Bog Creek comments sought

Access isn’t easy in the northwest corner of Boundary County, especially for U.S. Border Patrol agents protecting the border. Road access is limited due to grizzly bear management and certain roads are impassible, such as the Bog Creek Road.

The U.S. Border Patrol Spokane Sector is proposing to reconstruct the Bog Creek Road for safe east-west access and to reduce travel time. Currently, issues arising on the east side of the Bog Creek road require a 180-mile drive from Bonners Ferry through Priest River to the northern end of Priest Lake, which takes around four hours, one-way.

“No east-west access for Priest Lake to Bonners Ferry,” said Barry Woelfel, public lands liaison agent for the Spokane Sector Border Patrol. “Inaccessible on a daily basis.”

The Bog Creek Road connects Forest Road 1013 to Forest Road 2450 and was closed in the 1980’s for grizzly bear security.

Since then, several culverts have washed out and sections of road have become overgrown.

A blown-out culvert on the western end has left a 30-foot trench that Border Patrol agents winch their ATV’s through when they access the area explained Woelfel. The road is passable on ATV’s but not passable for trucks.

Bog Creek Road is classified as an “administrative-use only” road and is not open to public motorized use. The road is open to public non-motorized traffic, such as hikers and horse-back riders.

After the reconstruction, the Bog Creek Road would most likely remain “administrative-use only” and not be open to the public because of the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment.

“We are working to recover the grizzly bear under the ESA (Endangered Species Act),” said Mary Farnsworth, Forest Supervisor for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest (IPNF). “The Forest Service has environmental laws to meet. Motor vehicle access disturbs bears.”

As part of the recovery of grizzly bears, the Grizzly Bear Access Amendment (GBAA) dictates how many roads can be open, administrative-use and closed in each Bear Management Unit (BMU). The Bog Creek Road is within the Blue-Grass BMU.

With the proposed project, the Bog Creek Road would remain as administrative use. Administrative-use roads are limited to a certain number of trips each year by approved parties. The Bog Creek Road is allowed 57 trips each year, with a trip equaling one vehicle round-trip.

“Historically, the Border Patrol did 35 to 37 trips with ATV’s through the entire season,” said Woelfel. “Now with one vehicle, opportunity to lessen that...put more people into one vehicle instead of multiple vehicles.”

Currently, when Border Patrol agents patrol Bog Creek Road they utilize multiple ATV’s, typically two. Utilizing a truck would enable more agents to respond or patrol and only use one trip count.

Each year the Border Patrol, Idaho Fish and Game, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service and Tribal entities get together to ensure the trip count is not exceeded explained Farnsworth.

The Forest Service has around six years to meet the GBAA standards and they are currently not meeting those requirements for administrative-use and closed roads. Regardless of the Bog Creek project, the Forest Service will need to change the status of some roads to meet those requirements.

The Border Patrol and the Forest Service are working together on this project.

“Working closely with the Border Patrol to meet the mission of Homeland Security,” said Farnsworth. “We are responsible for the habitat. Fish and Wildlife is responsible for the bears. We need to work together...help the Border Patrol meet their mission.”

Reconstruction

The Border Patrol is proposing to reconstruct approximately 5.6 miles of the Bog Creek Road. The project would include replacing nine of the 67 culverts, resurfacing areas eroded by water, filling in potholes and removing boulders.

“The road bed is in remarkably good shape,” said Farnsworth.

The road will not be widened, but certain areas that are too narrow for a pick-up will be widened to minimum standards.

Three-quarters of the road is overgrown with vegetation to varying degrees, so there will be a considerable amount of vegetation cut back to allow for safe vehicle passage.

“Work would happen as quickly as possible for the bears and agents,” said Farnsworth.

“Don’t want to be predecisional,” said Woelfel. “Hoping the summer of 2014.”

Funding for the environmental analysis, repair and maintenance of the Bog Creek Road would come from the Border Patrol.

Public Comment

“We are asking the public to see what is important,” said Jason Kirchner, IPNF Public Affairs Officer. “This is one of the most important pieces in the recovery zone.”

Public comment will help the Border Patrol and the Forest Service identify potential issues and concerns that should be analyzed in the environmental document prepared.

Issues anticipated include potential effects to grizzly bear habitat, caribou habitat, other wildlife habitat, water resources and cultural resources.

Following the closing of the scoping comment period, which is March 8, 2013, the Border Patrol will review the comments to determine the relevant issues and conduct analysis of the proposed project.

Upon completion of the analysis, the public will have additional opportunities to comment on the project.

To comment:

Indicate the name of the project “East-West Access Around Continental Mountain” on the subject line.

• Electronically to E-WAccessContinentalMtn@cbp.dhs.gov

• Mail comments to East-West Access Around Continental Mountain Project, P.O. Box 843, Flagstaff, AZ 86002-0843.

Or correspond to be added to the mailing list about the project.

The official comment period ends March 8, 2013, but comments will be considered throughout the entire process.

For more information:

Visit www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/ti/ti_projects/ew_aacm.xml