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. “Once we have a plan, the same program can go out and request for construction funds,” Coombs said.

Board action: A board member moved to approve signing the letter of support; another commissioner seconded the motion. The chair called for a vote and the motion passed. The meeting record does not list individual yes votes by name.

Bridge and road project updates - Epstein Bridge (Yellow Pine): Coombs said right-of-way certifications and required agreements are nearly complete and the county is awaiting final approval from Economic Development Administration staff. If approved, the county will advertise the project. Coombs said the chosen approach is to build a new structure next to the existing bridge and keep the existing bridge as a utility/historical crossing. Coombs cautioned that permits and preordering of materials mean construction is not expected this summer; he said the permits are good through the end of 2026 and the project is planned for construction in 2026.

- West Mountain / Westmount Road: Commissioners discussed using the PROTECT feasibility study to evaluate West Mountain Road, which Coombs and others identified as a possible only route out of certain areas. Coombs said a geotechnical investigation scope and estimate were recently received and a field schedule will be set once weather allows. He said the study area includes Dawn Drive past the causeway down West Mountain to Rainbow and that the consultant’s scope is currently within the county’s budget.

- East Lake Fork Road and wetlands mitigation: The East Lake Fork Road project has been on hold pending wetlands mitigation. Coombs said on-site mitigation is impractical and that buying credits from a wetlands bank is preferred. He said LTAC indicated a new wetlands bank is being formed in Valley County (south of Cascade, west of Highway 55, near Gold Dust) and that the bank could be active in 2026. Coombs said the county’s project is scheduled for 2028, which would allow time to purchase credits when the bank becomes operational.

- Norwood / Chelan route and developer contributions: Coombs noted that mitigation and road improvements tied to developer contributions may need reevaluation because an expected developer will not proceed as planned; the county will likely need to extend improvements farther to make routes viable.

- Esbridge / other constrained bridges: Coombs and commissioners discussed options for constrained bridges that will require detours during construction. Coombs said early engineering discussions with LTAC and a consultant in Greeley, Colo., produced options for the constrained sites, but he stressed that some alternatives include only the bridge structure and not approach work, and that detours and construction logistics could be costly.

Other projects and coordination - Warren Wagon guardrail project: Coombs said the LTAC highway safety program has limited, periodic appropriations and is prioritizing projects ready for construction. State and local agreements are signed and the county has issued the required match check; LTAC will administer the federal-aid consultant procurement before construction moves forward. Coombs said it will likely be mid-summer before work can start.

- Lakeshore Drive and Western Federal Lands: Coombs said a meeting on Jan. 16 identified project areas; Western Federal Lands staff plan to visit the county around April to continue project coordination.

- Gravel pit operations and CEP: Commissioners discussed a resident’s complaint about a gravel pit and whether the pit’s current operations exceed its existing conditional use permit (CEP) boundaries. Coombs said staff will follow up and work with the county planner (Cinda) on CEP status and potential updates.

What’s next: Coombs said staff will finalize the PROTECT support letter for printing and signatures, coordinate geotechnical work in spring weather, pursue wetlands credits when the bank is available in 2026, and continue advertising or preparing projects once external approvals (EDA, LTAC, federal programs) are received.

Votes at a glance - Motion to sign a letter of support for the PROTECT grant: moved by an unnamed board member, seconded by another unnamed commissioner; outcome: approved (voice vote; individual yes votes not recorded by name).

- Motion to approve meeting minutes of Feb. 3: moved and seconded; outcome: approved; Commissioner Veil abstained because he was not present for that meeting.

- Motion to enter executive session (area code referenced in the record): moved and seconded; outcome: approved by roll call (individual votes recorded as aye in the transcript; the transcript does not list a full roll-call tally of names).

Speakers quoted or referenced in this article include Director Coombs and Commissioner Thompson. The meeting also included multiple county staff participants identified in the record as Ken, Juan and Jeff.