Public welcome at Douglas trails plan meetings

The public is invited to review the draft of a Douglas County trails plan created at community workshops during October and November.

Douglas County's community development office has prepared maps -- with proposals made by the public -- showing the favored locations for a network of walking, hiking, biking and off-road vehicle trails.

A series of Planning Commission, Board of Commissioners and Parks and Recreation meetings are open to the public over the next three months in Minden, Gardnerville and Stateline.

The proposed trails network, called the Draft Douglas County Comprehensive Trails Plan, has been discussed for several years. Such a trail system was called for in the transportation element of the county's 1996 master plan. In the plan, the proposed trails have been categorized into high, medium and low priorities.

At the first meeting Wednesday, Jan. 8 in Stateline, Douglas County Parks and Recreation will consider the first draft, listen to public comment and recommend any changes. A week later the Planning Commission will meet, consider public comments and act on any modifications to the plan. In the beginning of February two more meetings will occur, with the Parks and Recreation suggesting changes to the plan based on public input before the Planing Commission meets.

On Feb. 11 planners are expected to recommend adoption of the plan to the Board of Commissioners.

The Board of Commissioners' public hearing is set for March 6 at the County Administrative building in Minden. They are expected to consider and adopt the plan at that time.

Trails supporters such as the Carson Valley Trails Association and area mountain bikers have long pushed for progress on creating network of paths in Douglas County.

Call Mimi Moss or Matthew Alexander, at 782-6213.

Information

For more details on the upcoming meeting, call the planning commission at 782-6210