Gov. Jay Inslee was presented an award for his continued support of biking trails by an advocacy group working to build connected bike trails across the continental United States.

In a ceremony at the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe headquarters in Blyn on June 7, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy named Inslee the 2023 Doppelt Family Rail-Trail Champion for his support of biking trails throughout his political career.

Before attending the ceremony, Inslee biked along the Olympic Discovery Trail from Port Angeles to the campus in Blyn, a trip he made in roughly two hours.

“One truly visionary leader who’s repeatedly lifted up trails as a platform for economic, health and environmental wellness is Gov. Jay Inslee,” said Ryan Chao, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) president.

“From his time in the state Legislature to his tenure in Congress now in his time as governor, [Inslee] has been steadfast as a champion for trails and his belief that trails connect people in ways that inspire both local action and civic participation is contagious,” he continued.

Chao cited the recent opening of the Beverly Railroad Bridge which spans the Columbia River in Central Washington and unites the eastern and western portions of the Palouse to Cascades State Park Trail — the first bike trail to cross the river.

RTC also cited the governor’s recent support for $1.3 billion in funding for active transportation under the Move Ahead Washington program.

Speaking at the ceremony, Inslee recalled an advertising slogan from his youth in the 1950s; “see the USA in your Chevrolet.”

“When you’re on a trail you feel the USA,” Inslee said. “It’s a different experience to connect people to the land that has given us health.”

RTC advocates converting old railroad lines into non-motorized biking trails and is working on a 3,700-mile coast-to-coast trail known as the Great American Rail Trail.

Once completed, the trail will run from Washington D.C. to La Push on the West End of the North Olympic Peninsula by connecting existing biking trails such as the Olympic Discovery Trail.

There are 540 miles of the Great American Rail Trail in Washington and the route is 73 percent complete in the state, RTC said in a release.

In his remarks, Inslee thanked the Olympic Peninsula’s Rep. Steve Tharinger, D-Port Townsend, who Inslee said has been a leader in supporting trails in the state Legislature.

“There’s no more important thing in the world today than getting people to connect to the land because it is so threatened,” Inslee said.

The ceremony also included discussion by other trails’ advocates including Barb Chamberlain, state Department of Transportation Active Transportation Division director; Washington Trails Association CEO Jaime Loucky and Vicky Clarke, policy director of the Cascade Bicycle Club, all of whom said that trails are an engine for economic development.

“What I’ve seen over the years is that these trails, the trail network, become catalysts for change,” Clarke said.

“They really catalyze communities to think about how are we now going to get people to the trails.”

An analysis from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office found that trails contribute over $8.2 billion to Washington’s economy and support more than 81,000 jobs.

According to the analysis, 90 percent of Washington residents participate in non-motorized recreation and each legislative district receives between 2.1-27.2 million visitors to their trails each year.

“This effort is one of the most important efforts in the world today,” Inslee said.

Photo by Jesse Major/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy / Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee rides across the Johnson Creek Railroad Bridge on the Olympic Discovery Trail east of Sequim on June 7. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy honored Inslee as its 2023 Rail-Trail champion during an event at Red Cedar Hall in Blyn following Inslee’s 27-mile ride from Port Angeles.

Photo by Jesse Major/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, third from left, and his team ride across the bridge at Railroad Bridge Park on the Olympic Discovery Trail on June 7.

Photo by Jesse Major/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee, third from left, and his team ride across the bridge at Railroad Bridge Park on the Olympic Discovery Trail on June 7.

Photo by Jesse Major/Rails-to-Trails Conservancy Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee rides on the Olympic Discovery Trail east of Sequim on June 7. The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy honored Inslee as its 2023 Rail-Trail champion during an event at Red Cedar Hall in Blyn following Inslee’s 27-mile ride from Port Angeles.