Olympic National Park Planning

[Matt Perkins]

Olympic National Park News Release

August 4, 2006

For Immediate Release
Barb Maynes 360-565-3005

Olympic National Park Seeks Public Input on Draft General Management Plan


The public is invited to participate in one of nine open house meetings
about the Olympic National Park Draft General Management Plan/Environmental
Impact Statement (Draft GMP/EIS).

Park staff will be available at each open house to discuss the draft plan
and answer questions. Opportunities will be provided for people to provide
written or oral comments on the Draft GMP/EIS. Poster displays, maps and
printed information will also be on hand.

“We invite anyone interested in the future of Olympic National Park to
attend an open house and share their thoughts and input,” said Olympic
National Park Superintendent Bill Laitner. “Public comments are very
important to us – we consider each one of them as we develop the final
plan.”

Laitner added, “Even if people aren’t able to attend one of the open
houses, we are still interested in their comments. We welcome comments by
mail, fax, email and online, as well as in person.”

When complete, the GMP/EIS will be a long-term, comprehensive plan that
sets a course for the park over the next 15 to 20 years. The document
describes several proposed alternatives for managing the park, including
the National Park Service’s draft preferred alternative. The environmental
impacts of each proposed alternative are also analyzed. The Draft GMP/EIS
contains extensive information about current conditions in Olympic National
Park, including visitor facilities and access, natural and cultural
resources and the park’s role within the surrounding region

The NPS draft preferred alternative aims to protect natural and cultural
resources while improving visitor experiences and was developed using
components of the other alternatives and the extensive public input
provided earlier in the planning process.

The Draft GMP/EIS was released in June for public review and comment; the
90-day public comment continues through September 15, 2006.

People interested in reviewing the draft plan may visit the National Park
Service planning website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olym or request a
printed or CD version of the document by calling (360) 565-3004.

A schedule of the open house meetings is shown below.
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Open House Locations | Date | Times |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Port Townsend Community Center | August 10 | 4 pm to 7pm |
| 620 Tyler Street | | |
| Port Townsend, Washington | | |
| 360-385-2221 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Washington State Department of Natural | August 14 | 2 pm to 4 pm |
| Resources | | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 411 Tillicum Lane | | |
| Forks, WA | | |
| 360-374-6131 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Timberland Library, Amanda Park | August 16 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 6118 U.S. Highway 101 | | |
| Amanda Park, WA | | |
| 360-288-2725 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Sekiu Community Hall | August 17 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 60 Rice Street | | |
| Sekiu, WA | | |
| 360-963-2329 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Vern Burton Main Hall | August 18 | 2 pm to 4 pm |
| 308 East 4th Street | | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| Port Angeles, WA | | |
| 360-417-4550 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Carrie Blake Park – Guy Cole Hall | August 21 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 202 North Blake Street | | |
| Sequim, WA | | |
| 360-683-4139 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Central Kitsap High School | August 22 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 3700 NW Anderson Hill Road | | |
| Silverdale, WA | | |
| 360-662-1635 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Shelton Civic Center | August 23 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 525 West Cota Street | | |
| Shelton, WA | | |
| 360-426-2842 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|
| Seattle REI | August 24 | 5 pm to 8 pm |
| 222 Yale Avenue, North | | |
| Seattle, WA | | |
| 206-223-1944 | | |
|-----------------------------------------------+-------------+--------------------|



Comments may be mailed or faxed to:

Olympic National Park General Management Plan
National Park Service
Denver Service Center
P.O. Box 25287
Denver, Colorado 80225

Fax: 303-969-2736

Comments may also be emailed to olym_gmp@nps.gov or submitted online by
visiting http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olym. Comments must be postmarked on
or before September 15, 2006.

For more information about the Olympic National Park Draft GMP/EIS, people
may call the park at 360-565-3004.


-NPS-



Public Information Officer
Olympic National Park
360-565-3005