Do "project partners" share common goal?

Document discloses Tribe's 2013 "Selected Alternative"

Many have wondered why the Dungeness Floodplain Restoration's project partner, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe (JST), is opposed to reopening Towne Road.  A newly discovered document suggests that the Tribe considered closing this vital link between communities since at least 2013. It begs the question, are project partners Clallam County and JST working toward the same goal?

As recently as January, JST submitted a letter to the commissioners asking that the completion of Towne Road be paused until traffic and pedestrian data can be collected.  Before that, in October of last year, JST requested that the county delay the opening of Towne Road by at least three years so the roadbed could serve as an "outdoor classroom."  Earlier in 2023, JST's Habitat Program Manager suggested that a “popular movement” be started to convert the road into a park -- two days later, flyers were circulated suggesting that the roadbed was a trail, and a county employee warned the DCD and Commissioner Ozias that the flyers were misleading.  However, the act that closed Towne Road (a road that was never to be closed for even one day), occurred in the spring of 2022 when JST breached the old dike ahead of schedule before project partner, Clallam County, had constructed the new levee -- Towne Road was closed because without the dike, it was at risk of flooding.  

In April 2013, JST commissioned a "Dungeness River Channel Design Project, 60 Percent Design Report'' from consultant Cardno ENTRIX, Inc.  The report claims that it was developed in conjunction with both the Tribe and Clallam County and its stated project goals are consistent with restoring the floodplain and increasing salmon populations.  One section is labeled "Proposed Alternatives" but more interesting is the section labeled "Selected Alternative":

The selected alternative stated, "Towne Road would be terminated near the north end of the removed levee in order to provide maintenance access to the remaining portion of the existing USACE [United States Army Corps of Engineers] levee.  Access gates would be installed at all points to the new and old levees.  Additionally, a gravel access road would be provided along the south portion of the new levee in order to allow continued access to a private property that will be cut off from Towne Road by the Project."

The corresponding map shows the selected alternative; a scenario where Towne Road is closed to traffic and gates have been installed blocking access to the county road.

Interestingly, at least 11 years ago, the Tribe had considered completely removing Towne Road between East Anderson Road and the Creamery.  This original plan, when compared to recent communication and actions from Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, suggests that Clallam County's project partner is working toward a different outcome.

The 2013 report, commissioned by JST, is available on Clallam County’s website.

As a side note, the “Towne Road Timeline” has been updated with email correspondence from Commissioner Ozias between March 28th and June 8th of 2023. The lack of transparency is evident when read chronologically.