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sailBOI Access Public Lands
Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 82 | TRs | Pics Location: over the Rainbow |
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sailBOI
Access Public Lands
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Sat Apr 03, 2004 2:18 am
DOSEWALLIPS ROAD
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gaelwolf Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2004 Posts: 1 | TRs | Pics Location: Jefferson County, WA |
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gaelwolf
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Sat Apr 03, 2004 11:15 am
Dosewallips Road notes
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There's a discussion group set up specifically for the Dosewallips Road issue at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dosewallips/. Please come join for the most current information and requests for your support through the appeal process. The group is only a few days old, and we will start posting in it this weekend. It's open to anyone who wishes to join, and we hope we will be able to gain perspective from all sides of the issue.
A few things to think about for conversations on whether or not the bypass should be built...
The Dosewallips Road has been in place for more than 70 years. Although some trees will be cut to make way for the bypass, the Forest Service and the Federal Highway Administration have worked together, taking pains to avoid cutting any more trees than absolutely necessary. The trees that have to be removed will be used for other projects within the Olympic National Forest and Park...such as trail bridges.
Although the bypass will be closer to the Buckhorn Wilderness boundary than the washed out portion was, it will still not cross into designated wilderness land. With trees surrounding both sides of the bypass, that portion of the road will actually allow less noise into the valley than that section of road did when it was intact.
The bypass centerline was moved in the final plan to avoid the spawnable portion of an unnamed tributary to the river.
The full length of the road provides access to a near-wilderness access for the disabled, the elderly, and the very young. Failure to build the bypass will deny this opportunity to those other than the very fit with have time to burn.
The bypass route provides more ground filtration for runoff between the centerline and the river than there was previously in the washout area.
The amount of room required for the bypass (four acres in total) will not degrade critical habitat for any threatened or endangered species.
Although the main groups in opposition (at this point), The Olympic Forest Coalition and the Olympic Park Associates, feel that the local South Jefferson County economy is a non-issue, those folks who live in Jefferson County disagree. The loss of access to the upper campgrounds has had a serious impact on an area that has suffered a long chain of severe economic impacts. With the last miles of the road reopened, providing base camp access to the Park and National Forest trails, the folks in Brinnon and the surrounding area will be able to resume the building of a wildernerss compatible tourism business focus, with an ever-increasing focus on ecotourism.
In order to avoid distubing any nesting in the trees, opening the road centerline for construction cannot begin any sooner than Autumn of this year. Hopefully, the appeals process will have been completed by then, and the bypass will win the process.
In order to have the best shot at rebuilding the local economy, the bypass will have to be completed and opened prior to the Hood Canal Bridge rebuilding closure, now scheduled for 2007. While the bridge is closed, access to the majority of the Olympic Peninsula will have to be via Route 101, which intersects with the Dosewallips Road.
If you have a bit of free time, you should take a day to come over and park up by the washout and walk/scramble the bypass centerline route to see for yourself. There's a lot of survey flagging there...alll over the route, so remember that the centerline is where the square metal Federal Highway Administration tabs are. If you need another reason to come over, Whitney Gardens is in bloom...azeleas at this point, mostly, with rhodies coming along soon. If you haven't seen tree-sized rhodies in bloom, Whitney is more than worth the time to drive over!
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kiliki Member
Joined: 07 Apr 2003 Posts: 2326 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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kiliki
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Sat Apr 03, 2004 1:07 pm
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Thanks for all the above info, I will definitely write in my support of the road.
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Captain Trips Member
Joined: 06 Mar 2002 Posts: 437 | TRs | Pics
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How have Mt Constance climbers and lake Constance hikers worked around the washout ? Has anyone hiked or climbed the Constance area since the trouble ?
drock
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Dave Weyrick Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2001 Posts: 311 | TRs | Pics Location: Poulsbo, WA |
You just bike the old road, like at Olympic Hot Springs.
If I'd known ya was gonna use bait I wouldn't a brought ya!
If I'd known ya was gonna use bait I wouldn't a brought ya!
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