Construction on the new Highway 16 Nalley Valley Viaduct will force the closure of part of Tacoma’s only major multipurpose trail later this year.

The Scott Pierson trail will be closed from the 25th Street Trailhead to Cedar Street for six months, Washington Department of Transportation spokeswoman Karri Workman confirmed Tuesday.

The trail is scheduled to close Nov. 9 until May 2010, Workman said.

“It could last a little longer if weather delays construction,” Workman said.

The closure could prove to be a minor bother to trail users. The closed section stretches only 2,000 feet but will leave trail commuters to find another way around Allenmore Golf Course. Center and 19th streets are the most obvious candidates for the detour. Trail uses will have to access those road from Union Avenue because the trail runs on the overpass above Cedar Street.

However, trail users should be lower during the typically inclement months when construction will take place.

WSDOT completed the 5-mile trail that runs from 25th Street across the Narrows Bridge in 2007. The trail is named after Scott Pierson, a former Tacoma urban planner who traveled almost exclusively by bicycle. Pierson died in 2001 at the age of 58.

The $184 million Nalley Valley Viaduct project started Jan. 7 and the westbound project is scheduled to be complete in late 2011. Work will then begin on the eastbound viaduct according to the WSDOT website.

The National Park Service announced today it will step up efforts to reduce lead in national parks.

“Our goal is to eliminate the use of lead ammunition and lead fishing tackle in parks by the end of 2010,” said acting National Park Service director Dan Wenk in a prepared statement. “We want to take a leadership role in removing lead from the environment.”

Parks such as Yellowstone already ban lead fishing gear.

Here is the rest of the release:

The new lead reduction efforts also include changes in park service operations, such as culling operations or the dispatching of wounded or sick animals. Rangers and resource managers will use non-lead ammunition to prevent environmental contamination as well as lead poisoning of scavenger species who may eventually feed upon the carcass. Non-toxic substitutes for lead made in the United States are now widely available including tungsten, copper, and steel.

The NPS will also develop educational materials to increase awareness about the consequences of lead exposure and the benefits of using lead-free ammunition and fishing tackle.

Lead is an environmental contaminant affecting many areas of the world, including our national parks. Lead is banned in gasoline, children’s toys, and paint because of its effects on human health. In the United States, there is an accelerating trend to expand efforts to reduce lead contamination associated with firearms and hunting. California and Arizona have recently implemented mandatory and voluntary bans, respectively, on lead ammunition to facilitate California condor recovery. And Yellowstone National Park has had restrictions on lead fishing tackle for years to protect native species and their habitats.

Resource managers recognize that hunting and fishing play an important historical role in the complicated and intensive management of wildlife populations. Because of this history, these activities continue in some parks and, in some cases, even enhance the park’s primary purpose to preserve natural environments and native species. The new restrictions on lead will ensure environmentally safe practices are implemented to protect park visitors and lands.

Wenk adds, “The reduction and eventual removal of lead on park service lands will benefit humans, wildlife, and ecosystems inside and outside park boundaries and continue our legacy of resource stewardship.”

Laura Daugereau has slipped to 56th place in this year’s running of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

The Port Gamble woman pulled into the Rainy Pass checkpoint at 11:57 a.m. Monday and had not left as of 8:20 a.m. today. Rainy Pass is 224 miles from the start in Anchorage and 907 miles from the finish line in Nome.

The 26-year-old musher also has dropped one dog from her team, and is running with 15 dogs.

Starting Monday in 50th place, Daugereau is among a group of eight mushers who reached Rainy Pass late that night. When she leaves the current stop, she will have 48 miles to the next checkpoint in Rohn.

Click here for up-to-date standings.