[Big Time 420]

Olympic National Park Forest Seeks Input on Identifying a Sustainable Road System Olympia, Wash. – The Olympic National Forest is hosting open houses asking the public to share the areas and roads they use on the Forest. This information will help the Forest identify a financially sustainable road system that meets diverse access needs, minimizes environmental harm, and is safe and dependable because it is scaled to available resources. “Your participation will help us understand your access needs,” said Forest Supervisor Reta Laford. “It would be particularly helpful to know what areas you use on the Forest and what roads you use to get there.” The open houses will be held around the Olympic Peninsula during the summer of 2014. DATE TIME LOCATION June 17 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Port Angeles – Clallam County Courthouse, County Commissioner’s Meeting Room • 223 E 4th St. June 19 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Forks – Olympic Natural Resources Center, Hemlock Forest Conference Room • 1455 S Forks Ave. June 25 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Quilcene – Quilcene School, Multi-purpose Room • 294715 U.S. 101 July 17 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. Port Townsend – Port Townsend Community Center • 620 Tyler St. July 30 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Quinault – Olympic National Forest, Quinault Ranger Station • 353 South Shore Rd. August 19 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Shelton – Shelton Civic Center • 525 West Cota St. August 21 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Aberdeen – Rotary Log Pavilion • 1401 Sargent Blvd. August 27 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Olympia – Olympic National Forest, Supervisor’s Office • 1835 Black Lake Blvd. SW In addition to attending open houses, the public may provide comments using the web-based map or on-line questionnaire on the Forest website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/olympic/sustainableroads. Questionnaires are also available at any Olympic National Forest office. Comments will be taken until August 31, 2014. # # # Lisa Romano Public Affairs Officer (detail) Olympic National Forest

[treeswarper]

We did that a year ago. I'm not sure what happened, or if anything has been done. Our Rep. sent the usual What I'm Doing In Washington DC and said she got the Forest to not close roads...stay tuned.

[Ski]

[Ski]

but since you're focused on that area, I was thinking seriously of making a suggestion that they close the #21 east of the #2180 and do some serious ditch-and-berm work on all the spurs taking off from the #21. would say the same about the #3000 line on the other side of the valley, but that's DNR administered for the most part. time to take some proactive measures with the poachers.

[Big Time 420]

First the proposed wilderness plans. Now this!!? Wow, the park is as good as gone. Step 1: Make Enjoyment difficult. Step 2: Public looses interest. Step 3: Move in on the land.

[Hulksmash]

[Ski]

the reason the road is closed at the Matheny Creek bridge is because the road is washed out 0.2 miles past it. it's been closed for several years there. the road will not be repaired or re-routed at that point, so what's the sense in repairing the bridge? so you can drive to the other side of the creek? and again, as Hulksmash pointed out (again), this is an NFS project and has nothing to do with NPS lands. or did you just want to argue a point because nobody bit on your Koch brothers bait?

[treeswarper]

The Gifford Pinchot had a few meetings last year. The powers that be were shocked at all the people who came to their Randle meeting. I felt insulted because they had the sheriff there at the beginning. Nobody was rude, there was a FS person flitting around table to table trying to persuade us to write down that we wanted roads closed and made into trails, no group put that down as a priority. EVERY group mentioned the need to sell more timber so roads can be maintained. We put it all down on flip charts but I've seen nothing since. I guess 6 people or so came to their Portland meeting. The Randle Fire hall was filled to capacity for our meeting. I believe all the forests have to have transportation management plans.

[Kim Brown]

The entire USFS is doing this. ONF is doing what the USFS is mandating all forests do. Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF and partners have a website with FAQ’s to understand what it’s all about. Check it out, and check out ONF’s documentation to understand. Then complain.

[Hulksmash]

I think a more accurate title would be Congress wants the Forest Service Close Down Roads. Got a give credit where credit is due.

[onemoremile]

[Randito]

It costs $$$ to maintain forest service roads. In these days of limited federal budgets that means closing roads when there is heavy/expensive to repair damage. Repeal the Bush / Reagan tax cuts, bring back Carter era tax rates and stop buying tank, planes and other military hardware that the pentagon doesn't even want or need.

[RodF]

This is the second round. Olympic National Forest went through a very careful and lengthy study of its entire road network between 1999 and 2003. They held numerous public meetings throughout the area (announced here in NWhikers in 2002), and solicited public comments which were incorporated into its final Access and Travel Management Plan. Of their total 2254 miles of roads, 685 to 752 miles were to be decommissioned and an additional 57 to 124 miles converted to trails. Highest priority was placed on those roads which pose threats to aquatic habitat (primarily through failing culverts). Funds came from a variety of sources, including the Legacy Roads program initiated by Rep. Norm Dicks. Recent watershed plans have proposed projects not anticipated in that 2003 ATM plan. So although it's far from completed, perhaps it's time to update it?

[Ski]

[onemoremile]