Olympic National Park Access Forum in Port Angeles

The National Parks Conservation Association (NCPA) is hosting a public forum in Port Angeles regarding access to the Park. The date is March 31 at the Port Angeles library. Please see the following note for details.
Check out the NPCA website, this is a national organization that has political clout and a huge membership. This is an opportunity to convey to a broader audience the need for increased access to the Park, in particular Hurricane Ridge in the winter. Any input regarding Olympic would certainly pertain to Mt. Rainier NP as well.



The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) is co-hosting a continuation of a discussion on global climate change and how it will affect our national parks, especially Olympic National Park. This discussion will focus on possible solutions to changes in the accessibility of the park.

Also, feel free to invite anyone you know interested in issues affecting Olympic National Park.



The floods and windstorms of 2007 were just the latest storm events to ravage Washington’s public lands. Given the high likelihood that future storms will cause similar damage, NPCA facilitated a panel discussion on September 3, 2008, to explore how the federal government can best sustain long term access to places such as Olympic National Park that make sense from an economic and ecological standpoint. We would now like to focus on solutions from those who know these areas best – members of the gateway communities of these parks.



This event is co-hosted by the organizations from the Washington Parks and Forest Coalition, which include National Parks Conservation Association, Washington Trails Association, the Student Conservation Association, and the National Park Service.



WHAT: The Future of Access to Olympic National Park



WHEN: Tuesday, March 31, 2009

6:00 PM – 8:00 PM



WHERE: Port Angeles Main Library – Carver Room
2210 South Peabody Street

Port Angeles, WA 98362




This is an informal discussion to be led be a facilitator. In preparing for this evening, we would like you to consider some of the following questions:



· Looking toward the future, what solutions are out there for dealing with changes in weather patterns and its affect on national parks, particularly in terms of access, whether it be roads, trails, or other ways of enjoying our national parks?



· How can we sustain the connection between our communities and our national parks?



· What are possible solutions to maintaining access that are both sustainable from an ecological and economic standpoint?



· What barriers do you see of have you encountered that prevents access and enjoyment of public lands?



· Are there instances where access should be denied or is access of paramount importance in management of the public’s land?



· When or under what circumstances should roads, buildings and other structures be built, or not?




· What other options besides roads and campgrounds could be used to sustain the public’s enjoyment of our public lands, i.e., shuttle busses, light rail, hut systems, etc.?





Attendees include:



Karen Gustin – Superintendent of Olympic National Park

Judith Morris – Rep. Norm Dicks’ Office

Mike Doherty – Clallam County Commissioner

Shawn Bills – Northwest Washington Director, Senator Patty Murray

Greg Halberg – Friends of Olympic National Park

Gary Holmquist - Hurricane Ridge Winter Sports Club












Sincerely,



David G. Graves
Northwest Field Representative

National Parks Conservation Association
Protecting Our National Parks for Future Generations
313-A First Ave., South
Seattle, WA 98104
206.903.1444 ext. 25
206.903.1448 (fax)
dgraves@npca.org

www.npca.org

do you have to be a member of friends of ONP to attend this meeting?

No.  It is co-sponsored by the NPCA, Park, and a few other groups.  It's a public meeting, so come on down. Alternatively, you could write your response to the above questions and send it to the NPCA via their website or to the Park directly.

cool, i'll see if i can't make it...