Public works seeks $40,000 lodging-tax match for Forks Clallam River Park trail and bridge design

Public-works staff told the county Sept. 15 they will ask the City of Forks to contribute roughly $40,000 from lodging-tax funds to help satisfy the county’s local match obligations for engineering and consultant work on the Forks Clallam River Park–Sol Duc segment of the Olympic Discovery Trail.

The project includes about one mile of trail and a multi-user bridge crossing of approximately 150 feet. Staff said the county moved to a consultant-led design because in-house capacity was insufficient for geotechnical, environmental and bridge engineering work. The lodging-tax request is intended as a local community buy-in because the segment lies within the Forks city limits and serves tourism and recreation uses.

“What this consists of is a multi-user trail bridge as part of the ODT and about a mile or so of Olympic Discovery Trail on the north side of the river,” a public-works presenter said. Staff said the county also has approximately $300,000 in a local trust or reserve (referenced in session as an available trust amount) that can be applied in later phases for construction, once engineering is complete and construction estimates are known.

Staff said the county will seek federal construction funds and other grants after completing engineering; the lodging-tax contribution would be a small portion of total matching requirements and help demonstrate local support. The board signaled support and staff said they will submit the lodging-tax application and bring any required contract items to a future meeting.

Next steps: Public Works will submit the lodging-tax application to the City of Forks and continue consultant procurement and design work in 2026.