The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had received 90 written responses by Friday, with a week left for the public to submit comments.

The appreciation for the mountain, whether from people who want to finally see the view from the top or those who think it is too special to be spoiled by people, is evident.

But the comments are light on creative suggestions as to how required public access to the mountain could be managed by the limited staff of the Mid-Columbia River National Wildlife Refuge Complex.

That’s the dilemma faced by local Fish and Wildlife workers.

The refuge complex has fewer than 30 year-round employees for eight national refuges from Mount Baker to Pendleton, including the Hanford Reach National Monument, which includes the now-closed Rattlesnake Mountain.

1 visitor services manager for 8 refuges in two states

The employees include one visitor services manager for public activities ranging from hunting to the Sandhill Crane Festival, and other employees for firefighting, maintenance, management, law enforcement, clerical work and biology services.

They must provide access required by federal law while protecting Rattlesnake Mountain’s natural resources and honoring the beliefs and traditions of area tribes that hold the mountain as sacred.

In December, Congress passed legislation requiring some type of public access to the summit of Rattlesnake Mountain, the tallest point in the Mid-Columbia at almost 3,600 feet high. But the legislation did not come with money for infrastructure improvements or more staff.

“We want to provide access,” said Dan Haas, the visitor services manager. “We’re looking for creative ideas.”

One suggestion calls for opening it a few days a year to hiking, nonmotorized biking and a shuttle to the summit. Enough staff would be available to stand guard duty and to police activities.

Another option, as used at Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, would be to restrict use of the mountain during certain weeks to allow the tribes undisturbed use. At Devil’s Tower, a restriction on climbing is voluntary.

One commenter suggested working with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to allow access to Rattlesnake Mountain through the adjacent Rattlesnake Slope Wildlife Area. It would require a hike of several miles to reach federal land, which could help control use and allow the existing gate across the road to the summit to remain locked.

Whatever decision Fish and Wildlife makes will leave some people unhappy.

“I am in total agreement of keeping horses, motor vehicles and ORVs out of the Rattlesnake Unit, except under tightly controlled and/or chaperoned conditions,” said one person who submitted a comment. Fish and Wildlife has released comments submitted so far but redacted names and addresses.

Please limit to hiking, no need for cars, motorcycles ruining the experience.

public comment on Rattlesnake Mountain access

“Please limit to hiking, no need for cars, motorcycles ruining the experience,” another person wrote. “A summit has to be EARNED by hiking it!!!”

The mountain is not like other places, said one commenter. The federal government seized the land on the north side of the mountain during World War II as part of a security buffer zone around the Hanford nuclear reservation.

“It is the only piece of shrub-steppe community left in the country that hasn’t been impacted by humans with their horses, livestock, off-road vehicles and garbage for the last 72 years,” he said. “It is probably more undisturbed than most wilderness areas.”

He suggested that the first step toward public access be eco-tours during the brief spring wildlife bloom. Fish and Wildlife has offered those in the past but halted them when the federal court ruled more consultation was needed with tribes.

Another person had very different ideas, suggesting an observatory, information center, gift shop, snack bar and restrooms at the top of the mountain with a shuttle service to reach the summit up a steep and, in places, one-lane road.

The summit is not as pristine as some believe, one commenter said. The U.S. Army reshaped the topography, installed underground fuel tanks and built barricades and buildings.

But he still wants it protected.

“I doubt casual visitors will have much appreciation of the unique beauty and exquisite balance of the ecology,” he wrote. “It is particularly difficult for me to accept the idea of hikers tromping through the bunch grass and rabbit brush. There are plenty of places they and the mountain bikers can go for a workout.”

Many of the commenters talked about their wish to stand on the summit. Several listed mountains they had hiked or climbed, including Rainier, Adams, Hood and St. Helens, and said they also wanted to climb Rattlesnake.

A common recommendation is access similar to Badger Mountain in Richland, used by an estimated 200,000 people annually. The system of volunteer support there has worked well, some commenters said.

But others said Badger serves as a warning for unrestricted Rattlesnake Mountain use. One commenter said hikers on Badger do not stay on trails, create illegal switchbacks, and have trampled and destroyed large areas of native vegetation.

Some of the comments on Rattlesnake Mountain came from those who have previously been to the summit, some through employment at Hanford and others through occasional visits allowed to an observatory that has been taken down.

As the sun set, we saw the great shadow of the mountain pass upon the Hanford Site.

public comment on Rattlesnake Mountain access

One person described his visit, writing, “As the sun set, we saw the great shadow of the mountain pass upon the Hanford Site and the city of Richland. We were able to see the northern lights that night, due to both the unobstructed elevation and the lack of light trespass.”

Another wrote that the view and perspective of the area from the summit are unmatched.

For those looking for a good view before Rattlesnake Mountain access is available, Haas said he prefers the view from the top of Saddle Mountain in the Hanford Reach National Monument on the other side of the Columbia River. Its lower elevation means less haze and fog.

The Fish and Wildlife Service will continue to accept comments on how access to Rattlesnake Mountain should be allowed and managed until Nov. 13. Send them to hanfordreach@fws.gov or to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rattlesnake Access Comments, 64 Maple St., Burbank, WA 99323.