Since late January, Olympic National Park has asked for the public’s participation in the development of a Wilderness Stewardship Plan to help protect and manage the designated wilderness lands within the park.
The plan will be developed in accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964 and analyzed through an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process.  A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on February 22, 2013; the public comment period will continue until April 23, 2013.
Six public workshops have been held on the Olympia Peninsula and five more will be offered during March.
Next workshop is March 26.
 
“We are grateful for the public’s interest in Olympic National Park and the future of its wilderness,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum.  “We are pleased to be able to accommodate citizens’ requests for added meetings.”
 
Public workshops have already been held in Port Angeles, Sequim, Sekiu, Forks, Amanda Park and Port Townsend.  Additional workshops are scheduled for:
 
March 4, 2013, 5:00-7:00pm
Seattle REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
 
March 5, 2013, 5:00-7:00pm
Ridgetop High School, 10600 Hillsboro Drive NW, Silverdale, WA 98383
 
March 6, 2013, 5:00-7:00pm
Shelton Civic Center, 525 W. Cota Street, Shelton, WA 98584
 
**NEW** March 7, 2013, 5:00-7:00pm
Capital Plaza Hotel, 900 Capital Way South, Olympia, WA 98501
 
**NEW** March 26, 2013, 4:30-6:30
Aberdeen Timberland Library, 121 East Market Street, Aberdeen, WA  98520
 
Public comments may also be submitted online at http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild or mailed or delivered to: 
 
Ninety-five percent of Olympic National Park was designated as wilderness in 1988, and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.  The Wilderness Act of 1964 established the National Wilderness Preservation System and established a policy for the protection of wilderness resources for public use and enjoyment.
 
For more information or to be added to the mailing list for the Olympic National Park Wilderness Stewardship Plan, people should visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild or call the park at 360-565-3004.