Island Park Preservation Coalition
Working Group
Minutes of Meeting
October 19, 2016
The Island Park Preservation Coalition held a working group meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, in the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho. The meeting was called to order by Chairman, Ken Watts at 6:05 p.m. The following people attended the meeting:
Committee Members:
Ken Watts, Chairman
Terry Delong, Treasurer
Leanne Yancey, IPPC Research
Alynn Crapo, IPPC Website Administrator
Joe Sielinsky, IP Sustainable Fire
Dale Swensen, HFWC
Ann Anthony, Island Park News
Kathy Rinaldi, Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Judy Koehly, Secretary
Members Absent:
Greg Bitter, Vice Chairman
Bob Stantus, IP Landowner and Recreation
Ellen Stantus, IP Landowner and Facilitator
Connie Funkhouser, IP Business/IPPC Fund Raising/IP Trails Project
Rosemary Thompson, IPPC Fund Raising
Perry Thompson, National Park Service, retired
Dave Moore, IP Medical Community
Kim Trotter, Yellowstone 2 Yukon
Zak Miller, Idaho Farm Bureau
Luke Davis, Agriculture and Ranching
John Stiehl, Fishing, Trouthunter
Brandon Hoffner, HFWC
Glade Gunnell, IP Business
Hal Buster, FC Ranching
Kevin Phillips, summer and winter recreation
Knowledge Experts Present:
Bryan Case, CEO Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative
Lee Miller, Fremont County Commissioner
Jordan Stoddard, Fremont County Commissioner
Kathryn Hitch, Staff for Senator Crapo
Minutes: There were no changes to the minutes that had been sent out to the working group members.
Financial Report: Terry DeLong, Treasurer, reported that she has not received the October statement. The balance as of the September, 2016 statement, was $4,196.82.
Ken Watts reported that Connie Funkhouser has sent the quilt to Layne Walker, the winner of the raffle. Connie will submit a bill for the shipping fee.
Current Events:
Senate Bill 437 has been introduced. The Bill would improve national monument access. The US Congress and the affected State of Idaho would have to approve of the national monument as well as approval from NEPA.
The Congressional Research Service has updated The National Monuments and Antiquities Act research paper.
Liz Davy, USFS, sent out a document entitled “Shared Problems.” The article focuses on healthy forests and how we can help with several issues. We need to work together to solve problems in the national forests. Funding is required to make a difference. An example is the North Coast ATV club which is cleaning up trails on the West Coast.
The new national monument in Hawaii is the largest national monument. There was opposition to the designation. It has not been determined how this national monument will be managed.
Presentation:
Bryan Case, CEO of Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, was the guest speaker. Mr. Case focused on the infrastructure in Island Park. Members own Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative. There are 13,049 members and 16,748 meters. The cooperative services parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and 7 other counties. The cooperative covers 2,524 square miles. In 2016, the cooperative paid out $1,262,679 to members. Over the years, a total of $19,000,000 has been paid to members. Fall River Propane serves over 4,700 members.
Seventy-eight percent of the power comes from large hydroelectric sources. Other sources are nuclear, small hydroelectric, wind and non-specified. Fall River leaves a low carbon footprint. High voltage lines run the length of Island Park. Those lines are owned by Fall River, the largest owner, and by Bonneville Power Administration. There are eight substations in Island Park. There are 335 miles of overhead and underground lines in the Caldera. Bryan said that Fall River has many good people to work with in the area. He said that the line up Sawtell Peak needs to be replaced. Fall River works with local Forest Service personnel and Fall River must follow steps set out by the US Forest Service. Fall River has special use permits for USFS land. Bryan reported that a substation costs approximately $1,000,000. Bryan showed maps of structures, feeders and the infrastructure they have to deliver service to the Island Park area.
Fall River has installed fiber optic cable from Ashton to West Yellowstone. He reported that Fremont Communications has plans to use the fiber optics to make high-speed internet available to its customers in the future.
Fall River is responsible for right-of-way maintenance and must remove trees and undergrowth. Members in Island Park are represented by board members from Districts 7 and 8. There are 3,918 residential meters and 355 commercial meters that serve at least 226 subdivisions in Island Park.
Fall River has 4 hydroelectric plants, two of which are in Island Park. A discussion was held regarding language in the legislation to protect electrical infrastructure. Ken Watts will get together with Trent Yancey to work on language to protect power to the area. The estimated growth is 1% to 1.5% annually. What will we need to invest in the future?
Bryan Case will forward a copy of his presentation to Alynn Crapo. Alynn will put it on the website.
