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National Park Service seeks county 'expression of support' to pursue due diligence on in‑park land offers
Summary
The National Park Service asked the Fowl County commissioners for a nonbinding "expression of support" allowing NPS to spend due‑diligence funds (appraisals, title checks, hazardous‑materials reviews) on private parcels located within the legislative boundary of Olympic National Park; commissioners agreed to let NPS proceed but said a formal letter would come later if acquisitions become viable.
The National Park Service asked the Fowl County Board for a nonbinding “expression of support” to let the agency expend due‑diligence funds on private parcels inside the legislative boundary of Olympic National Park.
The request came from Trudy Stella, Realty Officer for the National Park Service’s Pacific West Region, and Sula Jacobs, identified in the meeting as the park superintendent. Stella said the secretarial order 3442 requires a later formal letter of support from county and state authorities before any acquisition, but that NPS is asking now only for permission to pursue title reviews, appraisals and environmental checks so it can determine whether voluntary seller offers are viable.
Commissioners responded that they were comfortable allowing NPS to conduct due diligence on willing sellers. One commissioner said they would likely be wary of supporting acquisitions of usable, developed houses without more detail, but did not want to impede the early investigative work Stella described. Board members asked that if the process moves toward a purchase, NPS return with parcel‑specific information and request a formal letter of support at a public meeting.
Stella emphasized that all inquiries are from willing private landowners and that the parcels lie fully within the park’s long‑established boundary; she said NPS would respect landowners’ requests for anonymity while appraisals and other work are completed.
The board directed staff to treat the agency’s request as an early‑stage expression of support and to expect a subsequent, formal letter request if any transactions reach the acquisition stage. No formal vote or final acquisition decision was made during the work session.
