Help Reopen Hoh Rainforest Road

UPDATE: Thank you for your contributions, we are delighted to share that together with our local donations we have reached our goal. We are excited for the road work to begin ASAP. Jefferson County Commissioners have green-lighted the repair project thanks to the overwhelming community support.

As a long-term friend of Hoh Rainforest/Olympic National Park, it came as a shock that the 2025 season has started with a road closure. The road connection to the most sought-after Olympic Peninsula attraction is under Jefferson County jurisdiction. After checking with the local Jefferson County Public Works office in February we were informed that there were no funds available for a fix. In disbelief we called Jefferson County Commissioners to get a better understanding of the situation. The answer given by the West End Jefferson County Commissioner was that there were no funds available, and the hope was for Federal emergency funding. A very dismaying open-ended reply! In order for this project requiring planning, permits, and actual construction to take place before the busy summer tourist traffic we need action immediately. After participating in multiple County Commissioner meetings, and embarking on a state representative letter writing campaign, we have been given a solution for our Upper Hoh Road repair via Washington State funding. The caveat of the funding solution is that the public needs to donate $20,000 for the funding to be released. These donations need to be submitted by Tuesday March 11, 2025 to be implemented in the fix. According to Ryan O'Connor the Legislative Assistant to Rep. Bernbaum "Gov Ferguson has informed our offices that there is funding available for the Upper Hoh Road which requires private contributions to be eligible for this project. Will you share this information with stakeholders and community groups who may wish to make a contribution...". Note that this requirement was brought to our attention Sunday March 9, which explains the immediacy of this request. Thank you in advance for your consideration of supporting continued access to this most magical landscape, a World Heritage Site.