7/25/2017
Alternative Development Workshop set for July 27 in Island Park for Targhee Pass Environmental Assessment
RIGBY – The Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) invites the public to participate in an alternative- development workshop Thursday (July 27) for the Targhee Pass Environmental Assessment (EA). The Targhee Pass EA is evaluating the risks, benefits, opportunities and costs associated with reconstruction of Targhee Pass (U.S. 20 between its junction with Idaho Highway 87 and the Montana state line).
The workshop will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Island Park EMS Building, 4124 County Circle Road, Island Park.
The workshop will be an open-house format, so citizens are encouraged to attend any time during the three-hour period. The workshop will consist of several "information stations," with information on the EA process, timeline, and the EA’s updated Purpose and Need. Updated screening criteria for alternatives will also be available for review. During this workshop, the public is invited to review the materials and screening criteria, then draw potential alternatives onto blank maps of the study area or comment on those alternatives. Members of the study team will be available to provide information and answer questions about the EA.
"In response to public comments during the scoping process for the Targhee Pass EA, the goals and objectives in the EA have been refined," said ITD Project Manager Eric Verner. "Feedback from the public also prompted ITD and Idaho Department of Fish & Game to enter into a cooperative agreement specific to identifying implementable solutions for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs)." The EA’s updated Purpose and Need can be found online in its entirety at
http://islandparkus20.com/targhee-pass-environmental-assessment/overview/.
Under the cooperative agreement, ITD has hired a road ecologist to assist ITD and IDFG in identifying opportunities and constraints (feasibility assessment) for WVC reduction strategies on the Targhee Pass segment of U.S. 20.
ITD is also convening a Stakeholder Working Group to help Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and ITD ensure that the EA is as inclusive and participatory as possible. If you have strong interest in participating in the stakeholder working group, please send an email to
targheepass@langdongroupinc.com.
Targhee Pass is a four-mile portion of the U.S. 20 corridor that has been evaluated as a part of a safety corridor planning effort for U.S. 20 from Chester to the Montana state line. In addition to serving Yellowstone National Park, Targhee Pass serves many popular recreational and tourist destinations. The highway functions as the region’s Main Street, providing primary access to year-round residences, vacation homes, hunting and fishing lodges, state park and national forest areas, and a variety of community commercial establishments.
FHWA is the lead agency on this study and will be signing the final study document. This study will be completed in accordance with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). For more information on this EA, please contact Andrea Gumm at 208-220-5937.