My history with the Three Forks Natural Area spans several years, several community meetings and a County Council meeting. During that time I have heard the voices of the local community express the need to keep the natural area natural for the wild critters and all the folks of King County. Some folks at the council understood but Councilman Phillips never got it, and he wrote to the newspaper and called us names like “nimby” and falsely said we have secret trails we are trying to preserve. He still owes us an apology.

At the last meeting the county proposed a parking lot and gravel trail at the corner of Reinig Road and 428th in a flood storage area, which helps keep the corner from flooding. The last dwelling in the space was a house that flooded to the eaves and was torn down.

People at the meeting were promised a gravel parking lot. Even though the land is mucky, the promise was no fill would be brought in. It has now morphed into a gravel and blacktop parking lot. The assumption is still no fill.

The area is to be fenced to prevent camping and opened and closed daily and seasonally. There is to be toilet and garbage service. There is no answer to questions of maintenance costs.

If there is criminal activity, as there was after the house was removed, we are to call Councilman Irons if we don’t get prompt police response. There is no answer to the increased danger of more traffic and constant speeding that takes place in this area now.

The saddest part is the general agreement that the wild animals will all be gone from the area. Besides the abundance of people, the leash law won’t be obeyed or enforced.

Another reason for the loss of animals is that three sections on the 428th corner are fenced and the deer and elk use the corridor by crossing under the 428th bridge. Deer and elk are often seen standing where the parking lot will be.

There are bear and cougar in the area. County signs ask people to report sightings. We who live in the area have seen these animals for years. If they are reported they could be trapped or hunted with dogs. Either way, the natural area is no more.

Eleanor Gilmore

Snoqualmie