Untitled Document

Eclipse, airstrips, byway highlight May meeting of
Idaho Transportation Board

AExtending the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway by 40 miles, a discussion of four backcountry airstrips in the Frank Church Wilderness, and concerns about aggressive driving during the upcoming August eclipse, were highlights of the monthly meeting of the Idaho Transportation Board in Pocatello May 17-18.

Tour
The board toured District 5 May 17.

During its visit to Premier Technology in Blackfoot, the board saw large components manufactured at the site, as officials expressed concern with an old steel truss bridge on the local system that may impede shipping large components. Blackfoot’s mayor said he has been working on possible funding options to replace the structure, as it is important to the economy.

The tour also included an overview on the new weigh-in-motion system at the Inkom Port of Entry. In addition to enhancing economic opportunity by allowing most truckers with transponders to bypass the port, the system is a safety feature, because trucks used to back up on the ramps waiting to get through the port.

Hells Canyon Scenic Byway
At its business meeting in Pocatello May 18, the board approved extending the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway in District 3.

The extension includes Idaho 71 from Cambridge west to the Brownlee Dam and the 12-mile stretch of road from Brownlee Dam to Oxbow, Oregon, owned and maintained by Idaho Power. The expansion will encompass an additional 40 miles, making the entire length of the byway 258 miles.

The Byway Advisory Committee, Washington County, the Payette National Forest, and District 3 support the extension request. The expansion is expected to promote economic development in the area, but will not require funding from ITD. Local funding and support will help sustain, promote and maintain the byway.

District 5 Highway Safety Presentation
Bingham County Sheriff Craig Rowland said he is working to establish a Driving Under Impairment (DUI) Task Force in eastern Idaho, and so far has commitments from about 10 counties to participate. The task force hopes to conduct 12 campaigns annually, especially during major events like the Eastern Idaho State Fair.

Sheriff Rowland expressed concerns with the attraction the solar eclipse is drawing to eastern Idaho, which is directly in the path of the eclipse. The region expects a large number of visitors for this event in August. Although no one knows how many visitors will come to the area, some projections are nearly two million people. Officials are working together to prepare for the eclipse, and to collaborate on efforts on the general safety of the visitors. ITD has been involved in the discussions and planning efforts. Rowland added that law enforcement will be out in full force, with a focus on aggressive driving.

Big Creek 4 Airstrips
Discussions have been occurring on four airstrips in the Frank Church Wilderness. The airstrips, Dewey Moore, Simonds, Mile Hi, and Vines, are known as the Big Creek 4. The United States Forest Service has jurisdiction on the airstrips, but it prefers to not maintain them and designate them for emergency use only. Other entities, including the Idaho Department of Fish and Game and the Idaho Aviation Association, would like the airstrips maintained and open for public use. These parties were invited to provide information to the board and share their perspectives on the issue.

According to the Central Idaho Wilderness Act of 1980, the Forest Service cannot close the airstrips that are in regular use without concurrence from the state. It was noted that there is no definition of “regular use.” As part of the process to establish a management plan for the Wilderness, including the four specific airstrips, the Forest Service determined that the Big Creek 4 airstrips were not in regular use, so the strips are not being maintained as facilities open to the public.

The Department of Fish and Game said access to the wilderness is critical to its responsibilities that include wildlife management. It believes the airstrips should be open for public use. It also emphasized that the director of ITD in the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Wilderness Act was enacted, submitted documents stating that the airstrips inside the wilderness area should remain open for public access. This position coincides with then-Governor Cecil Andrus’s position.

The Idaho Aviation Association believes the Forest Service’s position that the Big Creek 4 airstrips were not in regular use around 1980 is inaccurate. A flight log from the McCall Airport indicated aircraft land at the airstrips up to 20 times per day. It also supports allowing regular public use at these four airstrips.

The board took the information under advisement and intends to revisit this topic next month.