The Wild Olympics Campaign envisions durable, long-term protection for the Olympic Peninsula's sensitive forest and river watersheds and wildlife habitats: new Wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Park/Preserve designations.
Wild and Scenic Rivers
© Javin Elliff
The Olympic Peninsula’s rivers are quintessential wild and scenic rivers. They are home to some of the strongest remaining runs of wild salmon and steelhead in the Northwest and are the life blood of Puget Sound. Yet many of these rivers, such as the Hamma Hamma and the Dungeness, lack permanent protection against dams, hydropower, water storage projects, and other threats. Wild and Scenic designation would ensure that these rivers remain wild and free-flowing rivers for generations to come. The Campaign is proposing Wild and Scenic River designation only for contiguous river stretches flowing through state or federal lands. We are not proposing Wild and Scenic River designation for any river stretches that flow through private lands unless the landowner approves. There are only six designated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Washington state and none on the Olympic Peninsula. Neighboring Oregon boasts more than 50.
Wilderness
© Ben Greuel
There are many roadless lands and headwaters on Olympic National Forest, such as Mt. Townsend and South Quinault Ridge, that are important upper watersheds for many fish stocks. They provide clean and safe drinking water to local communities and offer outstanding scenery, old-growth forests and trails. But these public forests are not permanently protected from development such as logging or road building. Wilderness designation and targeted old road removal would restore and protect these special places, safeguarding habitat, providing outdoor recreational destinations and helping prevent against future flooding. Hunting, fishing, horsepacking, camping, hiking, paddling, berry picking, backpacking, snowshoeing, birding and a wide range of other non-mechanized recreational activities are allowed in National Forest wilderness areas.
National Park/Preserve
© Robert Parrish
During the drafting of the most recent Olympic National Park General Management Plan, the Park Service identified critical watershed habitat for fish and wildlife on large tracts of previously logged private timber land, such as those around Lake Ozette and north of Lake Crescent. These lands could be at risk if timber companies were to sell them to developers in the future. A "willing seller" park/preserve expansion effort would allow the National Park Service a chance to buy and protect these lands if they were offered for sale, while ensuring the park/preserve boundary would not change unless the local landowner wanted it to.
