The Dosewallips Road washed out here in January 2002

Forest Service Road 2610, located along the Dosewallips River west of Brinnon, washed out in a storm in January, 2002.  Since that time, a series of contentious debates and stalling actions have prevented the relocation of the washed out portion of the road.  The Forest Service is currently in the process of evaluating options for restoring access to campgrounds within the Olympic National Forest and the Olympic National Park.

The Dosewallips Road is the only formal vehicle access to the Olympic National Park in eastern Jefferson County, and was an important piece of Brinnon's economic pie prior to the washout.  The road provides access to the only Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant campground in the southeast portion of the Olympic National Park, and was a wonderful day trip for disabled children and adults from all over the Puget Sound region.  Converting the road to a non-motorized trail, as several activist organizations demand, would prevent access to the Dosewallips Falls and the campgrounds by the disabled and the elderly.  In fact, all but those capable of making the fairly strenuous five mile hike are virtually excluded from this once public destination.

Restoration of access to the upper portions of the valley is crucial to economic opportunity for Brinnon and the rest of the economically challenged southeastern portion of Jefferson County.

Beyond the recreational activities, the Dosewallips Road provides access deeper into the valley for fire control, providing a layer of protection for Brinnon's homeowners and businesses.

Public comment on the access restoration project has already closed, and a final environmental impact statement (FEIS) is expected to be published in the Federal Register sometime in July, 2009.  A decision on how the project will proceed is anticipated in August, 2009, with a projected implementation date for December 2009.