Grave Creek Road

Information Bulletin

GRAVE CREEK – TRAIL CREEK ROAD

May 31, 2007

Late November of 2006 a section of the Grave Creek – Trail Creek road, #114 and Therriault Lakes road, #319 were damaged as a result of a heavy rainstorm. Known damage occurred on the Kootenai National Forest near the Sons of Rest Slide, from the junction of roads #114 and #319 north a few hundred feet past Drip Creek, at Foundation Creek, and on the Flathead National Forest at Nokio Creek.

Extensive damage occurred at Drip Creek and Nokio Creek when the entire road surface over the culverts washed away and just above Drip Creek where all except 4-5 feet of the road washed away. None of these areas would currently be passable by motor vehicles.

This week a contracted engineering firm began to survey the damaged areas on the Kootenai National Forest. Following the surveys the same engineering firm will complete the engineering designs for the repairs. Once the engineering surveys and designs are completed the Forest Service will request proposals from road construction contractors to repair the road. Repairs will be done as soon as possible but may not be completed until sometime in 2008.

Repairs on the Flathead National Forest are expected to occur sometime in July. Once those repair have been completed the Grave Creek – Trail Creek road will be passable by high clearance vehicles and the existing road closure order will be modified to allow wheeled-motorized travel. The Therriault Lakes road would still be impassable and would remain under a road closure order until the repairs are completed.

The North Lincoln County Chapter of Montanans for Multiple Use have volunteered to lay filter cloth and rock on the damaged fill slope near Sons of Rest in an effort to reduce the potential for additional damage. At the same time they will be placing some sandbags in the same area in an attempt to divert a secondary stream channel away from the road and back into the original channel. The Forest Service is providing the filter cloth, staples, and rock.

The following are currently closed to wheeled-motorized travel: 1) the portion of road #114 (Grave Creek-Trail Creek Road) north of the junction of Road #114 with Trail #74 (Blue Sky Trail), to the boundary between Kootenai National Forest and Flathead National Forest; and 2) road #319 (Therriault Lakes Road) in it’s entirety.

If there are questions about these roads or the road closures please contact Betty Holder at (406) 882-4451.

Ten Lakes Scenic Area Northwest Montana

Lake Koocanusa Docks

Lake Koocanusa News

It has come to my attention that Individual boat docks on

Lake Koocanusa will no longer be allowed. Some folks feel that this

will hurt land and recreation values. It seems the Forest Service is

not really telling the Public why. It is my understanding that this

decision is a complete surprise and landowners were given

no prior information. It is also my understanding that no one was

told that there was a problem with the docks. It seems

the Forest Service is making decisions that affect individual

land owners without giving them ample notice.

Now I am sure they have a Good Reason and We would
All Like to Know what that Reason is ?

As a Local, one whose family was displaced due to the "Reservoir" Lake Koocanusa, and a Friend of People who lost gorgeous riverfront ranches so that Lake Koocanusa Could Exist I would have to say that it is an outrage to take away our use of docks on our Lake. The Corp of Engineers made promises to this community that they are not keeping. We have a giant dustbowl where a beautiful valley once lay. I grew up in "New" Rexford and cannot say I know what "Old" rexford was like but I do know that lives were changed forever and now we keep getting more taken from us. When is it enough? If you drive up to British Columbia Lake Koocanusa there are docks lined up one after the other, granted they have NO water to speak of this time of year, the docks are ready, but US who gave our Land, our Lives for this LAKE to exist cannot USE it in a way that is useful to us ? Why ? Folks - Ask Questions - Demand Answers.

To Contact the Rexford Ranger District call

Glen McNitt
District Ranger
Eureka Ranger Station
1299 Hwy 93 N.
Eureka, MT 59917
Phone: (406) 296-2536
FAX: (406) 296-7188

Also the Local Ranger Station answers to the Supervising Office
in Libby Montana, those Contacts are:

1101 Highway 2 West
Libby, MT 59923
(406) 293-6211

E-mail Complaints or Questions to
aobst@fs.fed.us

There is a Forest Feedback Form at
http://www.fs.fed.us/r1/kootenai/contact/index.shtml

FOLKS ,
YOU OWN THE
KOOTENAI NATIONAL FOREST

IF YOU know of a GREAT reason why the docks should be removed, please comment on this blog so that everybody knows. Thanks...

Border Backup

Signs of Whats to Come

Can you believe it, this is a 2 mile back up from the Roosevelt Port of Entry at 4PM on Monday May 21 2007. It is a Canadian Holiday, I feel bad for these Folks, the line seems to more than 2 hour waits for folks. This does affect the locals trying to get home. A bit unbelievable to me.

Mud Bog Eureka Montana

Eureka Montana Mud Bogs

Check Them Out off Airport Road. Look for Signs.

Eureka Montana Attorneys

Kind of Old News, but not if you don't live here ~ don't drive around or read the local paper.

2 New Attorneys in Town; I think its great. The more competition the more integrity. I look forward to healthy competition to bring things into alignment here. Good Luck Folks ~ Welcome.

Stamp Price Increase

Can you believe it ? One more bill to pay bills. With stamps over 40 cents why in the world is anybody using the Post Office. Why not online billing and online pay, paperless bill paying. They are forcing us to use the computer, its now cheaper. And to send a letter, email is so much easier, however, some like to write letters and do not want their words all over the internet. This stamp increase and gas up for the summer is too much. It is so odd that they raise the price of gas when we need it more, like raising propane in the winter when its needed for heat. Shouldn't it be the opposite ? Good Luck out there folks, Stamps at 41 cents presents a whole new world, yes its only 2 cents but it has creeped up to 41 and its not good.

Animal Shelter Closure

Closure of Eureka Animal Shelter

406-293-4040

Call FOLKs Ask Questions. Demand Answers
How Can We Have NO animal Shelter?

I know you all heard a while back about the local animal shelter closing. It seems that this closure is permanent and this is a great concern to the residence of Eureka Montana. There is no one to assist in controlling the population of animals and there is no one to control animals that run the streets. There is a local group called friends of the shelter, however day cannot bear the burden of what is the responsibility of Lincoln County. Friends at the shelter are very helpful and very resourceful. They are a group of people who help animals of the tobacco Valley year-round and now they are seeing an increased burden with no financial help, it due to the closure of the Lincoln County animal shelter.

Lincoln County must take responsibility for animal population controls in the Eureka area. The tax payers dollars goes towards this responsibility and it should not be neglected, nor should it be turned over to a nonprofit group that does not have the funds or the manpower to provide the animal control and facilities needed for Lincoln County to remedy this problem.

If you are unfamiliar with the situation read
this Eureka News Articles. Click Here.