BLYN — Olympic National Forest officials are expected to discuss action plan possibilities for the Upper Dungeness River watershed Monday.
Forest officials have since May led a broadbased volunteer group and public discussion for recommendations on how to restore fish and wildlife habitat and improve roads and recreational opportunities in the watershed.
The Jamestown S’Klallam tribe is hosting a workshop Monday at the tribe’s Community Center in Blyn to talk about several action plan recommendations.
The workshop, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. at the community center, 1033 Old Blyn Highway.
Olympic National Forest representatives with the Quilcene-based offices of the Hood Canal District are reaching out to the public to create a priority list of Dungeness watershed projects in national forest lands south of Sequim and Carlsborg.
Group since July
Since July, a group of volunteer collaborators representing the U.S. Forest Service, recreational user groups including off-road vehicle and habitat and water protection interests, have been conducting phone conferences.
After Monday’s workshop, a final public hearing will be scheduled so the action plan can be finalized by the end of the year, said Hood Canal District Ranger Dean Yoshina.
“I think in terms of different user groups coming together, people are really concerned about what is in their watershed,” Yoshina said, adding that at this point, “very few projects have the funding, but we are aware of possible funding avenues that we can pursue in the future.”
Clallam County’s Dungeness River Management Team has also been a part of the collaborative effort.
Discussions Monday will include watershed condition, proposed restoration activities and high-ranking project, aquatic habitat, road decommissioning, road upgrades, road closure and unclassified road obliteration.
Aquatic habitat discussion will include fish passage and large woody debris placement, young tree stand thinning, native and invasive plants, and recreation.
Susan Piper, Olympic National Forest Dungeness Watershed Action Plan team leader, said that so far, at least one of nearly 60 recommended aquatic restoration projects has generated interest.
“We had one trail system that we proposed for decommissioning, and we heard from a number of people,” Piper said of the Maynard Burn Trail to Tyler Peak.
“It’s a very popular trail.”
Aquatic habitat
When it comes to aquatic habitat, other areas of concern expressed include stretches of Canyon Creek, Pats Creek and Silver Creek.
Other proposals include large woody debris placement on the Dungeness and Gray Wolf rivers.
Forest Service Road 2880-area road upgrades, decommissioning and obliteration proposals are also recommended to help improve fish and wildlife habitat.
“I am very interested in improving the health of the watershed in the Dungeness,” said Mike Anderson, who will discuss the next steps and wrap up the Monday discussion in Blyn.
Recreation projects
There are 10 recreation projects proposed so far, including the former Eddy Creek road decommissioning for making it into a Forest Service system trail to provide nonmotorized recreation for mountain biking and horseback riding.
Recommended was securing a trail easement through the Tubal Caine Mine private inholding within the Buckhorn Wilderness.
The Back Country Horsemen of Washington have urged a loop trail system in the Bear Mountain, Mount Zion and Schmidt Knob areas that would include a parking area.
Also recommended was an upgrade to a parking area, adding a vault toilet and a road decommissioning past parking area but leaving public trail access to Silver Lake.
Another recommendation: Remove, repair or fence the Ned Hill Lookout historic structure.
Also recommended were 10 native plant and young tree restoration projects in the middle and upper Dungeness River areas.
“We have a range of projects that really move the watershed along in terms of being restored and protected,” Yoshina said, projects that help salmon and wildlife habitat.
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Sequim-Dungeness Valley Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-681-2391 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
