Jefferson County officials announce state-backed repair plan for Upper Hoh Road; private match and community fundraising required

The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners on March 10 said a state funding package is available to repair the Upper Hoh Road but that the award requires a private match and quick fundraising before contractors can be hired.

County officials told residents that the Washington State Department of Commerce is the source of the grant and that federal emergency highway funds administered through the Washington State Department of Transportation were not available. “The answer has been unequivocally no from the Federal Highway Administration,” the Chair, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners, said, adding that the governor has pledged public funding to help the repair.

Why it matters: the Upper Hoh Road provides western access to the Hoh River and to national park lands used by local businesses and visitors. Commissioners and residents said repairing the road before spring and summer is important to preserve visitor access and local economic activity.

Officials described the funding arrangement and the next steps. The chair said the state commerce award “requires a private match of 5 to $20,000” and that county public-works staff “has already talked to the contractors and already has funding to hire the contractor.” The chair added that the county will not sign a contract until the match is secured and that the private fundraising is intended to “free up the over $600,000 in public funding that the governor has pledged to do this repair.”

Residents who spoke during the meeting described active fundraising and frustration over inconsistent messaging. Anna Machu, an Upper Hoh Road resident, said local donors had raised about $4,000 in pledges and that communication about whether the required match was $5,000 or $20,000 caused “immense” confusion. “Transparency brings trust,” Machu said, urging clearer, timely updates to residents and businesses collecting pledges.

Lizzie Andros, who said her group in Forks had compiled $12,000 in local pledges, urged speed. “I’m hoping we can get this done quickly, and I appreciate all y’all’s hard work,” she said.

Shelly Yarnell Brennan said many of those most affected are also the most active in fundraising and again pressed for clearer county communications about donated equipment offers and the fundraising process.

County staff provided practical details for collecting private contributions. The chair said pledges would suffice for the match and asked residents to send checks or pledge information to a county P.O. box in Port Townsend; the chair said a small amount had already been received and that officials were compiling donor lists with staff and lawmakers’ offices.

Discussion vs. decision: commissioners described a funding path and staff preparatory work but did not take a formal action or vote at the meeting. The county’s public works team was described as ready to sign and begin work once the private match requirement is satisfied.

The meeting included repeated appeals from residents for frequent, clear updates on the target match amount, the status of contractor agreements, and the mechanics for delivering donated funds or pledges.

Looking ahead: officials said they would continue to solicit private donations to meet the match requirement and to coordinate with the governor’s office, the state Department of Commerce, and local stakeholders to finalize contracting and schedule repairs.