PORT ANGELES — Funding for Hurricane Ridge Day Lodge repair received a big boost with its inclusion in the White House’s $56 billion domestic supplemental budget request.
The request released Wednesday includes $375 million specifically to repair and rebuild federal facilities, roads, and other assets that were damaged as a result of severe snowstorms in California and fires in Washington state, including the May 7 fire that destroyed the Hurricane Ridge Lodge, according to Sen. Patty Murray’s office.
Murray, D-Seattle, had asked the Biden Administration to include $80 million, the estimated cost of repairs, planning, and construction of the interim and long-term facilities at Hurricane Ridge. That amount would be included in the $375 million.
Although passage of the funding is not a done-deal, with both Murray, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, and the Biden Administration making Hurricane Ridge funding a priority, it looks hopeful, according to Murray’s office.
“Senator Murray’s staff has had multiple conversations with the administration,” which has expressed support for the funding, according to Murray’s office.
“We know and understand the supplemental funding request includes funds to rebuild Hurricane Ridge.”
The request from the White House will no doubt go through many changes before it makes its way through the Senate and House, but “having this funding in supplemental request is an important acknowledgement in that Hurricane Ridge is a priority.”
If approved as it moves through the Senate and House — where Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, has expressed support for funding — it could be in place by early next year.
Currently, contractors and park staff are clearing debris from the original structure, according to Olympic National Park personnel.
Crews have already connected power, water and sewer to the winter operations trailers and are finishing the utilities trenching and connecting buried fiber to the radio station.
“Barring unforeseen delays, we expect to reopen the Ridge for winter recreation after Thanksgiving,” the park said.
Said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sula Jacobs: “We are so proud of everything our park team and partners have achieved at Hurricane Ridge this summer. In the span of a few months, we rebounded from a devastating loss to visitor services to, in all likelihood, being able to offer winter recreation at the Ridge.
“We understand the administration has included replacement costs in its recent supplemental appropriations request and are prepared to execute the next action in this step-by-step process.”
Murray said that after visiting Hurricane Ridge in August to see the damage from the fire, “I took what I heard during that visit directly to the Biden administration, to make sure the President’s team understood what an important priority this was for Washington state and especially our communities in the Olympic Peninsula.
“I’m really glad this critical funding for Hurricane Ridge — which will enable the design and construction of a new permanent lodge, as well as interim facilities — was included in the President’s supplemental funding request, and as chair of the Appropriations Committee,” Murray continued.
”I’ll be working hard to get this funding across the finish line for the hikers, visitors, and communities nearby who rely on and cherish Olympic National Park,” Murray said.
Hurricane Ridge had been closed in March for an $11 million renovation project on the 1950s-era lodge. In May, a fire burned the structure to the ground. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The site was closed but was reopened with limited capacity in June. It was closed again this month for work to be done on the site.
Hurricane Ridge is located 17 miles south of Port Angeles on Hurricane Ridge Road, off Mount Angeles Road. It receives about 2,500 visitors a day in the summer and 500 visitors daily in winter, park personnel said.
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Executive Editor Leah Leach can be reached at 360-417-3530 or at leah.leach@peninsuladailynews.com.
