MCRAG discusses next step in project negotiations

SUPERIOR – In a meeting with the Mineral County Resource Advisory Group, the Mineral County Commissioners discussed their next course of action in attempts to get the regional forester’s help on various projects.

Over the last few months the county commissioners and MCRAG have sent a number of letters to Faye Krueger, the regional forester, about the lack of progress on the Cedar Thom project as well as the West Mullan Fire cleanup.

The forest cleanup and road maintenance project has been slowed down after several lawsuits were filed over possible environmental impacts to the area. The West Mullan Fire cleanup is a project to salvage usable wood left over from the June 2013 fire and begin restoring the area.

Letters to Krueger asked her to help with getting both projects started quickly. The letters either went unanswered or had a noncommittal response given. Angelo Ververis, a member of MCRAG, suggested the commissioners request an in-person meeting with Krueger to discuss the issues.

“My personal opinion is face to face gets more done than letters,” said Ververis. “I don’t think we want to stop with the letter campaign but it’s gotten to the point that we want to set up with [Krueger] and go over all the stuff we discussed in the last letter.”

Ververis said one possibility was to ask Krueger to meet with the commissioners in Superior. However, he acknowledged how difficult it could be to arrange out of town meetings and had an alternative. It was suggested the commissioners and MCRAG could go to Missoula themselves if Krueger could not come to Superior.

There was some concern raised over the possible show of submission in the group going to Krueger’s office rather than bringing her to Mineral County. Many in the group felt if they went to Missoula, it put Krueger in charge and gave her all the power. To maintain the power play and give a show of strength, the commissioners would want to have her on their turf.

It was agreed it would be best to have Krueger come to Superior, even if it required a special meeting be held to accommodate her schedule.

It was suggested the county could bring in its own National Environmental Protection Agency team to investigate the area of the West Mullan Fire. The idea was devised after the Lookout Pass Ski Area hired their own team to look at the environmental impact of their plan to expand the ski runs. This could be presented to the Forest Service as an alternative to pulling one of their teams from projects.

Dennis Hildebrand, another member of MCRAG, said the commissioners had to be the ones to talk to the forester’s office. While MCRAG could be present as well, if the commissioners presented the private NEPA team idea it would be seen as more official and taken more seriously.

Also discussed in the meeting was a letter to Krueger requesting help to purchase and restore the Saltese trestle to be used in the Route of the Olympian. The Route is a recreational trail being created by the Forest Service along the path of a historic railroad. The main locomotive used on the railroad was the Olympian.

The main problem has been in the costs associated with buying the trestle. The cost to repair it was quoted as more expensive than the asking price for the trestle itself.

The commissioners signed the letters to Krueger and agreed to have copies sent to Governor Bullock as well as the various legislators.