Clallam County Shoreline Master Program Update. Draft Public Land/Access Inventory Emphasis on Shoreline Public Access

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1 Clallam County Shoreline Master Program Update Draft Public Land/Access Inventory Emphasis on Shoreline Public Access

2 Outline Public Lands Public Shoreline Access Inventory Marine Shoreline Freshwater Shoreline Streams Lakes Remaining research and analysis for staff

3 Public Lands Approximately 60% of County in Public Ownership. Including ONP, ONF, DNR, State Parks, WDFW 3% Tribal Lands

4 Public Lands and Public Access Inventory Requested or acquired spatial datasets More than 25 public, private, and quasi-public organizations. Acquired close to 100 datasets Still waiting for additional data and metadata from a number of agencies. Staff analyzing and interpreting data to inform Shoreline Public Access Policy for SMP-update.

5 Statewide 3065 Miles of Marine Shoreline 33% Publicly owned with Public Access 2% Privately owned with Public Access WA State Department of Ecology 2008

6 Clallam Co. Clallam has approximately 254 miles (8.3%) of Washington states shorelines with ~50%* in public ownership (uplands) and accessible to the public (WA Department of Ecology 2008). *Did not include public access by boat.

7 Clallam Co. In 2007, Department of Ecology assessed and mapped Clallam County s Marine shoreline for degree of public access. Shoreline characterized into over 25 classification Classification are based on level of access to shoreline 70% of the 254 miles has some form of public access. Including boat only access to public tidelands. Not including visual access.

8 Clallam Co. Department of Ecology has also mapped public access points along the Marine Shoreline. 72 sites were mapped in 2007 Access Fee 53 are free 25% have an access fee Primary Access 63% by land 11% by water 4% Visual access only (turnout)

9 Clallam Co. Pacific Coast plus Makah

10 Public Access- Marine Shoreline- Clallam Co. Pacific Coast plus Makah

11 Clallam Co. Pacific Coast plus Makah 106 miles of Marine Shoreline 22% Restricted access to Public wildlife sanctuary mostly offshore islands, some tribal 40% Tribe with Public Access 36% Olympic National Park Hiking required for much of this shoreline access 2% Public access requiring a boat to access mostly Islands

12 Clallam Co. Western Strait

13 Clallam Co. Western Strait

14 Clallam Co. Western Strait 43 miles of Marine Shoreline 20% Not Accessible to Public 19.5% private, 0.5% public 29% Public with Public Access 45% Public requiring a boat to access 5.7% Private Property with Public Access (marinas, private beaches)

15 Clallam Co. Central Strait

16 Clallam Co. Central Strait

17 Clallam Co. Central Strait 45 miles of Marine Shoreline 34% Not Accessible to Public 23% Private, 11% Public (Coast Guard Base, PA Landfill) 24% Public with Public Access 33% Public requiring a boat to access 9% Private Property with Public Access

18 Clallam Co. Eastern Strait

19 Clallam Co. Eastern Strait

20 Clallam Co. Eastern Strait 61 miles of Marine Shoreline 51% Not Accessible to Public But Visual from roads, trails, vistas, tribal lands Hiking access along bluff base from public access points Dungeness Spit westward? 42% Public with Public Access 4% Public requiring a boat to access 3% Private Property with Public Access

21 Clallam Co. Eastern Strait Contains the longest stretches of Marine Shoreline without known developed Public Access (10 miles of shoreline in Sequim Bay). High bluffs prevent safe access to some areas. Public and Tribal lands (Blyn) may provide public access opportunities. Highways and Olympic Discovery Trail provide visual access to Sequim Bay.

22 State Parkland Sequim DNR DNR USFWS Blyn DNR

23 Public Access- Streams More work to be done Example: Dungeness River Lower 11 River Miles Analyzed in one mile reaches Developed Public Access points are spread throughout this section There are two County Parks and a Tribal Park with parking and river access. Olympic Game Farm and Dungeness Hatchery provide day use public Access There are several private and public access points with minimal improvements. 3 reaches have no known public access. Upper River largely in resource lands or ONP USFS camp ground, several trails and logging roads

24 Public Access- Lakes More work to be done Example: Lake Pleasant One County Park, additional County owned property Commercial Forest Land

25 Public Access- Lakes Beaver, Ozette, Wentworth, Sutherland have boat access points of varying degrees of improvement. Elk, Wentworth, Dickey largely surrounded by resource lands providing disperse access.

26 Future Staff Research Complete inventory of public lands and public access points Reach by Reach analysis of public access Research the known public access gaps Identify publicly owned properties that could provide additional public access Identify public access points that could be enhanced

27 Thank you Dungeness River at Audubon Center and Trestle Bridge, 2007 Questions?

28 Clallam Co. Results- at least 70% of Clallam Marine Shoreline has at least some degree of public Access (even more if visual access is accounted for). How its accessed? Approximately 15% are only accessible by boat 50% accessible from land. What can be accessed? 20% are privately owned uplands with accessible tidelands 14% only accessible only from boat 1% accessible from land 50% are accessible uplands (where tideland is not accessible because ownership is private or ownership is unknown). All percentages are of the total shoreline in Clallam County including Federal, State, local, tribal, military, and privately owned lands.

29 Public Access- Streams Possible Future Access Opportunities County road right-of-ways and county properties WSDOT owns large parcel WDFW properties

30 Public Access- Streams Additional Streams Mc Donald Cr. Developed access points? Discovery Trail crossing Challenges Steep stream banks Opportunities Hwy 101 widening

31 Public Access- Streams Additional Streams Morse Cr. Developed access points Discovery Visitors Center (WDFW not yet open) Discovery Trail crossing Challenges Channel migration?, Steep stream banks in upper reaches. Opportunities WDFW property south of 101 (access compatible with wildlife protection? City of PA Hydo-facility (safety concerns?)

32 Public Access- Streams Additional Stream Access North Olympic Land Trust Trust land provide public access to Siebert and Elk creeks as well as the Pysht and Big Rivers. Clallam County and State Parks Sol Duc, Bogachiel, Hoko,