Mineral County RC&D

Meeting Minutes

11-3-03

The Mineral County RC&D monthly meeting convened at 10:00 a.m. at the Commissioners Meeting Room with Chairperson Kevin Chamberlain presiding. The following people were in attendance:

B.J. McComb, County Commissioner

James Warnken, County Commissioner

Pay Hayes, MCCF

Gary Edson, Nine Mile Ranger District

Glenn Koepke, USFS, St. Regis Community Council

Rob Harper, Superior Ranger District

Kit Sutherland, Bitterroot RC&D

The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as presented.

Reports:

Pat Hayes, MCCF reported the following:

• Certified Regional Development Agency registration for Certified Community money
• How is Mineral County approaching Economic Development and Community Development; currently there is a partnership between MSU Extension, MCCF and the Mineral County Chamber; Extension is considered the public entity that provides resources for the CDBG and RCA grants; MCCF provides policy and provides resources for future development within the county; Mineral County Chamber who is currently in a downward spiral has hired Amy, provides business contact. The Chamber may not operate at the level they have in the past for the next few years.
• Mineral County Commissioners and Alberton Town Council have signed resolutions designating MCCF and Lead Development Association
• HB76 does away with the old Certified Community Program and is being replaced by Certified Regional Development Agency. Little money has been mandated to support this new agency. There will be 12 corporations throughout the state. These corporations are not coming together as quickly as hoped. Rural counties are breaking off from regional centers. The existing relationships that Mineral County currently has will be maintained except for MCDC. Ravalli and Missoula MEDC (Dick King) may join with Sanders, Lake and Mineral Counties
• MCCF will be helping with the Saltese Sewer project.
• Superior downtown revitalization is in the process
• Alberton is planning on annexing West Mountain Estates
• November 12 is the meeting for the RTA in the Commissioners meeting room
• The Lookout Ski expansion is ready for the winter season
• The Hiawatha Trail is still on course
• Trestle Creek Golf Course is in the process of being turned over to a nonprofit community organization located in St. Regis.
• MCCF is looking to buy the old school for the Community Center. The purchase of this building will also create space for expansion
• Alberton Gorge Exchange-American River Group has bowed out of the negotiations. Five Valleys Land Trust taking over the effort
• Economic Development and Opportunities- Smurfitt Stone is at risk of being shut down because of inefficiencies. Approximately 76 people work there who live in Mineral County. Their average income is $41,000. The loss of these positions will affect 312 direct jobs, and twice that many in the secondary.
• 20% potential cuts in the USFS. The Forest Service needs to be considered as any other business when potential cuts can affect our local district
• Opportunities for Economic Assistants include National Fire Plans – Pats proposal linked with the Bitterroot ranked 3^rd
• National Fire Protection applications are due. Areas of interest are where the cost of fire protection are too high
• Rural Community Assistance grants are out
• National Fire Plan Economic Assistance Grant will help with the purchase of a chipper and brush cutter. The brush cutter could be for the county road crew.
• Industrial Capacity Chipper – insurance not available for burning, chipping is the alternative
• A program could be modeled after the one that Craig Savage of Priest River, ID oversees. Private/Public connection-MCCF deals with cleanup; Privatize the Profit/Socialize the cost the cost of cleanup, brush disposal, weed, etc.
• USFS – Market for Interior Rocky Mountain Softwood; price continues to decline. Canada salvaging British Columbia and Alberta investing 1 billon dollars each into Product Development – Value Added timber going away.
• Rural Development spending a large amount of dollars in rural communities. There is no link between Rural Development and USFS. How can we address this in the Forest Plan to link the two government entities and funding
• 7-10 years to build new economy in Mineral County. Mineral is the only western county still losing population. 46^th in state in per capita income
• Rural Cooperative Development Services wants to move to Private Non Profit status. 3 proposals submitted but not responsive, Pat advocates going after hosting it here. Mineral County asset is “public land”. Start going after more government entities housed in Mineral County.

Kit Sutherland, Bitterroot RC&D reports the following

• Chipper & Brush Cutter was used in the Bitterroot. The chipper has the highest cost of workers compensation, 30% higher than saws, liability is a major concern. Liability for sawmill is the same.
• Chuck Seely-Smurfitt Stone Procurement Officer says that traveling 40 miles for hog fuel is the breakeven mileage.
• Colorado State Farm started to require Fire Wise Standards as condition for insurance liability
• DNRC Defensible Space Standards is the preferred as one set of standards for Montana State University
• EDA sanctioned; EDD need to update CEDS. Including potential projects EDA can help fund
• Short list of projects as a strategy

Rob Harper, Superior Ranger District reports

• Hunting season in full swing; there will be gate patrols and violations
• Clint McGuffey 11 fires the arson investigation in court in Sanders County
• Power to Dry Creek
• First CE above Knox Brook-350 thousand board feet
• One sale on Mileyway did not sell
• Sales drying up-drought expected with only CE’s
• Knox Brooks monitory report due
• Re-organization on the Lolo won the first round of out sourcing with only a 20% reduction. Employee comment on organizational charts as to cuts
• District auction and Potluck – 900 split between Emergency fund and food bank
• Community recognition – Gildersleeve family presented a certificate; Pat Hayes recognized for providing leadership on behalf of the community
• Access stopping Quartz fuel reduction 250 thousand board feet

Gary Edson, Nine Mile Ranger District reports

• The picture of extensive clear cuts that appeared in the Sierra Club Magazine on the Lolo was taken on private land 25 miles from forest boundary with quote from the chief
• Deer Creek temporary bridge is in place
• CE’s – two in Rivulet and Tarkio
• De-commissioning 35 miles of road in Fish Creek, 3 culverts pulled, humped and seeded, not re-contouring

Glenn Koepke, St. Regis Community Council reports

• Town meeting to be co-hosted by County Commissioners and Community Council to discuss the Hiawatha trail will be held on December 10 6-8 p.m. at the St. Regis Community Center. Pat will contact the Idaho connection

With no further business to come before this group the meeting adjourned at 12 noon. The next meeting will be December 1, 2003.