Saturday, Sept. 30 was National Public Lands Day. Locally, there was even more reason to celebrate as the improvement work to the Middle Fork Road, underway for more than a year now, neared completion.

Elected officials and representatives from the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and its partners took part in a day of festivities in and around the Middle Fork. Among them were Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, Washington’s First Congressional District; Sandra Otto, Division Director, Federal Highways Administration; Dianne Guidry, Deputy Regional Forester, U.S. Forest Service; Brock Milliern, Division Manager, Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Fred Jarrett, Deputy County Executive, King County; and Jon Hoekstra, Executive Director, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

In addition to cutting the ribbon on the Middle Fork Road, the group officially opened the Granite Creek and Middle Fork Trailheads during the day.

North Bend City Councilman Trevor Kostanich was one of the guests to speak at Saturday’s Middle Fork celebration. (Photo courtesy of Ray Lapine)

King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert spoke at the Middle Fork celebration Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Ray Lapine)

Volunteers and elected officials gathered Saturday, Sept. 30, to celebrate National Public Lands Day and the official opening of the Middle Fork Road, along with two trailheads. (Photo courtesy of Ray Lapine)