It’s been more than two years since the epic flood of 2006 wreaked havoc on Washington’s national forests. More storm damage in Olympic and Mount Baker-Snoqualmie national forests dates as far back as 2003.

But thanks to more than $7 million in federal funding the forests can start fixing trails, damaged roads and other projects this year.

The Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region approved $10.3 million in projects last month, with most of the funds going to Olympic and Mount-Baker Snoqualmie national forests. The money was originally appropriated by Congress in September.

“The Olympic National Forest has been hit hard over the past several years, and these dollars are welcome as we make these much-needed improvements,” said Olympic supervisor Dale Hom in a prepared statement.

Of the $4.6 million going to Olympic National Forest, $4.1 million will go to road repair. According to a statement released by the Forest Service, Olympic will remove 31 miles of roads and upgrade eight culverts and one bridge to improve nine miles of road. The project is expected to take three years.

The trail improvements in Olympic include rerouting and removing blown-down trees on the Quinault National Recreation Trail; rerouting, resurfacing and adding signage to the Quinault Rain Forest Interpretive Trail and resurfacing and removing blown down trees on the Bogachiel Rain Forest Trail.

Olympic will also fix roofs on seven administrative buildings in the Quinault area and fix three campgrounds. Olympic officials expect trail and facility work to be finished by next year.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie is focusing on spending its $2.7 million on “sustainable fixes,” forest supervisor Rob Iwamoto said in a prepared statement.

Mount Baker-Snoqualmie will spend $2 million road repairs including building three new bridges. The forest plans to remove nine miles of road. According to a statement the road is no longer needed for public or management access.

The road repair, scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, will restore access to the Glacier Peak Wilderness trailheads.

“Repairing roads and removing other roads will reduce the risk of future road failures, control road-related sediment production and restore riparian vegetation, all of which will improve water quality and fish habitat,” Amy Lieb of Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest said in a prepared statement.

The nearly $700,000 in trail repair funding will help repair popular routes like Skookum Flats trail near Greenwater.

Other trails on the fix list include the Suiattle River, Pacific Crest, North Fork Sauk, Baker Lake, West Cady Ridge/Pass Creek, Whitechuck Bench and Iron Goat trails.

Craig Hill: 253-597-8497

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