Water Legislative Language: Dale Swensen has modified and expanded the language used for the Sawtooth Legislation. Dale proposes that the water rights language used in the Sawtooth legislation be unchanged. The water management language shall to changed to cover our area – Henry’s Lake and Island Park. The group discussed the possibility of moving the language regarding private property rights and whether it should be incorporated in another portion of the legislation. Leanne Yancey suggested that we leave that language in this section and also add it to the private property section. We need to work on water management. Water management is different for streams than it is for reservoirs and dams. Dale reported that there is an additional 3-foot easement on the reservoir and the dam. Dale will talk to their lawyers regarding the water legislative language.
Ken Watts reported that he has worked with Liz Davy regarding the recreation access legislative statement. We do not want to incorporate user-generated trails. We will use the motorized route map as of January 1, 2016. We need to add something about the winter-motorized roads. Federal land access should coordinate with the Fremont County Board of Commissioners and the Island Park City Council as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. There should be no limit on the density of nonmotorized routes in the Island Park area on federal lands.
Leanne Yancey asked if we should include language regarding trade out for connectibility. Ken Watts will reengineer this language to provide for trade out for connectibility. He will also get together with the BLM. Joe Sielinsky has tried to get together with the BLM, but has had no response. Joe is trying to determine whether or not they have any maps. Dale Swensen suggested that Joe contact Shannon in the Idaho Falls office.
Lee Miller wants to research NEPA and FNLPMA. The commissioners would like to be part of it. The commissioners are working with Liz Davy. Ken Watts wants to strengthen the position of the county commissioners. There is more work to do on access with the BLM and with Liz on connectivity/trade off and other language about winter access.
Ken Watts reported that Joe Sielinsky has done some research on grazing rights in Island Park. Ken reported that Zak Miller wants the language regarding the allotments and AUMs on federal lands in the Island Park area to read that those allotments and AUMs shall not be less than the grazing allotments and AUMs existing on January 1, 2016 unless coordinated and approved by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners. Zak feels the 1997 Targhee Revised Forest Plan shall be the guiding document for forest utilized in the Ashton/Island Park eight allotment areas. There is currently no pressure on grazing and the number of allotments could be increased when the forest conditions could handle more. The allotments are renewed on an annual basis. The USFS sets the number of allotments. The USFS personnel in Eastern Oregon refuse to meet with ranchers regarding allotments in that area. We want the USFS, ranchers and the county commissioners involved in this process. Adding the commissioners would mean more local voice. Ken Watts will get together with Zak Miller regarding the grazing language. They will decide if the “not less than 8 allotment language” should be changed.
Ken Watts brought up the fish and wildlife legislative language. It was decided that the first paragraph would be unchanged.
The State of Idaho shall retain management of fish and wildlife on public land in the Island Park area with regard to the regulation of hunting, fishing and trapping. OR The State of Idaho shall retain a principal management role of fish and wildlife on public land in the Island Park area with regard to the regulation of hunting, fishing and trapping (or co-equal role). Determining management policy of the wildlife species.
Ken Watts discussed the possibility of designating US Highways 20 and 87 as “heritage routes” possibly “The Senator Mike Crapo Wildlife Heritage Route.” Kathryn Hitch stated that she did not think Senator Crapo would like it named after him. Ken was hopeful that the heritage designation would give special attention to wildlife in the area and further protect both people and animals. Ken Watts will do further research on the heritage route designation issue. The construction of overpasses and underpasses for wildlife was discussed. Fences must be constructed to funnel the animals to the overpasses and underpasses. Lee Miller said that he would be attending a meeting on those issues tomorrow. The reduction of speed limits on Highway 20 through the Caldera was discussed. The Idaho Department of Transportation has a goal to make traffic flow as quickly as possible.
Ken Watts discussed the different approaches to management Steen Mountain and the Gorge National Recreation Areas. Steen Mountain has a coordinating structure to oversee their area. Washington and Oregon run the Gorge where governors from the two states appoint members to the advisory group. They trample on personal property and on the county commissioners. The Gorge was going to be a scenic byway, but it became very complex. The management plan is reviewed every 10 years. Do we need an advisory or management group for what we are doing? Our goal is to keep it as is with multiple-use. Should we have an advisory role with the commissioners? We need to solidify this language. We want to try to keep the management local. Custer has an advisory board that works with their commissioners. Kathryn Hitch will check on the structure of other advisory boards.
Citizen Comments: None.
Homework: Act vs. Designation. Ken will try to have an example.
The presentation in November will be The Teton Valley Land Trust.
