File Code:

1350-2/6540

   Date:

September 8, 2004

/s/ Randy Swick

RANDALL G. SWICK

Designated Federal Officer

Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee

enclosures

Cc:

Dick Smith, Boise NF

Suzanne Rainville, Boise NF

Mark Madrid, Payette NF

Andy Brunelle, Capitol City Coord - Idaho

Dave Olson, Boise NF

Linda Steinhaus, Boise NF

Boyd Hartwig, Payette NF

Leadership Team, Boise NF

Leadership Team, Payette NF

Idaho Congressional Delegations

County Commissioners and Clerks

Maggie Mahoney, IAC

Project sponsors

Southwest Idaho Resource Advisory Committee Meeting

AGENDA

September 15, 2004

Meeting location:    Idaho Counties Risk Management Program Building

                                 3100 South Vista Avenue, Boise

10:30 AM                 Welcome, Meeting Objectives, and Agenda Review

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

1.      Introduction of new DFO – Doug Gochnour, Idaho City District Ranger

2.      Committee membership appointment/re-appointment  update – Andy Brunelle

10:45 AM                 Review and Approval of 6-23-04 Meeting Minutes (D), Review and Approval of RAC Expenses (D), RAC Funding Balance Update, and Project Log Update.  (Randy Swick, DFO)

                                 1.  Project agreement extension request – Project #03014 Pine Bridge Engineering Study (Mountain Home Highway District)

11:15 AM                Review of Project Proposals – Proposal Form Part 1 (D) and Part 2 (D/DR)

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

1.      Mores Creek Summit Improvement Project (#04026) – Brant Petersen, Idaho City Ranger District

12:00 PM                 Working Lunch (Lunch will be provided for RAC members)

12:15 PM                 Lunch Discussion: Mid-cycle review of RAC operating procedures.  The RAC

                                 has completed its first three year appointment cycle out of its six year legislated authorization.  Discussion will focus on lessons learned and recommended operating adjustments.   A copy of the SW Idaho RAC mission statement and operating guidelines is attached.   

1:00 PM                   Public Forum

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

1.      Comments and questions from the public to the committee

1:15 PM                   Review of Project Proposals – Proposal Form Part 1 (D)

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

1.      Noxious Weed Virtual Website (#04027) – Roger Batt, Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign

2.      Cow Creek Barb Project (#04028) – Carl Phares, Mountain Home Highway District

2:15 PM                   Monitoring Review of Project #04010 USFS Fire Lookout Project

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson)

3:15 PM                   Future Meeting Dates and Location

                                 (Phil Davis, RAC Chairperson; Randy Swick, DFO)

3:30 PM                   Meeting Adjourned

(D) = Decision requiring quorum and simple majority for approval.

(DR) = Decision requiring quorum and majority of each Sub Group for approval.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

In the September of 2002 Idaho City Ranger District requested public input on how management of the Mores Creek Summit area may be improved. The replies to our solicitations were numerous. A large majority of the respondents said they would like to be involved in a committee that would give recommendations. The Forest Service responded to this request by hosting a series of public workshops. During February and March 2003, three workshops were held. Each workshop was very well attended, with more than 100 individuals per session. Participants were asked to identify issues or problems that need addressing, suggest ways to resolve issues, and determine their degree of support for the various solutions. The number one problem identified in every workshop (76% of participants) was the lack of adequate and safe parking.  Many participants felt that their entire experience was negative because the competition for the few safe parking spaces created immediate conflict with other users upon arrival. The majority of participants’ solutions were to provide informational signs, increase the frequency of snowplowing, and improve the existing Mores Creek parking lot.

Given this public response to the issues, the Idaho City Ranger District begin to develop plans, start the NEPA process, and in coordination with the Idaho Department of Transportation seek funding to improve the Mores Creek parking lot.

The expected outcome is to:

• Improve the areas surface drainage and drainage structures.  This will help to restore the natural hydrology of the area and reduce the current sediment produced and delivered to Mores Creek.
• Increase parking from its current approximate size of 19,000 square feet to 39,000.
• Improve Idaho Department of Transportations snow plowing efficiency reducing the amount of surface material that is inadvertently displaced during plowing and can end up in Mores Creek with the spring melt.   
• Construct and a new parking lot access road with improved visibility in both directions.
• Construct a deceleration lane for north bound traffic turning into the parking area.  
• Install and new two room vault type CXT toilet to handle the publics increased use of the area.
• Forest Service sponsored winter Snow Patrol will continue to make direct public contact with area users discussing and providing education on snow safety, proper trail and parking etiquette and responsible forest use in the winter months.

These improvements will meet the purpose of the act by first improving existing infrastructure by increasing the existing parking lot size. Improve the land health and water quality by reducing the sediment produced from the existing parking lot and improving the current overused sanitation facilities. Improve the cooperative relationships among the user groups that use currently care for this federal land. This will have an additional positive effect on the main winter source of recreation dollars brought in the Eastern Boise County area including local restaurants, stores and gas stations.  

11. Project Description:

The drainage from the parking lots surface area will be rerouted into a ditch along the eastern cut slope and into a riprap armored channel. The drainage from the existing road side ditch will be allowed to run south in a newly constructed armored channel. The existing fill slope and the newly constructed fills will have erosion control matting installed to reduce the amount of sediment and to promote the establishment of natural vegetation. This will reduce sediment delivery to Mores Creek that supports the T&E species of Bull Trout.

The existing parking area is about 19,000 sq ft in size and provides approximately 12 individual parking spaces. The construction work will increase the size to about 39,000 sq ft of parking area and increase parking to approximately 29 spaces. A deceleration/turn lane will be constructed along the south edge of Highway 21 to facilitate safe access to the parking area and to improve sight distance. The access road to Sunset Mountain Lookout will be realigned, as the existing access will be removed by the construction process.

The existing one room vault toilet will be removed and a new two room CXT type vault toilet will installed.

Parking and information sign kiosks will be constructed to educate users and improve parking efficiency.  

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes  [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

This project will produce a new interactive multi-media web site for the Idaho Weed Awareness Campaign.  The purpose of this effort is to provide detailed interactive and on-line demonstrations and educational workshops to help county and local officials and all citizens to understand and help solve weed problems on public and private land.

11. Project Description:

The interactive web site will host a home page, history page, interactive map of Idaho with CWMAs, an education and communication networking center, weed control workshops and demonstrations, and interactive weed identification project.

10. Statement of Project Purpose and Expected Outcomes [Sec. 203(b)(1), and (b)(5)]:

There is a land slip on the opposite side of Cow Creek from our road that keeps pushing the creek into the road. We hope to stop the deterioration of the Cow Creek road and streambed.We also hope to stabilize the stream channel through the effected area.

11. Project Description:

This project will involve the placement of rip rap with barbs along 400 feet of the north

bank of Cow Creek to prevent further erosion of the road, along with several rock drop

structures to prevent further cutting of the stream bed.