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Commission postpones vote to remove certain road segments from county records after public access concerns
Summary
After presentations by counsel and multiple public commenters who warned the proposed record changes could affect access to state lands and emergency routes, the commission postponed two resolutions for two weeks to allow further research and public information.
The Park County Commission postponed action on two resolutions that would remove specified stretches of Adair Creek and Sheep Mountain roads from county records after extensive public comment and staff explanation. Counsel for the petitioner, Jen Nguyen, presented historical research showing the county's recorded road locations did not match a 1914 petition; she argued that some ledgered segments had never been used or maintained by the county and recommended updating the county record to reflect that.
Multiple residents and local advocates countered that the listed segments could affect public access to state lands, emergency access and fuel‑tax allocations. Erica Lighthizer of the Park County Environmental Council cited Montana statutes governing abandonment and public access and asked for more documentation before the board acted. Commissioners discussed options including marking the historical right‑of‑way for public notice and moved to postpone the resolutions two weeks to allow additional research and mapping work. "So the road in question wasn't, is not even a county road," Jen Nguyen said while summarizing the historical record, and Ms. Lighthizer later read statutory language about preserving public access.
