Valley County signs support letter for $5 million wildfire-resiliency grant, hears updates on bridges and roads

Valley County commissioners on Feb. 10 approved a letter of support for a multi-county PROTECT grant intended to assess and protect infrastructure from wildfire damage and related hazards.

The support letter will let LTAC administer the application for a program the county was told could total about $5,000,000 across three counties. Director Coombs said the grant would fund a countywide feasibility study to identify infrastructure — “It could be culverts. It could be roadways,” Coombs said — and that the study could later support requests for construction funding.

The PROTECT grant and the board's vote were among several infrastructure items discussed at the meeting. The updates covered the Epstein Bridge at Yellow Pine, West Mountain/Westmount Road, East Lake Fork Road, wetlands mitigation credits, Warren Wagon guardrail work, and Lakeshore Drive work with Western Federal Lands.

Why it matters: County staff described the PROTECT program as a staged effort: first hire a consultant to complete a feasibility plan for the county; then use that plan to pursue construction funds for critical routes and crossings. The county’s role, Coombs said, is to provide a support letter and work with LTAC (the Local Transportation Advisory Council) as LTAC administers the application and any subsequent actions.

Grant and administrative details Director Coombs told commissioners LTAC asked Valley County to provide a support letter so LTAC can administer the application for the three-county grant and manage consultant hiring if the grant moves forward. Coombs said LTAC will take an administrative fee for the program.…