PORT ANGELES — Off-road adventurers soon will have access to another segment of the Olympic Discovery Trail’s Adventure Route, thanks to a pending agreement between Clallam County and the forest management company Green Crow.
The three county commissioners will consider today a no-cost license and agreement with the company to build, maintain and allow public access on a section of the trail between state Highway 112 and Eden Valley Road west of Port Angeles.
A land-use license with the state Department of Natural Resources requires the county to relocate the Adventure Route from logging roads to trail-only segments by the end of this year.
“This agreement took us over a year to negotiate with Green Crow,” Clallam County Transportation Program Manager Rich James said.
“Commissioner [Steve] Tharinger had to get involved in convincing Green Crow’s management to sign it. But they did.”
Fire liability
Clallam County is incurring some risk with the license agreement. The county would be liable if someone started a fire, for example.
Damage caused by a public user would become the responsibility of the county, which raised some eyebrows in the Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
“There’s always been an issue about liability,” James said. “Green Crow wants to protect themselves to the extent possible.”
If approved, the agreement would be valid through December 2020.
‘If we want it, we have to accept the risk,” County Administrator Jim Jones said.
A similar agreement was signed with Green Crow in May 2007 that covers the logging road directly below the proposed new segment.
“It has the same fire provisions in it, so we’re already on the hook for that kind of occurrence happening in this location,” James said.
Off-road spur
The Adventure Route is an off-road spur of the Olympic Discovery Trial, which will eventually connect the Puget Sound to the Pacific Ocean from Port Townsend to LaPush.
Hikers, mountain bikers and horse riders are already using sections of the Adventure Route. The Clallam County Chain Gang — the Sheriff’s Office inmate work crew — is doing most of the construction.
Funding for the trail is coming from a State Recreation and Conservation Office grant.
The proposed new segment is 3.2 miles from any road access.
“Your casual user is not even going to get to this section,” James said.
“Your typical person who might be a vandal just doesn’t have enough energy to walk 3.2 miles.”
Commissioner Mike Chapman said there is no foolproof protection for the county.
“You can’t mitigate all liability,” he said.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-417-3537 or at rob.ollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.