Recovering from Disaster: the Whitehorse Trail Two Years After the Slide
Track: Planning & Design

Wednesday, May 4, 2016 | 1:00 to 2:15pm

Speakers:
Tom Teigen, Director, Parks & Recreation, Snohomish County

Session Description:

The March 2014 Highway 530 slide affected area residents in catastrophic and permanent ways. In total, 43 lives were lost and the rescue/recovery efforts extended over 6 months. Following the slide, area communities identified priorities to assist in recovery. One of these priorities was to promote economic development, and recreation improvements were targeted as a key to achieving this objective. The Whitehorse Trail stretches 27 miles between the City of Arlington and the Town of Darrington and runs through the slide area. Development of the trail was elevated as a priority and federal, state and local agencies came together to support the project. Snohomish County is continuing to work on this effort and will share their experience working with multiple stakeholders, WSDOT, RCO, FEMA, the City of Arlington, the Town of Darrington, affected families, non-profit organizations and others. This is a great opportunity learn about the intricacies and sensitivities of completing a project in the midst of a major recovery effort.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will understand the importance of public facility development to support community recovery.
• Participants will learn about the process used to understand and balance the interests of various project partners.
• Participants will learn about the positive economic impact of regional parks and trails on rural communities.