On Tuesday, October 3, Olympia City Council voted to change the name of the Olympia Woodland Trail to “Karen Fraser Woodland Trail” in honor of Senator Karen Fraser’s contributions to the community. The name will go into effect immediately. The City of Lacey will also be changing the name of the Lacey Woodland Trail to “Karen Fraser Woodland Trail.” The Cities will join for a celebration at the trail in Spring, 2018.
Senator Fraser has been a strong parks advocate and was instrumental in Olympia receiving nearly $4 million in state funds for Percival Landing. She consistently supported strong funding levels for the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, a major funding source for many Olympia park projects. Below are a few of Senator Fraser’s accomplishments:
- Elected Lacey’s first female mayor in 1976
- Served 8 years as a Thurston County Commissioner
- Served 4 years as a State Representative
- Was elected to the State Senate in 1993 and served as a State Senator until 2016
Trail History
The Olympia portion of the trail is 2.5 miles long and was constructed in 2007 after the City purchased an abandoned rail line. Olympia’s portion of the trail begins at Eastside Street and terminates at the Olympia/Lacey border where it intersects the Chehalis Western Trail and Lacey’s portion of the Woodland Trail. Future phases of the trail will extend from Eastside Street south along the edge of Watershed Park to Tumwater Historical Park.
