LAPUSH — Talks between the Quileute tribe and Olympic National Park have taken a step backward.
The tribe notified park representatives in a Jan. 27 letter that they are preparing to start exercising their ownership rights to Rialto Beach, and possibly limiting access to the site.
For more than 50 years, the tribe and park have disputed the northern boundary of the reservation along Rialto Beach.
Currently, the tribe controls the breakwater south of Rialto Beach.
The eight acres of beach in question contains a parking lot owned by the park.
The tribe has already closed access to the breakwater south of Rialto Beach and trailhead to Second Beach after a proposed land swap with the park went awry last fall.
The Second Beach trail crosses into park land.
The tribe initiated the land swap in 2005 to obtain higher ground so that the center of its village — containing many homes, the tribal school and senior center — could be moved out of a tsunami zone.
January offer
In January, the tribe offered to relinquish its claim to the eight acres at Rialto Beach and grant permanent access to Second Beach in exchange for higher ground along the reservation’s southern boundary that is of equal value.
Quileute Tribal Chairman Russell Woodruff Sr. said the offer was proposed so both the northern boundary dispute and tribe’s need for higher land could be resolved simultaneously.
Olympic National Park spokeswoman Barb Maynes said negotiating the long-standing boundary dispute and request for higher land at the same time was a new request, and extra time would be required in reaching a resolution.
