The Leader (Port Townsend) staff

Two washouts on Dosewallips Road in the Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park have forced federal land managers to analyze management and repair options.

 

According to a final environmental impact (FEIS) statement released Nov. 15, the road appears slated

for repair.

 

In the FEIS, Forest Service supervisor Dale Hom announced his decision to reconstruct about a mile of the road above and to the north of the washout site.

 

There are actually two washouts, according to Forest Service documents. The first is located about 10 miles west of Brinnon on the national forest portion of the road (Forest Service Road 2610). The second washout is located on national park land about four miles further west from the washout on national forest land.

 

“I affirmed in the FEIS my earlier decision to identify Alternative C as the preferred alternative.” Hom said in a press release. “I know that some interested stakeholders have supported road decommissioning as the best and most cost-effective alternative. I want to assure you that I have given careful consideration to the values emphasized by this alternative and did not lightly dismiss it from full consideration in the FEIS.”

The statement is available on the Web at www.tinyurl.com/Dosewallips.

 

Dosewallips River Road washed out in January 2002, about 10 miles up the Dosewallips Valley from Brinnon and U.S. Highway 101.

 

Electronic and hard copies are available by calling Tim Davis at 360-956-2375 or by e-mailing him at tedavis@fs.fed.us.