PORT ANGELES – Olympic National Park is extending the comment period on a plan to relocate the main road into the Elwha Valley.
The public comment period for the preliminary alternatives for potentially moving Olympic Hot Springs Road has been extended to February 24th. The comment period was set to expire last month, but the federal government shutdown took the commenting website offline
The upcoming environmental assessment will analyze various options including a no action, modifying the current roadway, or relocating it outside the floodplain—one of which will be implemented in 2021.
The road has been closed since flooding washed it out the past couple of years that has limited vehicle access into the Elwha Valley.
In a prepared release, acting ONP superintendent Lee Taylor said sustainable public access in the Elwha Valley is the goal of the project.
The preliminary alternatives are available for review and comment on the project planning website at: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/OHSREA.