DNRC renovates Richard's Peak

Matt Unrau

Valley Press

With the help of grant money the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation(DNRC) is making much needed improvements on the Richards Peak lookout.

In 2007 Dale Peters applied for a grant through the Secure Rural School and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000. The project was then accepted by the Sanders County Resource Advisory Committee(RAC). RAC selects and implements projects for the county that are funded by the federal government.

The funding secured $40,000 for the renovation of the lookout. This money is divided into $23,000 for repair of the lookout and $17,000 for a new outhouse.

The lookout was originally built in the late 1940s and has  yet to be renovated.

Among its most pressing problems was a weather beaten and rotten walkway and stairs, flooring consisting of dried out and loose square tiles and siding with numerous holes caused by rats. On top of this the lookout needed a new heater and refrigerator.

“It hadn’t been maintained for years. It was falling in disrepair and we found a mechanism to secure additional funding to catch up on badly needed repairs,” says  Peters.

The DNRC only uses the lookout about 10 weeks in a year covering the fire happy months of July and August and in times of high fire danger, but due to its location on top of  a mountain the lookout takes a beating from the weather.

“It’s just exposure to the elements for 20 plus years,” says Calvin Minemeyer. In the winter the lookout has 8-10 feet of snowload on it. This year the DNRC wasn’t able to get up there because of the snow until June 15.

The lookout oversees the area from the Thompson Lakes to Big Hole. It is accessible by car with a 1 1/2 hour drive ranging 60 miles. With the addition of a new heater and refrigerator, a person will be able to stay on Richard’s Peak for up to two weeks. The DNRC doesn’t mandate lookouts to stay overnight, but many choose to do so in order to save gas and time by not traveling over the rough road each day.

The project started on June 15, and the DNRC will be done with the entire renovation by the end of September.

The vaulted outhouse will be put in sometime this week.