Meeting on Feb. 12 looks at proposed road closures on Quinault River
*UPDATE*
Due to the potential for snow and bad driving conditions over the coming days, the Public Meeting for the Upper Quinault River Sustainable Floodplain Management Project on Tuesday, February 12 has been postponed.
The QIN is currently looking at options for rescheduling the meeting in mid-March.
The Quinault Indian Nation will host the second of several public meetings to discuss a proposal that would decommission a portion of South Shore Road and build a new road further from the Quinault River. This proposal would also include the removal of a bridge that connects the North Shore and South Shore roads.
The Lake Quinault Community Action Forum tells KXRO that the upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at the Lake Quinault School is open to valley residents, landowners, local businesses and stakeholders to learn more about the Upper Quinault River Restoration – Sustainable Floodplain Management Planning Project.
The purpose of this project is to improve fish habitat in portions of the Upper Quinault River, upstream of Lake Quinault, and restore the system to support runs of blueback (sockeye) salmon.
According to the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, in the early 1900s, the annual run of blueback averaged around 500,000. In 1940, the run reached a high of 1.1 million fish. The annual run now averages 39,000, according to Larry Gilbertson, senior scientist with the Quinault Indian Nation’s Department of Fisheries.
The allowable harvest has dropped from 40–50 percent of the run to 15–20 percent.
In 2007, the Quinault Indian Nation declared recovery of blueback salmon to be a national priority.
According to the release, the upcoming meeting will allow opportunities to ask questions about the project, provide input, and view “conceptual alternatives”.
The proposed planning includes numerous alternatives and options for the project.
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