Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Infrastructure Repairs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sweetgrass Conservation District representative urges Park County to back repairs for washed‑out Box Canyon bridges
Summary
Mark Thompson of the Sweetgrass Conservation District told commissioners on Sept. 23 that bridges leading toward Box Canyon were washed out, that his group has preliminary engineering and billing estimates, and that they are pursuing funding including an Army Corps '5.95' grant and state MSEP/TSEP programs; he invited county staff to a meeting Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.
Mark Thompson, representing the Sweetgrass Conservation District, asked the Park County Commission on Sept. 23 to support repair work for a series of washed‑out bridges toward Box Canyon, saying volunteers and local partners have completed preliminary work and cost estimates.
"One of the grants is a $5.95 grant through the army corps leftover money," Thompson told the commission, describing one potential funding source administered regionally. He said the group has also explored state programs (formerly TSEP, now referenced in the record as MSEP) and has engineers who prepared ballpark billings to guide decisions.
Thompson said the Sweetgrass Conservation District had coordinated with Park County Conservation District staff and that it would be more logistically efficient for his group to carry out some repairs. He invited county representatives to a meeting at the USDA service center "just across from the fork" on Oct. 1 at 1:00 p.m. to review engineering options and possible funding pathways.
Why it matters: the bridges Thompson described provide access for recreation and local use; repairs will require interagency coordination and funding commitments. Thompson noted one administrative complication: some fund administrators may not treat a conservation district as a government entity for eligibility, which could affect how applications are routed and whether the county must act as a sponsor.
Next steps: Thompson said engineers and local stakeholders will present options at the Oct. 1 meeting; county staff indicated they would follow up with the conservation district. The article reports the grant and dollar phrases as they were spoken in the meeting record; amounts and program eligibility should be verified with grant administrators before relying on them for budgeting or contract work.
