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Idaho Transportation
Department
Public Affairs Office
P.O. Box 7129
Boise, ID 83707
208.334.8005
Fax: 208.334.8563
Email


Board to consider report on fish passage project

Fish access to Henry’s Lake, which is internationally renowned for its Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout and other resident species, through the Targhee and Howard Creek tributaries has been limited by the geometry of culverts below Idaho 87.

District 6 staff and partners such as the Henry’s Lake Foundation, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and U.S. Forest Service, funded a Fish Passage Assessment to identify possible engineering remedies to increase fish access to Henry’s Lake.

The Idaho Transportation Board supported a recommendation to replace the existing culverts carrying Targhee and Howard creeks under Idaho 87, and in November 2004, approved funding for the project.

When the board awarded the construction contract in July 2005, it asked for periodic updates because of the tight time-line and restrictions with the in-stream work.

ITD staff will provide a summary of the project to the board next week (Wednesday, Jan. 18) indicating it was finished on time and within the established budget.

The board will meet Tuesday and Wednesday, beginning at 8:30 both days, at the Headquarters auditorium in Boise.

The fish passage program was a successful effort in partnership with various agencies and private entities.

The project won an award from the American Council of Engineering Companies and will be showcased in the Road Builder’s clinic this spring. The project also will be profiled at the Idaho Society of Professional Engineers banquet to be held in Boise in March.

Other board consideration

FY06 Scenic Byway discretionary funding request
Federal Scenic Byway Discretionary funding is available on a nationally competitive basis for routes that have been designated as a state scenic, historic, or back country byway as well as All American Roads and National Scenic Byways.

The transportation board will be asked to approve the application for 10 Scenic Byway projects that have been reviewed and prioritized by the Scenic Byway Advisory Committee. Some of the projects include:

  • Providing ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)-accessible restrooms, parking to accommodate recreational vehicles, and an informational kiosk for the Payette River National Scenic Byway
  • Constructing an interpretive site and signage along the pathway at the Salmon River Scenic Byway, Land of the Yankee Fork Visitor Center
  • Creating a 3-D Interactive virtual tour of the International Selkirk Loop All American Road, depicting elevations, topography, trail routes, road bike trips, main roads, and waterways, and
  • Assistance to control the spread of noxious weeds along a portion of the Pioneer Historic National Scenic Byway.

The total cost of the 10 projects is $920,608, with slightly more than $710,000 requested from federal funds.

Property Management System
Cindy Smith, ITD’s senior agent for property management, will summarize the department’s Property Management System, focusing on surplus property.

The property management unit sold or traded 299 parcels of land – representing nearly 1,450 acres, for more than $13 million since 1996. Proceeds from the sale of the surplus property are deposited in the State Highway Account, increasing the cash balance available to meet the department’s needs and goals.

Property is disposed of if it has the potential for a legal liability, to avoid keeping property off the tax rolls, to avoid holding property as a future fund resource and for maintenance issues such as weed and trash control.

Reasons to retain property include preserving scenic beauty into the foreseeable future and when land is adjacent to an existing facility and traffic projections indicate an expansion of the facility will be necessary.

Designation of ITD as recipient of Public Transportation funds
The Federal Transit Administration provides financial assistance to the governor of each state to fund public transportation programs. Each governor is asked to designate a state agency to oversee and administer these federal transit programs.

The Idaho Transportation Board will be informed via an executive order dated Dec.22, 2005, that Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will continue to designate ITD as recipient of the FTA funds.

Published 1-13-06