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Committee seeks clarification after conflicting advice on horses riding through Port Angeles section of Discovery Trail
Summary
Committee members heard that a sheriff's department review says horses are allowed on the Discovery Trail through Port Angeles, contradicting an earlier city presentation suggesting a city ordinance restricts horses in some waterfront areas; staff said they will research and report back.
Jennifer Rialdo, a horsemen‑at‑large representative, said she obtained confirmation from law enforcement that horses are permitted to remain on the Olympic Discovery Trail (ODT) through Port Angeles. Rialdo told the committee she was directed to the sheriff’s department, which provided paperwork indicating horses are allowed to continue through the city on the Discovery Trail.
Committee members recalled a prior Port Angeles presentation in which a city representative had described a local ordinance that restricts horses from a specific area, including the waterfront trail. A committee member said the city presentation led to confusion among equestrian users about whether they must reroute.
A committee member and a city representative said they would follow up. "I found an ordinance in the city of Port Angeles restricts horses from a very specific area and specifically needs Waterfront Trail," one city representative told the committee; another committee member asked the city to email the ordinance so the group could compare documentation.
The committee requested that staff verify the current applicable law and ordinance text and report back; members asked for whatever official documentation (city ordinance or sheriff’s department guidance) is available so the committee can advise equestrian users accurately.
No formal policy change was made at the meeting; the issue remains under review pending receipt of the ordinance and any sheriff’s department paperwork.
