Tag Archives: gravel roads

County treats 43 miles of road for dust, up from 29 last year

Environmental Issues, News, ,

The month is not complete without at least one road-related post. This one is courtesy of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

The road dust control project in Flathead County has wrapped up for the season, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty recently told commissioners.

Magnesium chloride was applied to 43 miles of county-maintained gravel roads in a cooperative effort between the county and landowners. The total project cost was $244,000, with the county paying half and people who own property along the roads where the material was applied paying the other half.

Continue reading . . .

County eyes federal funds for road work

News, , ,

From the Monday, March 23, 2009 edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Flathead County hopes to get money from the federal Secure Rural Schools Act this summer to make improvements on the North Fork and Star Meadows roads.

The county has asked for $175,000 in federal money to apply crushed rock on the North Fork Road between Camas Road and Polebridge. About $66,000 has been requested to finish chip-sealing 2.7 miles of Star Meadows Road. County equipment and manpower would be used to match the federal money.

Read the entire article . . .

County needs dust program partners

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , , ,

As promised, Flathead County has set some money aside for a sort-of dust abatement co-pay plan. Trouble is, there aren’t many takers so far. The deadline is March 27th.

From the March 4, 2009 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Residents who want to tap into Flathead County’s cost-sharing dust abatement program this summer may want to heed an age-old adage: Speak now or forever hold your peace.

The deadline to sign up for the first-time program is March 27, and to date the county has had little response from rural residents, Public Works Director Dave Prunty said Monday.

Read the entire article . . .

“We’re serious about our dust problem”

News, , ,

From the Tuesday, January 27, 2009 online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .

County officials briefed the county commissioners Monday on last year’s efforts and this year’s plans to deal with vehicles churning up dust on the Flathead’s gravel roads.

“We’ve demonstrated to the [Montana Department of Environmental Quality] and to the state that we’re serious about our dust problem,” Commissioner Chairman Dale Lauman said. “We can’t solve all the dust problems. We never will. But we can mitigate some of the problem.”

Read the entire article . . .

Road paving & land development report released

Documents, Environmental Issues, , , ,

One of the factors in the ongoing road maintenance debate is the impact of paving on increased land development and settlement. Headwaters Economics along with Chris Servheen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of Montana just released a report titled “Land Use Effects of Paving Rural Roads in Western Montana” that is relevant to this issue. In Chris’s words…

Headwaters Economics and I have partnered to complete a preliminary analysis of the relationship between the paving of rural roads and the development of adjacent private lands.  The report on this work is attached.  We believe this is a useful preliminary analysis and that it sets the stage for a more in-depth and through analysis of this most important issue.  The paving of rural roads in the West and the resulting impacts on adjacent private land development are one of the greatest challenges faced by wildlife managers and county decision-makers.  We hope this report is of value to you.

The report is essentially a series of case studies followed by some carefully qualified observations and conclusions. It’s a bit dry and dusty (sorry, couldn’t resist) in spots, but a worthwhile read.