PORT ANGELES — Damage to the Olympic National Forest from wind and rain during storms this month may keep some forest roads, trails and facilities closed for months, the National Forest Service said.
More than 14 inches of rain and wind gusts of more than 40 mph caused an estimated $8 million in damage to the forest during the Dec. 2 and 3 storms that slammed Western Washington. Stream banks were eroded, bridges were washed away, trees were blown down, and wildlife and fisheries habitat, along with habitat improvement projects, were destroyed, the Forest Service said.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed, but just removing trees that fell over forest roads could take weeks or months, officials said.
Forest Service employees and contractors have already been working to re-establish radio communication shut down by the storm and to open roads used by local residents, Pacific District ranger Lance Koch said.
“We are assessing what damage we can, and clearing primary forest access roads first,” Koch said. “Our first priority is to provide for public safety in heavy traffic areas and we are removing residual hazard trees along travel routes as we clear the roads.”
He said lower elevation, second-growth timber forests in his jurisdiction fared well in the storm in part because of their uniform canopies and smaller tree sizes. It may take up to a year to restore access to all the roads in his district, and more than 100 miles of recreational trails throughout the national forest cannot be accessed until late spring after winter snow melts, he said.
While Forest Service employees repair damage, they are also looking ahead to reduce the impact of future storms.
“We are examining the use of newly-designed culverts, road drainage systems, landscaping and expanded clearing limits along roads and around administration or recreation sites,” Koch said.
He asked the public to be patient about the repairs, as some roads will remain closed for public safety.
On the Web
Olympic National Forest: www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/Storm
Repair updates: www.inciweb.org
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