Coast Millennium Trail
The Coast Millennium Trail (CMT) is a concept plan for a destination off-road shared-use path connecting communities from Skagit County to British Columbia, Canada, and beyond. Bellingham and other communities in Whatcom County constructed segments of the trail between 1999 and 2007. By 2009, approximately 15 miles of trail along the CMT route was open for the walking and biking public to enjoy.
In Whatcom County, the proposed trail alignment features the coastline of Whatcom County along a distance of roughly fifty miles. Alternate trail “braids” may feature different scenery or facilities. The Trail route may evolve as funding is allocated by communities to build more trail segments. Bellingham’s Taylor Street Dock is feature section of the CMT, and Ferndale’s Riverfront Plaza showcases the Nooksack River.
Long range plans in Birch Bay propose a shoreline walking trail that connects to a scenic overlook trail at the north end of the bay leading to the Semiahmoo Parkway trail. The City of Blaine’s downtown waterfront boardwalk and the planned Drayton Harbor scenic loop will lead to a trail crossing at the border via Peace Arch State Park.
When funded and built, the Coast Millennium Trail will access three state parks, dozens of city and county parks, and scenic natural areas. On those segments of the trail that are completed, visitors and residents already use the trail for transportation to work, for errands and for recreational touring.
Background
In 1999, Whatcom Council of Governments was awarded a Transportation Enhancements grant of $1.2 million to construct key segments of the Trail. Local matching funds for approximately $600,000 of the grant came from City of Bellingham Greenways levy funds for projects at the Interurban Trail and at Little Squalicum Beach.
Of the $1.2 million enhancement grant, $500,000 was allocated to Whatcom County Parks and Recreation to re-construct the section of the CMT along the Nooksack River from Marine Drive to Ferndale. From 2005 to 2008, Whatcom County Parks negotiated with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to request an easement for re-construction of the southern section of that segment. In 2008, the DFW determined that such an easement could not be granted due to conservation restrictions on the property. From 2008 to 2009, Whatcom County Parks worked with WSDOT to adjust the project scope to allocate the funds toward reconstruction of the north section of the trail from Slater Road to Hovander Park. In late 2009, the WSDOT determined that the adjusted scope did not conform to the grant requirements and the funding was withdrawn.
Drayton Harbor Maritime Association purchased and installed the gangway at Semiahmoo using a portion of the CMT enhancement grant. The Semiahmoo portion of the Trail connects to Blaine on the historic Plover Ferry.
Future phases of the Coast Millennium Trail are envisioned to extend beyond Whatcom County. To the north, the trail will cross the international border and link to the extensive British Columbia trail system around Boundary Bay. The City of White Rock, British Columbia, supports development of an international trail and, by way of White Rock and the existing Boundary Bay Trail, the CMT will extend to Point Roberts. To the south, the CMT will connect with Skagit, Snohomish and King County trails, ultimately linking Seattle and Vancouver metropolitan areas.
Facilities
Of the 50 mile extent of the Coast Millennium Trail, about 15 miles of off-road trail are open for public use as of 2009. View these and other trails and bike routes on the Whatcom County Bike Map.
Trail segments, listed below, are surfaced with compacted limestone gravel, except Squalicum Marina and Semiahmoo trails which are paved:
- South Bay and Boulevard Park Trails from Fairhaven to Bellingham (2 miles)
- Squalicum Marina trails (0.5 miles)
- Marine Park Trail near Bellingham Airport (0.25 miles)
- Nooksack River Dike Trail from Marine Drive to Ferndale (2 miles)
- Semiahmoo Parkway and spit in Blaine (2 miles)
- Blaine’s Marine Park Trail (0.25 miles)
- Interurban Trail Larrabee State Park to Bellingham (6 miles)
- Henry and Gulf Roads (paved, closed to motorists) (2 miles)
Bicyclists who enjoy road riding can travel an interim CMT route combining trail and road riding. Bike lanes or shared shoulders are present on about 12 miles of the route:
- Roeder Avenue from Bellingham to Little Squalicum Park (1 mile) paved shoulders
- Marine Drive from Bennet to Locust Road (0.5 mile) bike lanes
- Country Lane from Bancroft to Nooksack River (1.5 mile) paved shoulders
- Slater Road from Rural to Henry Roads (6 miles) paved shoulders
- Birch Bay Drive from State Park to Shintaffer Road (2 miles) paved shoulders
- Semiahmoo Parkway from Shintaffer to the spit (1 mile) bike lanes
Jurisdictions and developers plan to build more trail segments as budgets allow. On-road shoulders or bike lanes serve as links in the regional bicycle transportation system, serving recreation and transportation functions. The CMT brings economic development opportunities to Whatcom County through its rich variety of scenic, educational, interpretive, health, and environmental benefits.
