Randel has seen big changes in just the last 20 years, and he doesn't like to think about what the Central Coast could become like in another 20, without wise development decisions by government. The inside passage through Southeast Alaska, as wild and untamed as it is, is slowly showing signs of development too. Homesite-applications and other pressures are increasing, while industry and intensive logging increasingly threaten the status quo. Fortunately, great tracts of coastal land already fall under the protection of parks status, and this may be part of the reason Alaskan paddlers have been slow to see the need for a marine trail in their area. Major sponsorship at the federal or state level might also be needed, as much of the land is under government jurisdiction.
Different trails require different partnerships.
The new governor is said to be trail friendly, and this may be the time for the northern communities to act. Certainly, the idea of three major marine trails linking from Olympia to the Alaskan Panhandle is of monumental significance. We can only hope that the waters that divide might also one day unite. Water trails, unlike hiking trails, do not make you conform to a predetermined pathway-the paddler is free to choose their own routes and deviate wherever safe to do so. Paddlers need to practice low-impact techniques, and support good stewardship programs.