OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK — Hurricane Ridge Road probably will remain snowed in — with no traffic — for much of each week in late fall and winter since funding to keep it open daily during the wintry part of the year has come up short.
The road, which is the only route to Hurricane Ridge, is open daily from April through the warmer-weather months.
But from mid-November through March, it is open only Friday through Sunday, weather permitting, as well as on some holidays.
The city of Port Angeles began lobbying the federal government this year to keep the road open daily year-round, arguing that it would increase tourism to Hurricane Ridge during late fall and winter.
Decision in August
Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said Wednesday that the park needs to know by August whether it will have the money to accomplish that goal.
To date, not enough money has been promised, and no other funding options have been presented.
The National Park Service has offered to provide $250,000, but that falls short of what is needed, Maynes said.
The park estimates it would cost it $350,000 to keep the road open daily during that time period.
The other option for the park, which Maynes said doesn’t have enough funding to cover the cost itself, is an appropriation by Congress.
Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, has made an appropriations request for $400,000, she said, but that won’t be considered for approval until October at the earliest. Dicks represents the 6th Congressional District, which includes the North Olympic Peninsula.
“It just all remains to be seen,” Maynes said.
The city of Port Angeles has agreed to increase marketing of the location if funding is approved to keep it open for at least a one-year trial period.
Port Angeles City Council members said at their Tuesday meeting that the city doesn’t have the money to contribute to both snow plowing and more marketing.
“We just don’t have the budget and we don’t have the money,” said Deputy Mayor Don Perry. “It’s as simple as that.”
Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce Russ Veenema said Thursday that he was unsure if local governments or civic organizations could, under federal law, contribute money to keep the road open more.
Maynes could not be reached for further comment.
Veenema said the chamber wouldn’t have the money to contribute even if it could.
“We are so tight with our funds that . . . certainly we don’t have any extra cash,” he said.
Veenema said the chamber has spoken with the park before about it keeping the road open more often during the colder months, but the issue has always come back to a lack of funding.
But Veenema said if it is open more often, the tourists will come.
“Every day we get people coming in the visitor’s center asking if they can get up to Hurricane Ridge,” he said.
“The park is a big tourism draw in the summer and it is a tourism draw in the winter,” he added.
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
