News Release

Public Invited to Review and Comment on Quillayute River Restoration - Reach 3 Environmental Assessment

Date: July 20, 2021
Contact: Penny Wagner, 360-565-3005

PORT ANGELES, WA: The National Park Service, in partnership with the Quileute Tribe, has released the Quillayute River Restoration - Reach 3 Environmental Assessment (EA) for a 30-day public review and comment period. The proposed project would be managed by the Quileute Tribe and take place mostly on tribal trust land. A portion of the project would occur within Olympic National Park. The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Northwest Region and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are cooperating agencies.

The Quileute Tribe has been awarded state and federal funding to construct a habitat restoration and bank stabilization project on the Quillayute River that would provide further tsunami and erosion protection of reservation lands. The objectives of the project are to redirect river flows and reduce the potential for an avulsion from the Quillayute River; protect streambanks from erosion at a culturally important site; improve salmonid habitat for both juveniles and adults; address low-flow fish passage conditions; provide sustainable and improved access to the river;  and ensure designs do not negatively impact infrastructure, visitor access, or natural conditions within Olympic National Park. The proposed action has the potential to benefit a wide range of resources on both the Quileute Reservation and within Olympic National Park.

The EA evaluates the potential environmental impacts associated with constructing large wood structures and high-flow pilot channels on the banks and floodplain of the Quillayute River between river mile 1.7 and 2.9. The project would involve material hauling (e.g., logs, gravel, rock), floodplain excavation, large wood structure construction, gravel parking lot improvements, and site restoration. 

The EA is available for review and comment on the project planning website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/QR3. Comments may be submitted directly on this site by clicking on "Open for Comment" and following the links to review the document and submit a comment. Comments will be accepted starting Tuesday, July 20 through 11:59 p.m. MDT on Sunday, August 22, 2021.

Comments on the EA can also be mailed or hand-delivered to: Olympic National Park, Attn: Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum, Quillayute River Reach 3 EA, 600 East Park Avenue, Port Angeles, Washington 98362.

Comments submitted by phone or email will not be accepted. Comments submitted on behalf of other individuals will also not be accepted.

You should be aware that your entire comment – including personal identifying information such as your address, phone number, and email address – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.