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Commissioners draft management plan for River's End 6/15/04 Port Angeles, WA - Clallam County commissioners think they may have come up with the frame work of an agreement to manage a handful of properties at the mouth of the Dungeness River, and begin to settle a controversy that has simmered for years. The county has already purchased 4 or 5 properties in the small development known as “River’s End” and hopes to purchase more in the near future. The idea is to remove dwellings that county officials say are in “harm’s way” when the Dungeness floods, and improve salmon and wildlife habitat at the same time. But beyond buying some of the River’s End parcels, the county hasn’t been certain on how those lands will be managed in the years to come. This week, commissioners reviewed the framework of a “memorandum of understanding” where the county, Department of Fish and Wildlife, other state agencies and the tribe would work together to overcome obstacles that could block work for any one agency. That includes steps like demolishing existing buildings, removing septic systems and restoring habitat. Commissioner Steve Tharinger says the agreement, if finalized this week, would implement the next phase of the project. He says the long-term management of the parcels must still be worked out, but the county is hoping to find a third-party that could handle that assignment.
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