[Allison]

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.

[Phil]

Thanks for the tip! I love this sort of stuff though I often don't understand half what they're talking about

[seawallrunner]

there is a thread about this new management plan on metafilter, here: metafilter discussion - pls contribute again, the ONP management plan is here

[lookout bob]

wow...move Kalaloch lodge and cabins and resort...I wonder who gets to pay for all that.....