much of a problem. The major complaint is unleashed dogs, “a chronic issue,” Dougherty said.

Another concern is people going off the five-mile trail, which was formerly a logging trail. Cedar fences have been installed to contain public use and bicycle racks are in place at the trailheads.

Stewardship of the Turtleback Preserve consists in maintaining the trails and addressing safety issues, such as fire breaks and emergency access.

“Resource protection goes hand-in-hand with public access,” said Dougherty, who described efforts to control weeds such as tansy and scotch broom and repair the impact on the soil due to logging.

Much of the planning has been concerned with multiple uses of the trail by equestrians and bicyclists as well as by hikers. A “distorted horseshoe-shaped” portion of the trail is designated multi-use for pedestrians, bicyclists and horseback-riders. Safety is the driving concern for usage, said Dougherty, as is the costs of maintenance for multi-use trails and assuring that there isn’t negative impact over time.

“Conflicts come with multi-use,” Dougherty stated. “We hope for the best and plan for the best and realize we’ll be dealing with that in the future.”

The management plan calls for alternating days of use in the multi-use area, with bike use planned for odd-numbered days, and horseback riding allowed on even-numbered days.  The user groups feel that would be equitable, Dougherty said, and are willing to take the lead to provide public education regarding trail familiarity and “the rules of the road.”

Signage will be installed to direct trail users. When asked about enforcement of trail rules, Dougherty said that neither an ordinance nor citations for misuse will be effective. “The power we have is by the user groups having clear signage and education.”

“We are making progress,” Dougherty said in summation, and Council Member Bob Myhr congratulated her and the Land Bank, for “handling it all pretty seamlessly.”