Commissioners hear about developments in Mineral County

SUPERIOR – During the County Commissioner’s weekly meeting Thursday, a newly formed group addressed the commissioners along with updates from the Mineral County Airport board. The group is working on turning the old Milwaukee road into a recreation area.

During the discussion Brook Lincoln, a representative of the Nightriders snowmobile club, described a project where the Forest Service has worked to turn the old Milwaukee railway’s route through Mineral County into a recreation area. However, problems turned up with the project’s completion because the Forest Service did not own most of the parcels.

Lincoln also addressed the founding of the tentatively named Friends of the Olympian and their goal to raise money to purchase and fix the Saltese trestle along with other projects for outdoor recreation along the railway’s route.

“I see this group…as a bunch of individuals coming together to represent their certain interests,” Lincoln said. “Having an end result that works for everybody, instead of picking and fighting [over money].”

The trestle is the last one needed for the club and Forest Service to repair and include in the new recreation area. Lincoln related the history of the Nightriders purchasing the trestle from JHD Holdings. The club arranged to buy the trestle this last summer and began raising money to make the purchase for an estimated cost of $1 million to make repairs and bring it up to standards.

Plans were laid by the Forest Service to turn the route into a recreation area for hiking, bicycling, equestrian and ATV use. The Forest Service has been at work to lay out gravel on parts of the route for easier access by hikers and horses. Some areas have also been converted for use as parking and trailheads to other paths off the main route.

According to Lincoln, there have also been issues of private property. In these cases, there could be problems with travel through a person’s land as well as the types of activities allowed in these areas. There were also a few questions about ways to mark the parts of the route in Idaho from those in Montana.

Since approximately 2001 and 2002, groups have worked to purchase land, repair trestles and complete other assorted tasks as part of the project.

The Olympian refers to the main locomotive, which ran on the old Milwaukee railway near Saltese, Haugan and DeBorgia. The project involving the Route of the Olympian is part of a Forest Service plan, which began in 2009 to create more seasonal recreation areas through the west end of Mineral County.

Along with the establishment of a new recreation area, more improvements were discussed by representatives from the Mineral County Airport board.

Also discussed in the meeting was an update to the commissioners, the board’s representatives sought preliminary approval to change the materials used in a construction project at the airport. The project, funded by the Federal Aviation Administration, was for the construction of a new aircraft hanger, which would better stand up against winter weather. The project would replace the airport’s current wood hanger with a metal structure.

According to Steve Temple, chairman of the airport board, this change would ensure money was left over after the completion of the project. He requested the commissioner’s approval to have this money put into savings for future projects.

Temple said the FAA would need to approve the changes to the plan, but did not see it as a problem.

“[The FAA’s] rules and regulations are really concerned about the foundation and floor,” he said. “The other stuff, the frame up, they’re not so concerned about.”

The board’s other piece of business was the announcement of plans to apply for a Montana Department of Transportation, Aeronautics Department grant given to airports in Montana. According to Temple, two cents of every gallon of fuel is taxed and placed in a fund, which is allocated to Montana airports for projects.

If granted, it is expected the board would receive $2,000 for a new car to be used by visitors who fly into the airport. According to Temple, the airport’s current car is in poor condition and needs to be replaced. Travelers who fly into the airport to visit, but do not have local transportation, use the airport car to get around town and the county.

“If we get someone flying in that wants to evaluate [and] visit the community, and they bring their Bonanza in here with their two decision makers and get in our airport car, they’re not going to be too impressed,” Temple said.

Temple said he had been in contact with a dealer in Plains who had some cars he would be able to sell for around $2,000. The dealer said these cars were approximately 10 years old and most were not four-wheel drive.

“He said [they] get some fairly decent cars they’re just not very marketable,” Temple said. “They’re typically two-wheel or front wheel drive…just not an in-demand four-wheel drive car.”

The commissioners took the board’s requests under consideration, but made no decisions during the meeting on whether to grant permission for saving the extra funds or the purchase of a new airport car.