Pine Street Woods earns national award

By Reader Staff

For Katie Cox, executive director of Kaniksu Land Trust, any recognition for the success of the Pine Street Woods project belongs to the community that made it happen. That would include a prestigious national award. 

Cox was notified earlier this week that the Pine Street Woods Project had been selected in the Multiple-Use Management and Corridor Sharing category of the American Trails’ Coalition for Recreational Trails Annual Achievement Awards. As the 2020 recipient, Cox will be invited to speak at a gala awards ceremony, normally presented on Capitol Hill, but held virtually this year due to COVID-19. Award recipients will be invited to Washington to receive the actual award in person at the 2021 awards program. 

The meadow at Pine Street Woods. Photo courtesy Kaniksu Land Trust.

In a letter congratulating Cox and her team, CRT Co-Chairs Marianne Fowler and Derrick Crandall commended the organization for helping the American public enjoy more outdoor recreation and boosting the local economy with access to such opportunities. 

“We are proud of the fact that Pine Street Woods is for users of all abilities and this award really symbolizes what so many volunteers have worked so hard to make possible for our community,” Cox said. 

This particular award is significant, not only for the recognition, but because it epitomizes the shared success of the partners involved in making the project happen. The award in this category is given to an organization that facilitates or encourages usage for multiple types of trail activities, especially those that are not typically shared on a common trail. The Pine Street Woods trail system was designed to accommodate trail enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. With over seven miles of new trail work added to the existing twelve miles of trails on the adjacent parcel, the park can accommodate a variety of interests simultaneously. 

Thanks to support from the local community and several foundation gifts, Kaniksu Land Trust raised $2.1 million over several years to purchase the 180-acre property for recreational and educational use by the public. LOR Foundation, Equinox Foundation, and grants from the U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation funded the bulk of the purchase. The remaining balance was covered by Idaho Forest Group and other local businesses along with a significant number of individual donors. 

The small team of four staff rely heavily on community partners and volunteers to keep the trails accessible to runners, cyclists, cross-country skiers and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

“Receiving this national recognition of trail initiatives at Pine Street Woods is a tremendous honor,” said KLT Conservation Director Regan Plumb. “For KLT, this award underscores that working shoulder-to-shoulder with community partners like Pend Oreille Pedalers and Sandpoint Nordic Club to create multi-use trails for all is simply the right thing to do.”

Pine Street Woods is open to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and located minutes from downtown Sandpoint at 11915 W. Pine St. For more information about Pine Street Woods or Kaniksu Land Trust, visit kaniksulandtrust.org or call 208-263-9471.