PORT ANGELES — It was business as usual Saturday at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles after Congress narrowly avoid a shutdown of the federal government.
About a half-dozen visitors were milling around the center at noon, looking at brochures and asking staff questions about hikes and nearby destinations.
“We’re relieved,” said park Ranger Michael Strunk.
“It looks like business has picked back up.”
Strunk said park employees Friday were preparing to place closed signs around the park if a deal could not be reached.
Congressional negotiators stuck a deal late Friday — the day that federal spending authority expired — funding the federal government through Sept. 30.
The move averted furloughs of some 800,000 federal employees and closures of federal facilities such as national monuments, forests and parks. Military, such as Border Patrol and Coast Guard, would have remained in operation.
Had Olympic National Park closed, all but 36 of its 192 employees would have been furloughed, visitor centers would have been closed, all entrances to the park would have been gated, and rangers on duty would have asked anyone found walking in the park to leave.
Instead, Hurricane Ridge Road stayed open, as did roads in the Elwha Valley, to Sol Duc Hot Springs and to the Hoh Rain Forest.
So did visitor centers, such as the one at 3002 Mount Angeles Road.
Among those at the visitor center Saturday were Alan Baldivieso and Jenny Wetzel.
“We came hoping it was going to be open because we were driving from Portland [Ore.],” Baldivieso said.
He said they were 20 miles outside Sequim when they heard the news.
Others, like Miguel Alfero and Norma Panuco of San Jose, Calif., came unaware of the potential closure.
Asked what they would do if the park was closed, Alfero said, “Just drive around.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
