Show Local Groups Prote Prot st Forest Service Road Rood Work on Nor North ih End of Mountain Irate protests bombarded the Forest Service and County Coun Coun- County ty Commission offices this week following a project ct undertaken by the forest Service on the La Sal mountain Fisher Point road The gravel road was constructed constructed constructed con con- through cooperative efforts o of the Bureau of Public Pub lie lic Roads and Atomic Energy Energy Energy Ener Ener- gy Commission In the early Since that time it has hils been maintained by Grand county The Th controversy arose after after after af af- ter the Forest Service last Thursday and Friday excavated excavated approximately 30 dips or water bars bans In the road to provide ou outlet let for the water runoff runoff The Forest Service project drew protests from from wildlife club representatives Sunday from La Sal mountain ranch ranch- chers and other users of the road District Ranger John Hougaard HouI Hougaard Hou Hou- I gaard defended the action as the the- o only ly medium within their cost range of preventing of-preventing further further further fur fur- ther water J erosion of the ther r road He said it was s- s constant constant- constantly ly 11 becoming more e I narrow W due ue to widening of the the ditch on th the mountain side of the road and that had shown up in the road Protesting citizens argued that two or three culverts would have taken care of the washout areas of the road and that since the Forest neither neither nei nel nei- nei ther built nor maintained the road they o overstepped their rights by undertaking the project without consultation con con- with the county Complying with the request of 01 two La Sal mountain cattlemen cattlemen cat cat- Lester Tayl Taylor r and J James ames McPherson Grand county commissioners Mars Pope Ralph Miller and Dan Holyoak made an the site inspection Monday Mr Pope later said the commission did not agree with the method used by the Forest Service but he know what they could do about it it He lIe said the access road was on Forest Service domain and although the county Bounty had maintained it since its completion as f fas far faras faras er as he knew it was only a verbal verbal verbal ver ver- bal agreement Mr Pope said Mr Hougaard Hou llou gaard and his engineers in insisted In- In the would not harm the road I think they have Pope added The Commissioner said the Forest Service had agreed to discontinue the project and existing dips with witha a kr grader der The most alarming feature however however- he said was the loss of gravel from the roa road by t the e excavation Unless more gravel Is hauled hauled hauled haul haul- ed bad mud spots will re re- sult suit Pope said the Commission had no definite plans about the future of the road Although Although Al Al- though it is within Forest Service jurisdiction they have never maintained it ft he said and he assumed the county would h have ve to continue the maintenance to benefit users users users us us- ers of the the road P Present sent at the inspection meeting at th the site Monday were the commissioners M Mr r Taylor and Mr McPherson county road superintendent J J. J V V. Westwood Harry flurry Siebert Sie- Sie bert Forest Service engIn- engIn Don Fachner Faehner project engineer and Mr Hougaard Mr Hougaard said he felt If it he had been given time to complete his project ct less objection ob ob- would have have been been reI re re- re I He He- said the grader Which was to follow the tractor trac trac- tor on the project had been delayed and the road was waS yas not smoothed to completion n as asyet asyet asyet yet He still maintained putting put putting ting in the road was the only logical solution They cost an estimated 3 per dip compared with with- approximately approximately ap ap- proximately ly per culvert he said He added that the project had been planned for or orsome some time and had the mon mon- money money ey ey been available it would have been done a year or so ago I Hougaard said all aU comments comments comments com com- ments had not b been en negative con concerning the w project pro pro- pro Some people have supported supported sup sup- ported it ft Similar construction construe construction tion tion- on other places on the mountain have proved their value he pointed ou out but |