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Dear Fellow Snowmobiler & Club Members,
It has been brought to the Snowmobile Clubs attention that the Beartooth area is on
the radar again however, with a twist. Park County’s agreement with the Forest
Service to plow the highway from the Chief Joseph Highway Junction to Pilot Creek
and the Pilot Creek parking lot expired in 2004. This also includes the little bit
of Highway 212 towards the warming hut in the Beartooths. The County wants a new
agreement with the Forest Service and the State of Wyoming that would protect them
against liability.
No one really claims the ownership to the roadway. The National Park Service
provides summer maintenance as an access route to the park but that is where it
ends. The Forest Service does not want the responsibility and we aren’t sure the
state or the county wants to take ownership either.
At this point the road and parking lot are not being plowed. If this continues it
will close the area. The state trails program will not be able to get to the
grooming equipment and the public can’t get to the parking lot to park their
trailers. Access to the Pilot Creek trailhead is extremely important for the
Beartooth snowmobile trail system. This trail system makes a significant
contribution to the winter economy in our area.
I have been in contact with representative of the Forest Service (Terry Root) as
well as Park County Commissioner (Tim French) and the County Engineer (Dave Kieper).
Each one of them has urged that we as a club and individuals contact anybody we can
to help resolve this issue. It appears to me that the bureaucracy between the Forest
Service and the County is what is keeping some sort of agreement from being reached.
The Forest Service is going to provide a “Memorandum of Understanding” for Park
County to review by tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday). Depending on the content and
form of the Memorandum the Forest Service and County may or may not be at a
resolution point. If something isn’t done quickly then we will lose our trail system
in the Beartooths and access to the Cooke City area as well.
Here are some people that I would suggest you contact:
Park County Commissioners:
Tim A. French - Chairman (tfrench@parkcounty.us)
754-5420 (home)
Bill Brewer - Vice Chairman (bbrewer@parkcounty.us) 587-5741 (home)
Jill Shockley Siggins (jsiggins@parkcounty.us) 587-3901
(home)
Marie Fontaine (mfontaine@parkcounty.us)
587-2968 (home)
Bucky Hall (bhall@parkcounty.us)
587-3684 (home)
Admin. Assistant: Peggy A. Ruble
527-8510 (Commissioner Office)
Dave Kieper (dkieper@parkcounty.us) – County Engineer – 527-8520
Jim Davis (jdavis@parkcounty.us) – Assistant County Attorney – 527-8660
Terry Root (troot@fs.fed.us) – Shoshone Forest District Ranger- 527-6921
Also see the attached Beartooths Briefing Paper from the Trails Work Consultant.
We are asking that you either call these people or send them an urgent email with
your concerns ASAP. We really need the Forest Service and the County to come to an
agreement soon!!! The more snow that falls the less likely anything will get plowed
this season and snowmobiling will be over!
Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated.
It has been brought to the Snowmobile Clubs attention that the Beartooth area is on
the radar again however, with a twist. Park County’s agreement with the Forest
Service to plow the highway from the Chief Joseph Highway Junction to Pilot Creek
and the Pilot Creek parking lot expired in 2004. This also includes the little bit
of Highway 212 towards the warming hut in the Beartooths. The County wants a new
agreement with the Forest Service and the State of Wyoming that would protect them
against liability.
No one really claims the ownership to the roadway. The National Park Service
provides summer maintenance as an access route to the park but that is where it
ends. The Forest Service does not want the responsibility and we aren’t sure the
state or the county wants to take ownership either.
At this point the road and parking lot are not being plowed. If this continues it
will close the area. The state trails program will not be able to get to the
grooming equipment and the public can’t get to the parking lot to park their
trailers. Access to the Pilot Creek trailhead is extremely important for the
Beartooth snowmobile trail system. This trail system makes a significant
contribution to the winter economy in our area.
I have been in contact with representative of the Forest Service (Terry Root) as
well as Park County Commissioner (Tim French) and the County Engineer (Dave Kieper).
Each one of them has urged that we as a club and individuals contact anybody we can
to help resolve this issue. It appears to me that the bureaucracy between the Forest
Service and the County is what is keeping some sort of agreement from being reached.
The Forest Service is going to provide a “Memorandum of Understanding” for Park
County to review by tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday). Depending on the content and
form of the Memorandum the Forest Service and County may or may not be at a
resolution point. If something isn’t done quickly then we will lose our trail system
in the Beartooths and access to the Cooke City area as well.
Here are some people that I would suggest you contact:
Park County Commissioners:
Tim A. French - Chairman (tfrench@parkcounty.us)
754-5420 (home)
Bill Brewer - Vice Chairman (bbrewer@parkcounty.us) 587-5741 (home)
Jill Shockley Siggins (jsiggins@parkcounty.us) 587-3901
(home)
Marie Fontaine (mfontaine@parkcounty.us)
587-2968 (home)
Bucky Hall (bhall@parkcounty.us)
587-3684 (home)
Admin. Assistant: Peggy A. Ruble
527-8510 (Commissioner Office)
Dave Kieper (dkieper@parkcounty.us) – County Engineer – 527-8520
Jim Davis (jdavis@parkcounty.us) – Assistant County Attorney – 527-8660
Terry Root (troot@fs.fed.us) – Shoshone Forest District Ranger- 527-6921
Also see the attached Beartooths Briefing Paper from the Trails Work Consultant.
We are asking that you either call these people or send them an urgent email with
your concerns ASAP. We really need the Forest Service and the County to come to an
agreement soon!!! The more snow that falls the less likely anything will get plowed
this season and snowmobiling will be over!
Your help in this matter is greatly appreciated.
