Port Angeles — The Clallam County commissioners have sent a $25,000 Hurricane Ridge Road winter access funding request to a committee for approval before the commissioners make a final decision.
Last year, the county commissioners approved $20,000 for the Hurricane Ridge project.
“The board is supportive of $25,000,” Commissioner Mark Chapman said.
The Lodging Tax Advisory Committee, which oversees use of county hotel-motel tax revenue, is headed by Commissioner Steve Tharinger, who will make the formal request to the committee.
The committee has already shown strong support for funding to continue for another year, Tharinger said.
By Aug. 1, $75,000 in community funds must be raised to continue a mostly federally funded pilot project to maintain daily access to Hurricane Ridge in winter months.
The same amount was raised last year during the first year of the two- to three-year tryout.
Representatives from Port Angeles and the National Park Service met with commissioners during a work session Monday.
Money assured
“We assured them that the money would be there,” Tharinger said.
Once the committee approves the use of lodging tax funds, the three county commissioners will vote on the funding request, he said.
Tharinger is expected to call for a special committee meeting to consider the funding request.
In the past, Olympic National Park had kept the road to the recreation area south of Port Angeles open only Fridays through Sundays and holidays during the snowiest months, with the road open daily the rest of the year.
Last year, the Department of the Interior agreed to provide $250,000 annually for two or three years to keep the road open seven days a week, weather permitting, from late November through March — if the community raised $75,000 each year during the trial period.
The cost of winter road maintenance is about $325,000, which is split among the Park Service, the city of Port Angeles, Clallam County and community organizations.
The Port Angeles City Council voted earlier this month to contribute $25,000.
Other contributions this year include $3,000 from the Olympic Tourism Commission, $2,500 from the Port Angeles Business Association and $1,000 from the Clallam County Bed and Breakfast Association.
If the Park Service is willing to fund it to the tune of $250,000 and the city can pay $25,000, the county can do it, Chapman said.
“One year is not enough to see if this is the right kind of program,” Tharinger said.
“It was a rough winter with a lot of snowpack,” he said. “It is hard to determine how successful it was.”
At Monday’s work session, commissioners heard from a variety of groups.
A ski group spoke on being able to access areas for its sport, and the Park Service said the number of visits for the area increased, Chapman said.
The Park Service is still tallying final numbers for the 2010-2011 winter season, he said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
Reporter Tom Callis contributed to this report.
