PORT ANGELES — Clallam County will support a state effort to acquire a 21-acre parcel to expand the proposed Miller Peninsula State Park, commissioners said.
County commissioners said Monday they would sign a letter of support for a state Parks and Recreation Commission grant application to purchase the forested Jones Trust parcel near the northwest corner of the 2,800-acre park property in east Clallam County.
“Providing a grant to acquire the property would enhance the existing park property by expanding recreational opportunities as well as potentially providing much needed public beach access,” the letter says.
Commissioners will vote on the letter to the state Recreation and Conversation Office next Tuesday.
“I think it’s a great idea if we can get the access,” Commissioner Bill Peach said in a Monday work session.
State Parks officials have resurrected a plan to develop a more than 2,800-acre state park on the rural Miller Peninsula.
The 21-acre Jones Trust property has about a quarter-mile of shoreline and a ravine, State Parks planner Jessica Logan said.
“It is one of the few places along the north side of Miller Peninsula where it might be possible to build beach access, since much of the existing state park property is very high bank,” Logan said in a letter to county commissioners.
“Currently, there is not road access to the Jones Trust property.”
Commissioner Randy Johnson said he would be “happy” to support the letter, particularly if the property provided beach access.
Vernice Quigley of Diamond Point said she was concerned about road access for emergency services, including fire suppression.
“We have one road in and out,” said Quigley, who participated in the meeting by video conference.
“It’s a serious situation out here, even now without the people camping.”
Commissioner Mark Ozias, whose Sequim-area District 1 covers the east county, said he would follow up with state officials on planned road access.
“The fire issues and the fire-service issues are an ongoing concern out at Diamond Point for a number of reasons, so I thank you very much for your participation and your interest today,” Ozias told Quigley.
“We’ll have a bit of time between now and next week to see if I can ascertain a little bit more information on the questions that you’re asking, but it may be a little bit premature to have answers for those questions.”
Commissioner meetings can be viewed on the county’s website, www.clallam.net.
No in-person attendance is allowed under Gov. Jay Inslee’s stay-home order for the coronavirus pandemic.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
Clallam County commissioners said Monday they plan to sign a letter of support for a state Parks and Recreation Commission grant to purchase a parcel in the northwest corner of the property. (Keith Thorpe/Peninsula Daily News)
