Pilgrim Creek Agreement Established

The Pilgrim Creek property is owned by a family consisting of six adult siblings, two of whom manage the property for various uses, including a residence, ranching, and logging.  The family does not object to the historical access, but has experienced issues with trail widening, cross-country travel, deviation off the route to the private buildings or sensitive sites on the property, and occasional misbehavior. The family and Forest Service lack the time, energy or incentives to address these needs, and to the extent the Forest Service has an inflexible “standard” easement agreement for this situation it is not acceptable to the family.

This is where The Cascade Project has come in. TCP has listened to and worked with local interests, including a private property owner, local trail users, and the managing federal agency, to create a win-win scenario for all involved. The property owner has a means of addressing on-the-ground concerns and a point of contact with the user community. The trail riders improve their chance of maintaining this essential access to a valued trail segment and have a means of resolving any future issues that may arise with the property owner. The federal manager, without expending limited agency time or resources, enjoys on-the-ground benefits which dovetail with the management scheme for adjacent public lands. All parties foster goodwill and trust that can benefit future management efforts here and beyond.