Contrast this:

I firmly believe the park will not be successful unless the communities around it are successful," new ONP superintendent Sarah Creachbaum said. "Make those relationships before you need those relationships." "When you work with anybody whose experiences are different than yours, it behooves you to shut up and listen for a while."
 

With this:

 

“Given the current park budget and weekend popularity of Hurricane Ridge, providing visitor access on the three busiest days of the week makes good sense and complements the variety of other recreational opportunities that Olympic National Park and the Olympic Peninsula offer.” -ONP response to “Why does it cost so much?”

This decision was made by a handful of senior ONP staff, none of whom have been at ONP for more than five years. In contrast, the City of Port Angeles, Clallam County Commissioners, Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce, Port Angeles Business Association, Port Angeles Downtown Association, Sequim Chamber of Commerce, Peninsula Bed and Breakfast Association, as well as many individuals all are on record supporting EVERY DAY access to Hurricane Ridge, and believe strongly enough to donate money to make it happen. Who has more credibility in determining what “complements the variety of other recreational opportunities that the Olympic Peninsula offer?

 

Another important distiction is that through a series of land use decisions including the 1984 creation of the Buckhorn Wilderness there is no other viable access to winter recreation on the Olympic Peninsula.  The 1984 Buckhorn designation was created while the road to Hurricane Ridge was open seven days a week and there was no reason to think that would change.