Funding
In January, 2000, the Whatcom Council of Governments was awarded grant funds from the Federal Highway Administration TEA-21 Enhancements funds to build the first phase of the Coast Millennium Trail. The grant of $1,200,000 was allocated to completion of four sections of the trail in Bellingham, Blaine, and along the Nooksack River. WCOG assisted with bicycle safety education and preliminary research. In 2006, the City of Bellingham completed its two project sections, the Old Samish Interurban connector and the Little Squalicum Park Trail. In 2005, the Drayton Harbor Maritime Association completed installation of the Plover Dock gangway. In 2009, the Natural Resources Conservation Service determined that Whatcom County Parks and Recreation Department could not be granted an easement to rebuild the Nooksack River Dike easement and the WSDOT determined that a revised project to use the grant for a section of trail at Hovander Park did not meet the grant requirements.
In 2007, the City of Ferndale completed Riverside Park, a plaza along the Nooksack River including a trail connection to the CMT. In 2008, Bellingham acquired land adjacent to Marine Drive for a potential future trail segment near the airport.
The financial resources needed to develop the CMT may be available from a wide variety of federal, state, regional, local, and private sources. A partial list of funding sources includes: Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Federal Highway Administration grants, state Recreation and Conservation Office, Safe Routes to Schools funds, Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety grants, city and county road funds, special levy funds, and private foundations.
Participation
The original Coast Millennium Trail Campaign Committee included representatives of Whatcom County, the Cities of Bellingham, Ferndale and Blaine, the Port of Bellingham, Washington State Parks, Whatcom Council of Governments, the Trillium Corporation, and others. Representatives from Dept. of Fish and Wildlife, Whatcom Transportation Authority, Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau, Mt. Baker Bicycle Club, and Back Country Horsemen and many others added support. Core participants signed a resolution in support of the planning effort in spring, 1999, and Whatcom County, the City of Bellingham, the Port of Bellingham, and the Trillium Corporation made funding commitments.
On September 24th, 1999, Mayor Hardy Staub of the City of White Rock, B.C., hosted an international signing ceremony for representatives of communities on both sides of the border, as a further demonstration of support. Representatives of the Semiahmoo First Nation band attended to show support for the trail and its future extension around Boundary Bay to Point Roberts.
Partners in the Coast Millennium Trail project continue to work toward construction of sections of the trail:
Founding Committee Participants
Roger DeSpain, Director, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Department
Lynn Givler, Operations Manager, Whatcom County Parks & Recreation Department
Gordon Rogers, Project Manager; Ellen Barton, Whatcom Council of Governments
Tim Wahl, Leslie Bryson, Bellingham Parks & Recreation
Carol Williams, Port of Bellingham
Dave Erickson, Director, City of Ferndale Parks & Recreation
Scott Chalfant, Park Manager, Larrabee State Park
Jim Ellis, Washington State Parks
Steve Banham, Public Works Engineering, City of Blaine
Leonard Dixon, Planning Department, Lummi Nation
Kim Cederstrom, Whatcom Transportation Authority
John Cooper, Bellingham/Whatcom County Convention & Visitors Bureau
Bob Libolt, Ken Hertz, Trillium Corporation
Michael Brennan, Bellingham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce
Richard Sturgill, Friends of the Plover
Ted Morris, Park Manager, Birch Bay State Park
Clark Williams, Public Works Engineering, City of Bellingham
Jeri Krampetz, Executive Director, Pacific Northwest Trail Association
Tom Paine, Kathy Larson, Puget Sound Energy
Thomas Reed, Lake Terrell Wildlife Reserve, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Ravyn Whitewolf, Public Works Engineering, Whatcom County
Honorary Co-Chairs
Pete Kremen, County Executive, Whatcom County
Hardy Staub, Mayor, City of White Rock, B.C.