OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK – Hurricane Ridge will be the site of the first phase of the mountain goat capture and translocation program, starting September 10TH and ending on the 21ST.
The Visitor Center and most of the trails in the immediate area will remain open during that time, but the road will be closed beyond Picnic Area A beginning September 5.
The population of goats on Klahhane Ridge will be the top priority for capture this year due to heavy visitor use and frequent interactions with mountain goats in the area. The Park’s Penny Wagner says visitors should keep an eye out for flying goats during the operation.
Mountain goats are not native to the Olympic Peninsula. They were introduced in the 1920’s by hunting groups before the National Park was established. This translocation effort will move the captured goats to their native habitat in the North Cascades Mountain Wilderness, where their numbers are dwindling. Another phase of capture is scheduled for the summer of 2019.