NPS Photo by Janis Burger

Even in the wilderness of Olympic National Park, airborne pollutants may settle in high lakes and snow.

March 13 Perspectives Talk to Feature the Search for Airborne Contaminants

Pushed along by winds and storms, air pollutants can travel many miles from their source, winding up in some of the country’s most remote and pristine parks. By analyzing samples of winter snow packs, lake water, lichen, fish and sediments from high elevation lakes, experts are learning about persistent organic pollutants that may be contaminating some of the park’s watersheds.

Dr. Dixon Landers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Olympic National Park Physical Scientist Bill Baccus will discuss this ongoing project.

Perspectives programs are offered on the first Tuesday of each month from November through May and take place at 7:00 p.m. at the Olympic National Park Visitor Center in Port Angeles. 

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Olympic Volunteer Opportunities Now Listed Online

Interested in volunteering at Olympic? Check our new volunteer information pages for current opportunities.

The Queets Road has been closed by a major landslide -- that's grown larger over time -- since March 2005.

Queets Access to be Restored This Summer

The environmental analysis for restoring interim access to the upper Queets River valley has been completed and a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was released this week.

The interim access route will use existing U.S. Forest Service and Washington State Department of Natural Resources roads, along with an existing National Park Service road.

Park crews will make improvements to these existing roads, including installing a bridge, clearing the roadways, adjacent ditches and shoulders, and grading and resurfacing the roads. Restored access is anticipated sometime this summer. Once road access is available, crews will prepare the ranger station and campground for opening.

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