Friends of Olympic NP Newsletter
September 2011
Celebrate Elwha! Sept. 13-18
Olympic Discovery Trail Sept. 21
Celebrate Elwha!
A weeklong series of events for all ages and interests will be held in and around Port Angeles, Sequim and the Elwha Valley starting today, all in commemoration of Elwha River Restoration and the beginning of the nation’s largest dam removal to date.
Public Meeting Scheduled for September 21 at Vern Burton Community Center
Olympic National Park invites interested members of the public to learn more about proposed improvement and expansion of the Spruce Railroad Trail in Olympic National Park. The trail is located along the north shore of Lake Crescent and is proposed for expansion in the Sol Duc area of the park. The meeting will be held from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Vern Burton Community Center in Port Angeles. There will be a presentation of the preferred alternative at 6:30 pm. with a question and answer session following the presentation.
Olympic National Park staff will present and discuss a range of alternatives for developing the historic Spruce Railroad grade into a non-motorized, multi-use trail from the Lyre River to the park’s western boundary, including an alternative proposed by Clallam County. Park staff will be available to answer questions and accept public comments.
Olympic National Park (ONP) has completed an environmental assessment (EA) to evaluate the effects of trail development alternatives in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and National Park Service Management Policies.
The Spruce Railroad Trail Expansion and Improvement EA will be made available for a 30-day public review and comment period later this month. The EA considers four specific development and construction alternatives for a non-motorized, multiple-use trail along the general route of the historic Spruce Railroad grade within ONP, a goal identified in the park’s 2008 General Management Plan and 1998 Lake Crescent Management Plan.
The park is considering these alternatives to provide access for a variety of trail users, while preserving the trail’s historic character defining features and protecting other park resources, such as Lake Crescent’s water quality and important wildlife habitat. For more information, visit the Park Planning website.
Big Hump Fire on the Duckabush
Started by an abandoned campfire in Five Mile Camp, this fire has grown to over 1,131 acres in Olympic National Forest. Ground fires affect parts of 2-1/2 miles of the Duckabush Trail from the base of Big Hump almost to the Park boundary. Fire has burned up to the ridge separating the Duckabush and Dosewallips, west of Mt. Jupiter. The Duckabush and Mt. Jupiter Trails are closed. Daily updates are posted on Inciweb.
Olympic National Park and Olympic National Forest have instituted a ban on all open fires in the wilderness backcountry. The ban is in response to the warmer temperatures of summer and the continued drying out of forest fuels, both forecast to continue in coming weeks. This ban is expected to be in place until seasonal rains occur in October.
Visit Friends at www.friendsonp.org