One element of the approved 1996-2015 comprehensive parks and recreation plan for the city of Puyallup, WA - the Puyallup Loop Trail?EUR??,,????'??+ may serve as the deciding factor for urban renewal of the region. This twenty-two-mile loop, an open space/trail plan, represents the edge of urban growth for the city. A clockwise tour of this park plan includes several trail segments already in use or planned for improvements, such as: ?EUR??,,????'????3.1 mile RiverWalk, a riverfront trail along the south shore of the Puyallup River ?EUR??,,????'????Railroad right-of-way, nearly ripe for a rails-to-trails conversion ?EUR??,,????'???? Bonneville Power Authority overhead power line easement ?EUR??,,????'????Tacoma Water pipeline right-of-way, with some paved access ?EUR??,,????'????darks Creek / Meeker Ditch waterway/ a sensitive watershed system ?EUR??,,????'????City of Puyallup street right-of-way, to connect to the riverfront ?EUR??,,????'????Pierce County Foothills Trail, extending from Tacoma to the foothills of Mt. Rainier, approx. twenty-five miles long "We were scouting around for another major ten-year project now that the Foothills trail is well underway," notes Dr. Ernie Bay, of the non-profit Foothills Rails-to-Trails Coalition and Puyallup Park Board. "We are excited that we have the Loop Trail as that major ten-year challenge." The trail coalition membership first identified the loop trail components during the parks, recreation and open space planning process conducted by the City of Puyallup in 1996. The twenty-two-mile loop trail represents a potential tourism recreation attraction as a non-motorized route around the city. The loop trail is the ultimate edge between the city and unincorporated rural Pierce County. The landscape character along the circular trail features farm valley views, river edge conditions, hillside climbs and salmon streams. The loop trail serves as the future physical city limit consistent with the city annexation and land use policies. The city staff project manager Lynn K. Johnson, ASLA, has managed a coordinated series of projects since 1995. The city parks planning and public lands function has primarily been the day-to-day work of Johnson. His role includes oversight of watershed areas, cemeteries, trails, walks, and park sites. The RiverWalk trail had been a planning idea for more than ten years until 1995; the Puyallup Loop Trail might well be the next ten-year effort. Today, there is much to show for the past three years of coordinated projects. Community participation is now at an all time high, with the ballfield complex project led by Tom Morgan, Parks Board Chair, along with the downntown improvements and a public art program launched this year. The consultant for this twenty-two-mile loop trail plan. Matt Mathes, ASLA, who has also led the refinement of the 3.1 mile Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) Riverfront trail plan, and the twenty-year comprehensive park plan- he is supported by staff at two firms for construction documents and mapping tasks. For the past three years, he has created the integration of the overall comprehensive plan with the identification of important projects. For the past ten years, he has sought out park and trail projects as major practice areas. "Puyallup required nearly all of my capability and experience to meet the challenges?EUR??,,????'??+ park and trail design, comprehensive planning, growth management, economics, finance, community needs and assessment, community involvement... many park assignments are complex today," observes Mathes. Competing for limited funds outside the Puyallup city limits paid off when two local bond initiatives did not pass. The city won major ISTEA trail design and construction funding for the first phase of the RiverWalk. Kiwanis donations and private funds served as the local match for ISTEA funds; state recreation funds helped light up the new ball field complex. Modest developer impact fees and real estate excise tax is now a reliable local funding component of the parks and open space component of the capital improvement plan. "A positive outlook, trying other alternatives and hard work by staff overcame funding obstacles," notes Mathes. The comprehensive parks, open space and recreation plan funding section prepared by Mathes features an agriculture heritage lands program, to preserve the remaining working farms around Puyallup. Local crops include tulip, daffodil and other bulbs which are a big part of the green industry in the state of Washington. The twenty-two-mile loop trail affords views of the valley landscape. "Puyallup appreciates their agricultural heritage in a contemporary way, by keeping the landscape in uses which allow multiple benefits, creating attractions for future residents and tourism," Mathes concludes. LASN NATIVE RIPARIAN PLANTS ALONG THE PUYALLUP RIVER SHOW EARLY SPRING BUDS. Photos provided courtesy of Kobayashi Associates, Inc. ABOVE LEFT: INTERESTINGLY, A NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD ROUTE ALONG THE LOOP TRAIL MIGHT BECOME A RAIL-TO-TRAIL CONVERSION. ABOVE RIGHT: THE RIVER WALK TRAIL ROUTE WILL CONNECT WOODED NATURAL AREAS AND DEVELOPED OFFICE, COMMERCIAL, AND RESIDENTIAL AREAS WITH RECREATIONAL OPEN SPACES. ABOVE LEFT AND CENTER: THE IMPRESSIVE MT. RANIER CAN BE SEEN AMONG THE TACOMA PIPELINE (CENTER) WHICH IS PEPPERED BY PICTURESQUE FARMS. (LEFT) ABOVE RIGHT: LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AT KOBAYASHI ASSOCIATES, INC. WORKED HARD TO CONSERVE OPEN SPACE AROUND URBAN GROWTH, BY INCORPORATING TRAILS LIKE THE PICTURED DECORSEY PARK TRAIL INTO A TWENTY-TWO MILE STRETCH.