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Sweetgrass Conservation District asks Park County to coordinate on Box Canyon bridge repairs
Summary
Mark Thompson of the Sweetgrass Conservation District told the Park County Commission the district has preliminary engineering and is exploring funding—including an Army Corps "5.95" fund and Montana road-and-bridge funding—and invited county staff and commissioners to a coordination meeting at the USDA service center on the 1st at 1:00 p.m.
Mark Thompson, representing the Sweetgrass Conservation District, used the commission's public-comment period on Sept. 23 to seek county involvement and funding coordination for multiple washed-out bridges above Box Canyon.
Thompson said the district has done preliminary work and engaged engineers who provided ballpark estimates and options for repairs. "We've been exploring some funding options," he told commissioners, and cited "one of the grants is a $5.95 grant through the Army Corps leftover money," phrasing the program as it was described in the meeting.
The conservation district is also pursuing a Montana program for roads and bridges (referred to in the discussion as MSEP, historically TSEP). Thompson said some fund administrators questioned whether the conservation district counts as a government entity for the purpose of passing funds, and that county involvement would likely be required to access some programs. He asked that county staff attend a coordination meeting set for "right at the USDA service center just across from the fork there" at 1:00 p.m. on the 1st to discuss engineers' findings and responsibilities for project approvals.
Thompson said the conservation district and local recreation stakeholders have visited the sites and that getting approvals from involved parties is the primary barrier to moving from planning to construction. "We can find some funding to get things done, but it's more or less getting okays for everybody else to do it," he said.
Why it matters
The bridges discussed provide access across waterways in the West Boulder/Box Canyon area and were described as washed out; engineering and funding decisions will determine whether repairs proceed quickly or require further grant coordination. Thompson framed the meeting as a coordination request rather than a request for immediate county funding.
What comes next
Thompson and the conservation district will hold a coordination meeting; county staff indicated they would follow up about attendance and appropriate department involvement. Commissioners did not make a decision during the public-comment period; staff follow-up and potential agenda items would be required for formal county action.