It was decided that we would work on the preservation of wildlife on roadways at a later date. Someone representing Idaho Fish and Game will be asked to make a presentation.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy B. Koehly, Secretary
Working Group
Minutes of Meeting
October 19, 2016
The Island Park Preservation Coalition held a working group meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2016, in the EMS Building in Island Park, Idaho. The meeting was called to order by Chairman, Ken Watts at 6:05 p.m. The following people attended the meeting:
Committee Members:
Ken Watts, Chairman
Terry Delong, Treasurer
Leanne Yancey, IPPC Research
Alynn Crapo, IPPC Website Administrator
Joe Sielinsky, IP Sustainable Fire
Dale Swensen, HFWC
Ann Anthony, Island Park News
Kathy Rinaldi, Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Trent Yancey, Fall River Cooperative
Judy Koehly, Secretary
Members Absent:
Greg Bitter, Vice Chairman
Bob Stantus, IP Landowner and Recreation
Ellen Stantus, IP Landowner and Facilitator
Connie Funkhouser, IP Business/IPPC Fund Raising/IP Trails Project
Rosemary Thompson, IPPC Fund Raising
Perry Thompson, National Park Service, retired
Dave Moore, IP Medical Community
Kim Trotter, Yellowstone 2 Yukon
Zak Miller, Idaho Farm Bureau
Luke Davis, Agriculture and Ranching
John Stiehl, Fishing, Trouthunter
Brandon Hoffner, HFWC
Glade Gunnell, IP Business
Hal Buster, FC Ranching
Kevin Phillips, summer and winter recreation
Knowledge Experts Present:
Bryan Case, CEO Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative
Lee Miller, Fremont County Commissioner
Jordan Stoddard, Fremont County Commissioner
Kathryn Hitch, Staff for Senator Crapo
Minutes: There were no changes to the minutes that had been sent out to the working group members.
Financial Report: Terry DeLong, Treasurer, reported that she has not received the October statement. The balance as of the September, 2016 statement, was $4,196.82.
Ken Watts reported that Connie Funkhouser has sent the quilt to Layne Walker, the winner of the raffle. Connie will submit a bill for the shipping fee.
Current Events:
Senate Bill 437 has been introduced. The Bill would improve national monument access. The US Congress and the affected State of Idaho would have to approve of the national monument as well as approval from NEPA.
The Congressional Research Service has updated The National Monuments and Antiquities Act research paper.
Liz Davy, USFS, sent out a document entitled “Shared Problems.” The article focuses on healthy forests and how we can help with several issues. We need to work together to solve problems in the national forests. Funding is required to make a difference. An example is the North Coast ATV club which is cleaning up trails on the West Coast.
The new national monument in Hawaii is the largest national monument. There was opposition to the designation. It has not been determined how this national monument will be managed.
Presentation:
Bryan Case, CEO of Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative, was the guest speaker. Mr. Case focused on the infrastructure in Island Park. Members own Fall River Rural Electric Cooperative. There are 13,049 members and 16,748 meters. The cooperative services parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and 7 other counties. The cooperative covers 2,524 square miles. In 2016, the cooperative paid out $1,262,679 to members. Over the years, a total of $19,000,000 has been paid to members. Fall River Propane serves over 4,700 members.
Seventy-eight percent of the power comes from large hydroelectric sources. Other sources are nuclear, small hydroelectric, wind and non-specified. Fall River leaves a low carbon footprint. High voltage lines run the length of Island Park. Those lines are owned by Fall River, the largest owner, and by Bonneville Power Administration. There are eight substations in Island Park. There are 335 miles of overhead and underground lines in the Caldera. Bryan said that Fall River has many good people to work with in the area. He said that the line up Sawtell Peak needs to be replaced. Fall River works with local Forest Service personnel and Fall River must follow steps set out by the US Forest Service. Fall River has special use permits for USFS land. Bryan reported that a substation costs approximately $1,000,000. Bryan showed maps of structures, feeders and the infrastructure they have to deliver service to the Island Park area.
Fall River has installed fiber optic cable from Ashton to West Yellowstone. He reported that Fremont Communications has plans to use the fiber optics to make high-speed internet available to its customers in the future.
Fall River is responsible for right-of-way maintenance and must remove trees and undergrowth. Members in Island Park are represented by board members from Districts 7 and 8. There are 3,918 residential meters and 355 commercial meters that serve at least 226 subdivisions in Island Park.
Fall River has 4 hydroelectric plants, two of which are in Island Park. A discussion was held regarding language in the legislation to protect electrical infrastructure. Ken Watts will get together with Trent Yancey to work on language to protect power to the area. The estimated growth is 1% to 1.5% annually. What will we need to invest in the future?
Bryan Case will forward a copy of his presentation to Alynn Crapo. Alynn will put it on the website.
