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Lincoln County seeks federal conveyances to free up grants and local projects
Summary
County officials told Senator Shei's new staffer they are seeking Forest Service conveyances for a shooting range, Troy airport and a community hall to ease permitting, access grants and simplify long-term management; the effort has incurred about $27,000 in legal fees and no formal decision was made at the meeting.
County officials pressed Senator Shei’s office to help advance requests for federal land conveyances that they said would make it easier to obtain grants and perform routine maintenance on local facilities.
“What it is is we made a request to Dana's office for a land conveyance… we’ve got an attorney out of DC, Alan Freier, who’s representing us,” a county participant said, adding the county has spent roughly $27,000 on legal fees so far. Officials said three parcels are priorities: the Libby shooting range (operated under a Forest Service special-use permit by the Libby Rod and Gun Club), the Forest Service-owned Troy airport that the county manages under contract, and a community hall in a nearby settlement the speaker called “the Yak,” where lease terms currently block basic upgrades such as installing a septic system.
The county official said Forest Service processes make even small projects challenging. “For them to do anything… they’ve got to jump through all the Forest Service red tape. I mean just to build a deck on the building that they have there has been nothing but a hassle,” the participant said, arguing that ownership — rather than management — prevents local governments and community groups from accessing many grants.
Riley Larson, who introduced herself as a new staff member for Senator Shei, said she would share the county’s materials with state and Washington, D.C., staff and follow up after she has completed an initial orientation.
Officials also discussed potential future additions to conveyance requests, such as a West Coin fire hall parcel, and stressed they may need to pause the DC lawyer engagement if more funding isn’t available. No formal motion or vote occurred during the meeting.
If conveyed, county leaders said, the parcels would likely be folded into county park or fire district management to improve grant eligibility and reduce permitting friction.
The county said it will continue working with state and federal offices and with counsel in D.C. to determine next steps and funding options for the conveyance effort.
