11/27/2009 4:39:00 AM Windstorm damage still has some peninsula ORV and 4x4 trails closed
Last week's high winds pounded the Olympic Peninsula, causing extensive damage to a widespread swath of forest land and recreation areas managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
The agency is alerting visitors that sections of Foothills Off-road (ORV) and Sadie Creek/4x4 trail systems will be closed while crews assess the damage and work to clear downed limbs and trees from the trails.
For safety reasons, staff in DNR's Olympic Region advise the public to turn around if they encounter tree limbs and downed trees across the trails. DNR asks that the public avoid cutting or bucking up downed limbs and trees, which can be highly dangerous. Certain sections of trail have also been washed out, creating even more unsafe conditions.
Crews are working to re-open the trails as soon as possible, but it may be a week or two before the trail sections are passable.
To find out the status of trails in the area, contact Wayne Fitzwater in the Olympic Region office at 360-374-2800.
Reader Comments
Posted: Saturday, November 28, 2009
Article comment by:
Will Skubi
Jefferson County is considering a buy out of Puget Sound Energy electric power facilities.
I wonder if that is wise from a weather standpoint.
With powerful windstorms a fact of life in Jefferson County, storms can do massive amounts of damage to power lines.
Puget Sound Energy can call on crews from a fairly diverse geographic area to help restore service --- even call in crews from other parts of the country through reciprocal agreements with other utilities.
What would a Jefferson County utility do when it gets badly hit by a storm? It seems to me that a small and isolated utility would risk being overwhelmed by such storms and be hard pressed to restore service.
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