Water Legislative Language: Dale Swensen has modified and expanded the language used for the Sawtooth Legislation. Dale proposes that the water rights language used in the Sawtooth legislation be unchanged. The water management language shall to changed to cover our area – Henry’s Lake and Island Park. The group discussed the possibility of moving the language regarding private property rights and whether it should be incorporated in another portion of the legislation. Leanne Yancey suggested that we leave that language in this section and also add it to the private property section. We need to work on water management. Water management is different for streams than it is for reservoirs and dams. Dale reported that there is an additional 3-foot easement on the reservoir and the dam. Dale will talk to their lawyers regarding the water legislative language.
Ken Watts reported that he has worked with Liz Davy regarding the recreation access legislative statement. We do not want to incorporate user-generated trails. We will use the motorized route map as of January 1, 2016. We need to add something about the winter-motorized roads. Federal land access should coordinate with the Fremont County Board of Commissioners and the Island Park City Council as required by the National Environmental Policy Act and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. There should be no limit on the density of nonmotorized routes in the Island Park area on federal lands.
Leanne Yancey asked if we should include language regarding trade out for connectibility. Ken Watts will reengineer this language to provide for trade out for connectibility. He will also get together with the BLM. Joe Sielinsky has tried to get together with the BLM, but has had no response. Joe is trying to determine whether or not they have any maps. Dale Swensen suggested that Joe contact Shannon in the Idaho Falls office.
Lee Miller wants to research NEPA and FNLPMA. The commissioners would like to be part of it. The commissioners are working with Liz Davy. Ken Watts wants to strengthen the position of the county commissioners. There is more work to do on access with the BLM and with Liz on connectivity/trade off and other language about winter access.
Ken Watts reported that Joe Sielinsky has done some research on grazing rights in Island Park. Ken reported that Zak Miller wants the language regarding the allotments and AUMs on federal lands in the Island Park area to read that those allotments and AUMs shall not be less than the grazing allotments and AUMs existing on January 1, 2016 unless coordinated and approved by the Fremont County Board of Commissioners. Zak feels the 1997 Targhee Revised Forest Plan shall be the guiding document for forest utilized in the Ashton/Island Park eight allotment areas. There is currently no pressure on grazing and the number of allotments could be increased when the forest conditions could handle more. The allotments are renewed on an annual basis. The USFS sets the number of allotments. The USFS personnel in Eastern Oregon refuse to meet with ranchers regarding allotments in that area. We want the USFS, ranchers and the county commissioners involved in this process. Adding the commissioners would mean more local voice. Ken Watts will get together with Zak Miller regarding the grazing language. They will decide if the “not less than 8 allotment language” should be changed.
Ken Watts brought up the fish and wildlife legislative language. It was decided that the first paragraph would be unchanged.
The State of Idaho shall retain management of fish and wildlife on public land in the Island Park area with regard to the regulation of hunting, fishing and trapping. OR The State of Idaho shall retain a principal management role of fish and wildlife on public land in the Island Park area with regard to the regulation of hunting, fishing and trapping (or co-equal role). Determining management policy of the wildlife species.
Ken Watts discussed the possibility of designating US Highways 20 and 87 as “heritage routes” possibly “The Senator Mike Crapo Wildlife Heritage Route.” Kathryn Hitch stated that she did not think Senator Crapo would like it named after him. Ken was hopeful that the heritage designation would give special attention to wildlife in the area and further protect both people and animals. Ken Watts will do further research on the heritage route designation issue. The construction of overpasses and underpasses for wildlife was discussed. Fences must be constructed to funnel the animals to the overpasses and underpasses. Lee Miller said that he would be attending a meeting on those issues tomorrow. The reduction of speed limits on Highway 20 through the Caldera was discussed. The Idaho Department of Transportation has a goal to make traffic flow as quickly as possible.
Ken Watts discussed the different approaches to management Steen Mountain and the Gorge National Recreation Areas. Steen Mountain has a coordinating structure to oversee their area. Washington and Oregon run the Gorge where governors from the two states appoint members to the advisory group. They trample on personal property and on the county commissioners. The Gorge was going to be a scenic byway, but it became very complex. The management plan is reviewed every 10 years. Do we need an advisory or management group for what we are doing? Our goal is to keep it as is with multiple-use. Should we have an advisory role with the commissioners? We need to solidify this language. We want to try to keep the management local. Custer has an advisory board that works with their commissioners. Kathryn Hitch will check on the structure of other advisory boards.
Citizen Comments: None.
Homework: Act vs. Designation. Ken will try to have an example.
The presentation in November will be The Teton Valley Land Trust.
It was decided that we would work on the preservation of wildlife on roadways at a later date. Someone representing Idaho Fish and Game will be asked to make a presentation.
The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, November 9, 2016, at 6:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Judy B. Koehly, Secretary
