By Christopher Dunagan
October 5, 2005
The Kitsap Sun
The popular Second Beach Trail near LaPush has been closed indefinitely by the Quileute Tribal Council as a 40-year-old land dispute reaches a boiling point.
The parking area for the trail lies within the Quileute Reservation near the reservation’s southern boundary. Visitors hike a short distance on tribal land before reaching Olympic National Park and continuing on to the ocean beach.
The dispute is over the reservation’s northern boundary. The tribe contends that Olympic National Park staked its boundary line within the reservation near Rialto Beach, another popular destination. To resolve the dispute over Rialto Beach, park officials have proposed substituting land elsewhere to expand the reservation.
"The tribe has been negotiating in good faith to resolve the boundary dispute," said Kyle Taylor Lucas, the tribe’s executive director. "We have been discussing lands (in the park) as potentially available. It recently came to our attention that those lands are in a designated wilderness area."
A formal letter from the Solicitor General’s Office states that those wilderness areas are not available for a land exchange with the tribe. The letter came as a stunning blow to tribal officials, who believe they have been acting as "good
neighbors" by allowing park visitors to use reservation lands, Lucas said.
Tribal Chairman Russell Woodruff Sr. said he understands why park officials want to continue the use of Rialto Beach, one of the most visited and scenic areas in Olympic National Park. But that’s no reason to ignore tribal ownership and continue to use reservation lands without fair compensation. The tribe was never consulted in the 1988 wilderness designation, he said.
Another reason the issue has come to a head is the increased urgency resulting from the Asian tsunami, which killed more than 200,000 people in December of last year. Because the Quileute school and many homes are at low elevation near the ocean, the tribe has proposed moving the village to higher ground to reduce the tsunami risk.
Land south of the reservation could meet that need, said Lucas, but the wilderness designation seems to quash those plans. It may be necessary to move the school to an area near the Second Beach Trail.
The only land the park seems to be offering, she said, are wetlands or property not suitable for development.
"Regrettably," said Olympic National Park Superintendent Bill Laitner, "the tribal council has chosen to close access across their lands. We are working to continue discussions and are hopeful that visitors will once again have access to Second Beach."
U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, who had been involved in the negotiations, said he will continue to work on a solution.
The Third Beach Trail, also near LaPush, remains open. For information about coastal hiking, check www.nps.gov/Olym or call (360) 565-3100.