Olympic Wilderness preliminary Plan

[RodF]

- Bear canisters will be required parkwide.

- Quotas/use limits will be established for overnight and day use throughout the wilderness.

- There will be no self-registration stations at trailheads.

- Wilderness overnight permits will be required and will not be self-issued.

- Leave No Trace, wilderness values and safety education will be required for all overnight wilderness users.

These are some of the new restrictions in Olympic NP's Wilderness Stewardship Plan. Some alternatives would also:

- eliminate less-used (climbers' access) trails and footlogs,

- close some areas for revegetation or resource protection,

- reduce maximum allowed group size to 6 people,

- restrict groups of 7 or more to designated group campsites only,

- mandate "blue bags" for human waste above 3500 feet.

 

Read more and comment on the Preliminary Draft Alternatives - ONP Wilderness Stewardship Plan online or at one of these meetings : March 18 Port Angeles, March 19 Forks, March 24 Port Townsend, March 26 Quinault, April 1 Shelton, April 3 Seattle.

 

 

 

Edited March 14, 2014 by RodF

[mountainsandsound]

Wow. Restrict day use too? Yikes.

 

I've always thought restricting the maximum group size from 12 would be a good idea, in any wilderness area. I know guiding services would be unhappy with that, but I think it makes sense if the aim is to minimize impacts on the environment. Not to mention it would provide more of a wilderness experience by making it so your next backcountry camp with a couple friends would not be next to a group of 12.