June of this year, View the Future was notified that the Amanda Trail Suspension Bridge project would have to be postponed indefinitely due to layoffs. We are now very happy to report that the project has been resurrected by a skeleton team of dedicated Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) staff and two site meetings and site work has already been started.
Present for one or both of the meetings this month were: OPRD officials: John Seevers, Senior Engineer; Robin Wilcox, Senior Parks & Trails Planner and Planning & Development Director; Nancy Nelson Archaeologist, Noel Bachelor, botanist, and Paul Reilly Operations Support Manager and Regional Program Coordinator. Also participating were Patrick Reed, Archaeologist with Willamette Cultural Resources Associates; Robert Kentta, Cultural Resources Manager, and Tribal Council Member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and View the Future Board members Shelly Shrock, John Purcell, Michael Hempen, and Joanne Kittel (also private landowner).
The team met at the suspension bridge site where construction plans were reviewed and modified, field studies initiated, and archaeological studies conducted with consultation from Robert Kentta. Additionally, brush clearing was started, along with wetland assessment and identification of potential access roads.
Everyone worked collaboratively and in coordination with the goal of having actual construction begin by next fall after the marble murrelet nesting season is over. Some of the actual work will happen off-site and be transported in. Expected construction time next fall will require about a month given good weather. The actual finishing work may take longer again dependent on the weather.
