Washington Water Trails getting started history
The stories I heard about the seed ideas for the Marine Trail came from Tom Deschner and Tom
Steinburn. The former private resort owners of Cama Beach, Camano Island were in the process of
finalizing the sale of Cama Beach with State Parks. When Tom Steinburn learned about the sale, he
invited the WWTA origination committee to the site for an overnight survey as a potential trail site. As
we sat around the fire after dinner enjoying the sunset, we asked them about their memories of the trail
concept. Tom and Tom jointly shared that it came from previous such boating campfires. We asked if
there were any specific people in these discussions. The only name they offered was a fellow by the
name of George, who was never party to any organizational meetings. The main problem confronting
them as boaters was the lack of available stopping and camping sites through the populated central
areas of Puget Sound.
Tom and Tom were a team on this project. It was they who set up the initial meeting. They mailed out
letters to all the boating (sea and river kayak, canoe, rowing boat and small sailboat) clubs from Olympia
to Blaine inviting them to an Interested Party meeting. We met at the Mountaineers Club building in the
old Norselander restaurant north of the Seattle Center on a blustery October evening in 1990.
50-55 folks showed up. Tom and Tom presented their concept of a Marine Trail system much like what is
here today. They asked for a show of hands of those who would be interested in going forward to
formalize such a system. Nearly everyone raised their hand. The Toms said it looked like a good idea and
there was interest, so they said let’s get started. We broke into three groups. Their instructions were to
join the one of personal interest: Organization (lead by Tom and Tom), Potential Sites (lead by Steve
Salins, who put together a large wall map of labeled sites) and, I’m not sure – Contacting current owners
(?) (lead by ?)
Most of the potential sites were associated with State Parks and DNR. I believe it was Tom and Tom who
contacted State Parks. There was someone senior there on staff (Cleve ?? someone) whom they
subsequently worked closely with and advised them on what was needed to be accomplished like
Letters of Understanding, New State Regulations and WACs for Special Group Usage, requirements for
legislation allowing for collection of fees etc
I joined the Organization Group. We met mostly at Public Libraries. Top of the agenda were items like By
Laws, incorporation and 501c3 designation, etc. Someone knew of an attorney associated with the
Mountaineers who I believe was Ingrid Hansen. She worked pro bono on these items as well as drafting
the required state legislation which was signed by Gov Lowery.
The Organization Committee was now the three of us plus special guests. Along the way the Toms
decided we needed Organization Officials (for incorporation). Tom Deschner became President, Tom
Steinburn became Vice President (and maybe Secretary, too), I became Treasurer. We needed an office
(shared space with another NGO on the west side of Lake Union). About this time Fran Troje made our
group a team of four. First thing she did was to convince the group we needed an Executive Director.
Once the proper state legislation was passed and signed, the organization started picking up speed.
Some folks put together the first Cascadia Marine Trail Guidebook and camp site markers.
In the fall of 1992, the Board of Directors decided that it was time to Officially Open the Marine Trail by
boating from Olympia to Blaine to be followed with a celebratory lunch at the border, and to do so in
the following spring. We met in Olympia at Percival Landing on an early summer Saturday in 1993 and
boated to Hope Island S.P. for lunch. During the week three friends of the Association kayaked via their
own route through the San Juans onto Birch Bay S.P. The following week on Sunday morning a gaggle of
boaters met and launched in Birch Bay at the S.P. completing the full marine trail into Drayton Harbor,
Blaine.
We were on our way.
Aside —
Steve Salins was the force behind the wall map project which showed the most likely potential WWTA
marine sites in the Puget Sound reach. Once completed, Steve stepped back and out of the remaining
activities. The map was used by other members and served its intended purpose; as it was the initial and
for a long while the only physical reality used to promote our concepts and efforts.
I suggest you review the group photo taken at Governor Lowery’s signing our sponsored and passed
legislation to identify the then current association worker bees.
Even though Cleve was instrumental with his encouragement and suggestions of further actions towards
implementation of the project, as a state employee he elected to remain on the sidelines.
Larry, Canoeist who now owns a sea kayak, too.
Everson, WA
1/6/2024