Clallam County Parks - Park Volunteer Opportunities


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December 2009 Volunteer Newsletter (pdf format)

	Clallam County Parks operates a volunteer program to help provide on going maintenance, visitor contact and study opportunities in the parks. There are a variety of ways to participate in the program. One Day projects: On Tuesday mornings a volunteer group meets for a 2 hour project. The group is notified the previous week by email so they know where to meet. Most work is done between Port Angeles and Sequim. Scout, church, or business groups can schedule service projects according to their group capabilities and time frames. A variety of projects exist, but lead time may be necessary to get a project that will work for your group.


		Camp Host: A minimum one month commitment is requested for these positions at Dungeness and Salt Creek County Parks. Individuals assist staff with campground maintenance and visitor contact. Please contact the park in which you want to volunteer. You can find the email addresses within this web site. Both Salt Creek and Dungeness Recreation Areas use Camp Host services. Adopt-a-Park: A minimum one year commitment is requested for these positions. The volunteers are responsible for a specific task or trail in a park area which requires regular monitoring and/or work. Their work allows parks to be safer, better maintained and more closely monitored than current staffing levels can provide.


	The Parks Volunteer Coordinator position is vacant at this time.


	223 East Fourth Street, Suite 7 Port Angeles, WA 98362-3015 Phone: Email:


	Department Office: 223 East 4th Street, Suite 7 Port Angeles, WA 98362 360-417-2291 E-mail


	*Olympic Discovery Trail*

What is the Olympic Discovery Trail?

The Olympic Discover Trail (ODT) is planned as a non-motorized, multi-user transportation/recreation system that will span 100 miles from Port Townsend, Washington to the Pacific coast near Forks, Washington. Currently 22 miles of trail are completed connecting the communities of Port Angeles and Sequim. 12 miles of this portion of the trail are administered and maintained by Clallam County.

One portion of the trail is more of a wilderness trail, situated south of the town of Joyce, connecting Highway 112 at the Elwha River with Lake Crescent (continuing onto the Spruce Railroad Trail of Olympic National Park). This part of the Olympic Discovery Trail is 3 foot-wide with a dirt and gravel surface, and is called the Adventure Route. It is intended for use by equestrians, hikers, and mountain bikers. The trail is approximately 24 miles long, and is now complete. Currently, 9.5 miles of the Adventure Route is a traditional trail and 14.5 miles follows gravel logging roads. For more information on the Olympic Discovery Trail you can look at our ODT web page or view the Peninsula Trail Coalition website.

Volunteer Opportunities

Thursday Trail Crew: The Thursday Trail Crew meets every Thursday from approximately 9am to 3pm, with lunch provided by the Peninsula Trails Coalition. The crew works on trail maintenance projects such as brush trimming, weed control, painting, fence construction and maintenance, and other duties as needed. In addition, the crew will also be constructing new trail on the Adventure Route to replace gravel road portions with a traditional trail. This 3-foot wide dirt and gravel trail is being constructed by hand - difficult but rewarding work!

Adopt-a-Trail: A minimum one year commitment is requested for these positions. Adopt-a-Trail volunteers are responsible for regular monitoring of a trail segment. They walk or bike the trail every 1 to 2 weeks picking up litter, cutting back brush, pulling and spraying weeds, and other duties as needed. Adopters report any trail damage to the Adopt-a-Trail manager or Volunteer Coordinator, as well as any illegal use.

Second Saturday: The Peninsula Trail Coalition hosts a trail maintenance work party on the Second Saturday of every month. Work could be on portions of the trail in Clallam County, City of Port Angeles, or City of Sequim as needed, and can last from 2 to 4 hours. Lunches are provided by the Peninsula Trails Coalition.



				Group and Individual Projects: Group and individual (including Eagle Scout) projects can be arranged upon request. Minimum age for group trail work is 15 years old, with parental permission required. Please try to give us as much notice as possible if you want to arrange a group project. Out of area groups are also welcome, as camping arrangements can be made. Contact Information: Contact the Volunteer Coordinator if you are interested in any of these programs. Normal duty hours for the Volunteer Coordinator are Wednesday noon to Friday.



		Lorrie Campbell 223 East Fourth Street, Suite 6 Port Angeles, WA 98362 Phone: 360-565-2606 Email: lcampbell@co.clallam.wa.us