PORT ANGELES — The fundraising effort to help keep Hurricane Ridge Road open daily from mid-November through March passed the halfway mark earlier this week with a $20,000 contribution from the city.
The City Council on Tuesday approved the donation from its economic development fund.
It matches a $20,000 contribution from Clallam County.
To date, about $48,000 has been raised.
That includes the donations from the city and county and $8,000 raised at a fundraising event at the R Bar on Friday.
The community needs to raise $75,000 by Aug. 15 in order for the U.S. Department of the Interior to allocate the remaining $250,000 needed to keep the road open daily, weather permitting, from late fall through the beginning of spring.
The road is currently open only from Friday through Sunday, weather permitting, and some holidays, during the winter.
It is open daily during the summer.
Earlier this year, members of the City Council, seeing a potential economic boon through year-round traffic to the snow play and hiking area south of Port Angeles, lobbied the federal government for funding.
The response was that Interior will provide funding, with a local match, on a trial basis.
Frank Crippen, who helped organize Friday’s fundraiser, said he is hopeful the rest of the money will be raised.
“I think there is more to come,” Crippen, owner of North By Northwest Surf Co., said.
“I think the community will get behind it and back it up.”
Russ Veenema, Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director, echoed that statement.
“I think it’s going to happen. I really do,” he said. “Just because there is a lot of interest in it.
“We’re a significant way there already.”
Interior has agreed to a trial period of up to three years as long as the local match requirement is met.
After a trial period, it would determine if the increased access had enough of an impact on visits to Olympic National Park to justify the federal government fully funding the effort each year.
If enough local funds are raised by the deadline, the same match would still have to be raised the following year and again in 2012 — if the trial lasts that long.
If the mark is not met, the donations are expected to be carried over for next year’s fundraising effort, Veenema said.
Washington’s National Park Fund has set up an account at Chase Bank’s downtown location for donations.
Checks can be made at the bank at 101 W. Front St. to Washington’s National Park Fund, with the notation “Olympic NP-Hurricane Ridge.”
Capacity Provisioning Inc. is auctioning one year of high-speed fiber-optic service as a fundraiser.
To place a bid, phone CPI Vice President Craig Johnson at 360-565-8400, ext. 2, or e-mail bid@cpifiber.com.
________
Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
