CLALLAM BAY — The state Parks and Recreation Commission is transferring Clallam Bay State Park to Clallam County.
The commissioners will formally consider the transfer at their regular meeting at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the commissioners’ meeting room at the Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth St. in Port Angeles.
The hybrid meetings also can be viewed online at www.clallam.net/features/meetings.html. To participate via Zoom video, visit https://zoom.us/j/875561784. To listen only, call 253-2125-8782 then enter meeting ID 875 561 7844 and passcode 12345.
The parks and recreation commission authorized the transfer at its Nov. 19, 2020, meeting in Tumwater.
Don Crawford, Clallam County Parks, Fair and Facilities Director, wrote in an email that the state began the process because the property was inadequate for the state’s purposes and deed restrictions required continued park use.
“I can’t speak to the process’s lengthiness, but we are hopeful it will conclude in the next several weeks,” he wrote.
He added that the acquisition was part of an ongoing effort “to further consolidate county park property for a cohesive recreation area that will generate tourism and related economic development.”
The park, also known as Clallam Bay Spit County Park, totals 33 acres and borders the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It includes access to Clallam Spit and the Clallam River, a picnic area and a full-service restroom.
Crawford wrote that acquisition of the property reduces the fragmentation of county-owned beaches and tideland in the area, as encouraged in the county’s comprehensive park and recreation master plan.
The commissioners’ resolution states: “The park is situated where the nutrient-rich water of the Clallam River empties into the Strait of Juan de Fuca, providing a constant food source for shore and birds including eagles, osprey.
“The dynamic hydrological interaction between the Clallam River and the tides provide an opportunity to witness drastic changes to the landscape over time.”
The transfer excludes “any oils, gases, coal, ores, mineral and fossils located upon or within the property” as well as “any commercial, residential, or other development rights, credits or higher and better use values situate to the property.”
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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached by email at brian.gawley@soundpublishing.com.
