Olympic National Park: The Next Twenty Years
Olympic National Park is still planning to expand its boundaries, provided the landowners are willing to sell. But they're not planning much expansion or “improvement” of their tourist facilities. There won't be any additional parking for Hurricane Ridge, no paving of the road to Obstruction Point and no expansion of ski areas.
Personally I think the natural beauty of this area will continue to attract tourists and newcomers, regardless of how much or how little the park is developed.
What do you think?
Personally I think the natural beauty of this area will continue to attract tourists and newcomers, regardless of how much or how little the park is developed.
What do you think?
Labels: Hurricane Ridge, Obstruction Point, Olympic National Park
posted by Tom Harper at 8:11 PM
11 Comments:
Olympic is one of the true wilderness parks. I for one do not want any more developement.
If you are to fat and lazy to get out of your car and walk 40 or 50 miles, too bad for you. If you have ever been to Plato's Gulch or Camp Pan, you would know that.
You are assuming, last poster, that everyone has LEGS that are able to walk 10 feet, much less 40 or 50 miles.
Fat and lazy? No, just not given the joys of a perfectly working body. So, guess that means I should stay indoors and shut up, and not be seen, because that would bother you....
Would be nice if some of the disabled features could be incorporated into some of the park, someday....
We can't all be bipeds..
Bipeds rule, second poster drools!
This will sound coldhearted, but no, Olympic Park should not be developed any more. I feel bad that disabled people won't be able to see most of the park, but that's probably the least of their worries. When somebody is told by their doctor that they'll never walk again, their first thought is probably not "oh my God, now I'll never see the interior of Olympic National Park."
Grand Teton National Park looks like a country club with a view. Let's make sure Olympic doesn't ever look like that.
If you want acres of asphalt, go to Yellowstone. You can drive your little electric cart toting your oxygen bottle and cartons of Marlboros to your hearts desire.
P.S. The bears there have been trained to do tricks for marshmellows. Allow several bags a day.
you guys are jerks.
You do KNOW that some people are born with various things like Spinal Bifida or Scoliosis, you nimrods. I know, you'd just kill us at birth, right?
Liberal tree huggies always claim to be "thenthitive" but you are finding out that only applies to plants and wild animals...
I got news for you, life comes with a death sentence and the blade can fall at any second.
You sound like one of those whiners that thinks the world owes you something.
I love it when "conservatives" play the victim card. Such a poor, downtrodden minority!
No, that's MAJORITY...after all GW won Clallam County (twice)....liberals just have bigger mouths...and bad breath to boot!
These comments are devolving. Isn't the right mix of development and access the answer?
You can drive right up to Old Faithful geyser and the Grand Canyon rim -- as well as the Hurricane Ridge overlook, many wheelchair-accessible nature trails, beaches, and rivers throughout the Olympics.
With 98%+ of the lower 48 developed, it's important to keep wild areas wild, for humans and biological processes. Just think how even more important these "island of wilderness" will be in 50 or a hundred years, when they will be even more surrounded by pavement and urbanization--we owe it to our descendants to keep at least part of the world free of human interference.
At the same time we have to be smart about always allowing *some* access points for people with mobility problems, people who need enjoy viewing wild animals and pristine settings but who can't walk much or at all. I know that when I'm 90 y.o., I'll want some ways to enjoy the peace that wilderness brings, and that means some ways to get to the edge of wild areas.
It's not an either/or situation, not black & white. It's smart & dumb.
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