ShareTrails | Idaho Trails Legal Update

Today the North Idaho TrailBlazers had a big day in court. As part of a partnership that includes the Idaho Recreation Council and BlueRibbon Coalition, we’ve been waiting for this day for several months.
NITB is currently involved in a legal action against a private landowner who has closed a road used to access a trail called Rollercoaster that NITB worked hard to build and maintain. NITB had a hearing today in district court. You can watch a video that NITB posted to their Facebook page about the hearing here: https://www.facebook.com/Northidahotrailblazers/

Many members may remember back in April that I was invited to attend the 24th annual CABNFVR run hosted by the North Idaho TrailBlazers. I got to see firsthand the difficulty in accessing Rollercoaster because of the gate that was put up by the landowner on the West Fork of Pine Creek Road while riding along with Jim Redinger. What used to be a loop trail, is now an out and back trail run that requires driving several miles before reaching the beginning of the trail.

David Claiborne, an attorney from the Idaho Recreation Council, made a strong case on behalf of those who want this road to remain open to the public, and we will now wait for the judge to reach a final decision. Now NITB needs our help! Preparing for court always depletes the resources of any legal fund, and we all need to pitch in. Thanks to you, we were able to present NITB with a $2,500 check in April for their legal fees. Let’s double down and present them a larger check next time!

William Schuster
Administrative Manager

P.S. If you’ve never been to this event, start making plans for the 25th Anniversary in April 2024.