Today I’ll fill you in about the Dungeness Recreation Area (DRA) Master Plan proposal to create an enlarged park entrance. The area above is where that is proposed.
Park officials wish to lessen visitor confusion about the two entities that exist along this road. First on this road is the DRA, a county park with fees for camping but free admission for day use. The road further leads to the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, however, which is managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service and charges an entrance fee to trails that lead to the beach and Dungeness Spit. The Master Plan Update envisions reconfiguring this wide space near the park gate to provide an entrance kiosk with signage clarifying fees plus room for vehicles to turn around.
On either side of the kiosk parking areas will be enlarged. The east side, shown here, will be enlarged into the area south of the existing fire road. The trail will be rerouted around the parking. Parking will also be increased on the west side of the entrance road.
On a rise to the north of the proposed new parking is a site for the manager’s residence. It would be over the crest of the hill shown here.
Many locals have not been aware of the Master Plan Update. I am focusing my blog on it in hopes of informing more park users of this process. The comment period on the Master Plan Update has been extended to March 23. Click here to see a map showing the new entrance. Click here for information on how to comment.
To my blog followers from out of the area, please bear with me. I’ll be back to my briefer posts by the weekend.
It doesn’t seem to me that the developers are actually keen to get feedback from locals by playing it low-key, which is quite often the way with developers making changes to areas much loved by locals.. some would even say they are outright sneaky!
Hopefully they’re careful about how it’s all done.
It’s all very confusing to me. Have you seen that Netflix show “Dreamland.” I think that’s what it’s called. It’s about a Nation Building Group that makes all kinds of plans and works hard to put together drafts and schedules, etc., but nothing ever gets done. Nothing! It’s very funny and especially so if you’ve ever worked within a bureaucracy.