Grant sought for Pine St. Woods

Kaniksu Land Trust can’t stop thinking about trails: trails for hiking and walking, trails for biking and dog walking, trails for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing, trails for the very active and for those who don’t get around as easily, trails for everyone in our community to enjoy.

That’s KLT’s vision for Pine Street Woods, a 160-acre property immediately adjacent to Sandpoint and Dover where the land trust plans to establish a community forest for everyone to use.

KLT has been hard at work raising the requisite $2.1 million to purchase Pine Street Woods and make this dream a reality. Having already received generous support from the Equinox Foundation, LOR Foundation, and the Forest Service’s Community Forest Program, KLT now turns its focus to the Idaho Department of Recreation’s Recreational Trails Program grant. Established in 1998 to allocate funds for recreational trails and trail-related projects, the RTP program grants approximately $7 million annually for trail maintenance, restoration, and development across Idaho.

“The Pine Street Woods project is a perfect match for the Trails grant and I believe it will compete well for RTP funds in 2018,” said Eric Grace, executive director of KLT. “We are rapidly losing our connection with nature and the outdoors. Every year more acres are lost, historic access is restricted, we spend more time looking at computer screens, and the resulting negative impacts to our health become more pronounced. Having a great trail system in nature, just a stone’s throw from Dover and Sandpoint, will get more people outside more frequently for healthier lives.”

Once acquired, the Pine Street Woods property will be owned by KLT and managed as a working and recreational landscape. The community will be invited to offer input on how this property will be managed and developed for recreation.

You can learn more about KLT’s Pine Street Woods project by visiting www.kaniksu.org. Call KLT 208-263-9471 with questions or feedback about Pine Street Woods Community Forest, to make a contribution, or to get better acquainted with the organization.

Founded in 2002, Kaniksu Land Trust works to conserve forests, scenic views, working farms and recreational lands. KLT also offers unique programs that work to foster appreciation of our region’s exceptional resources through life changing opportunities for participants.