Olympic National Park Plan

[mattp]

Olympic National Park News Release

June 13, 2006

For Immediate Release

Barb Maynes 360-565-3005

 

Olympic National Park Invites Public Review and Comment on Draft General Management Plan

 

The Olympic National Park Draft General Management Plan/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft GMP/EIS) has been released for public review and comment, announced Superintendent Bill Laitner today. The 90-day public comment will begin this Friday, June 16 and continue through September 15, 2006.

 

“This is a long-term, comprehensive plan that sets a course for the park over the next 15 to 20 years,” explained Laitner. “We encourage anyone interested in the future of Olympic National Park to review the plan during the next 90 days and provide us with their thoughts and input.”

 

The Draft GMP/EIS provides extensive information about current conditions in Olympic National Park, including visitor facilities and access, natural and cultural resources and the park’s role within the surrounding region. In addition, the document describes a no-action alternative and three different action alternatives for managing the park, including the National Park Service’s preferred alternative. The environmental impacts of each alternative are also analyzed.

 

The NPS preferred alternative aims to protect natural and cultural resources while improving visitor experiences and was developed using components of the other alternatives and the extensive public input provided earlier in the planning process.

 

Key points of the NPS preferred alternative include:

 

· Access to existing developed areas, along with park trails, campgrounds, and facilities would be kept at approximately their current levels.

· Improvements to the downhill ski support facilities at Hurricane Ridge could be made, with no area expansion or increase in use above current (normal year) use levels.

· Three boundary adjustments are considered (in the Lake Crescent, Ozette and Queets areas) to better protect watersheds and habitat for wildlife including fish and elk. These may include purchases from willing sellers only and/or possible land exchanges with the U.S. Forest Service and the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources.

· Kalaloch Lodge, cabins, and related facilities would be relocated outside the active erosion and channel migration zones and outside the floodplain of Kalaloch Creek.

· The visitor information station at Kalaloch would be removed and a multi-agency facility would be constructed to better serve the needs of the visiting public. This facility would feature the coastal marine and cultural resources of the area.

· The Hoh Visitor Center may be improved to provide a higher quality visitor experience.

· Parkwide policies for wilderness management are proposed, setting the foundation for the Wilderness Management Planning process, now scheduled to begin in late 2007.

 

Even when completed, a GMP does not guarantee funding for implementing the approved plan. Once completed, the plan will provide guidance and a long-term vision for park management and incremental steps will be taken to

reach park management goals and objectives.

 

The 400-page draft plan is available in a variety of formats for public review.

 

The Draft GMP/EIS is available online at the National Park Service planning website 1. http://parkplanning.nps.gov.

[astrov]

"Parkwide policies for wilderness management are proposed, setting the foundation for the Wilderness Management Planning process, now scheduled to begin in late 2007."

 

What does this mean? Cellphone towers? Has anyone read the 400 page screed?

[Rad]

Do they plan to rebuild the washed out road into the Dosewallips area?

 

See the plan in Seattle and ask questions on August 24th, 5-8pm at the Seattle REI.

 

From the site:

 

Please note that in August, eight open houses will be held on the Olympic Peninsula and in Silverdale and Seattle. The schedule of open houses can be veiwed on this website under "Meeting Notices" and it is available under "Supplemental Information." Park staff will be available to discuss the plan and answer your questions and there will be poster displays, maps and information, along with opportunities for you to provide your input on the Draft GMP/EIS. There will be no formal presentation, so you are welcome any time during the meeting hours.

 

For comments:

 

Contact Information

National Park Service

Denver Service Center - Cliff Hawkes, DSC-P

12795 West Alameda Parkway

PO Box 25287

Denver, CO 80225-9901

olym_gmp@nps.gov

[brother]

The public comment period has been extended to 9/30/2006.

[Winter]

Relocating the Kalaloch Lodge? That seems like a pretty big project - wonder how much that will cost.

[astrov]

O.k. everybody.

 

I am a law student at lewis and clark law school in Portland. I am working with the NEDC, our in house non-profit, (see NEDC.org), on submitting commentary to the Park Service et al. regarding this Olympic National Park plan. Filing commentary helps us establish standing if we decide to litigate later on an issue on which we believe the park service is violating the law. Additionally, commentary has stopped some illegal actions altogether via preliminary injunctions, for example, the logging of the Bull Run watershed. So, if you have concerns about this plan, or think it violates laws, or have some other specific critique, please share it with me and we might be able to work it into our submission. An attorney (or several) will review the commentary for relevance and accuracy before it is submitted. We are all doing this on a strictly volunteer basis, so it's all for the benefit of the park. If anyone decides to include your suggestion I can give you proper credit and cc: you the commentary when they decide to send it off. If you have spare time and enjoy researching, and a love of ONP (like I do), this is a great way for you to be heard and to influence the park in a positive way. thanks.

 

Ian

[astrov]

O.k., everybody.

 

I am a law student at lewis and clark law school in Portland. I am

working with the NEDC, our in house non-profit, (see NEDC.org), on

submitting commentary to the Park Service et al. regarding this

Olympic National Park plan. Filing commentary helps us establish

standing if we decide to litigate later on an issue on which we

believe the park service is violating the law. Additionally,

commentary has stopped some illegal actions altogether via preliminary

injunctions, for example, the logging of the Bull Run watershed. So,

if you have concerns about this plan, or think it violates laws, or

have some other specific critique, please share it with me and we

might be able to work it into our submission. An attorney (or several)

will review the commentary for relevance and accuracy before it is

submitted. We are all doing this on a strictly volunteer basis, so

it's all for the benefit of the park. If anyone decides to include

your suggestion I can give you proper credit and cc: you the

commentary when they decide to send it off. If you have spare time and

enjoy researching, and a love of ONP (like I do), this is a great way

for you to be heard and to influence the park in a positive way.

thanks.

 

Ian