Hungry Horse news., 1955-04-08
North Fork Road
CONTINUED from page y

to do, requires 31a times the mon
ey we get now" These are 100 per
cent federally financed.
Conclusion was that there is
likely more competition for forest
highway funds (such as for U. S.
No. 2 east of Nyack) than for sec
ondary state-federally matched
funds which see the Flathead get
ting about 100000 a year.
/ F. j. NeitZling, Flathead Ma
tional Forest supervisor, was ask
ed by Halvorson as to the history
and future of the North Fork road
under the present setup.
Neitzling said that actual con-
struction of the North Fork road
started by the Forest Service back
in about 1914 with an agreement
as to maintenance with Flathead
county dating to that approximate
time.
3 Helping construction was bring
ing of coal from Coal creek, quest
for oil near the Canadian line and
timber production.
Present maintenance schedule
has the county taking care of the
lower II miles, and the Forest
Service, the upper section includ-
ing the three miles of county road
above Polebridge.
FORESTS 100000
| Neitzling said that the spruce
bark beetle salvage and control
program resulted in special funds
coming from Congress and about
$1,000,000 worth of construction
projects on the North Fork road.
| About 25,000,000 board feet was
removed from the drainage last
year compared to 100000 that
|, is considered the sustained yield
!. Neitzling pointed out that log
gers and mill owners through an
association had actually been pay
ing for maintenance of the road
and doing the work. This would
not continue after the spruce bark
beetle logs were out.
He felt that increased stumpage
, prices and more access roads would
! result in Flathead county continu-
. ing to receive about 100000 {
, year as their share of timber sales
This money is designated for roac
and school use.
: With the spruce bark beetle sal
wage program once over, Neitzlins
> warned that the North Fork roa6
! could only expect an expenditure
of something like $40 a mile PEI
year that is available for Fores
Service roads. He felt that thi
was not enough money to take
care of the North Fork road will
its recreational and other traffic
His conclusion was that some 9th.
er agency should take over con.
g struction and road maintenance
i When the Bureau of Publ,
/ Roads builds road they tax,
l care of maintenance costs for twt
years after a road is completed i
: is it gravel surfaced, and one year
a if it is oiled.
S Then the road becomes the res
|. possibility of the state or count.
S and sometimes the forest service
Mel Ruder reviewed Flatheat
n sentiment for improvement of tn
: North Fork highway with even
tuality of it becoming a circle
route serving Glacier and Water
a ton at the start of the meeting.
2 There are also the Apgar ant
Coram North Fork road connec
n tons.
j PARK VIEWPOINT
a Glacier National Park Supt.
d w. Emmert said that Nationa
Park Service Director Conra.
: Wirth in talks given in Kalispe]
: and Whitefish few years ago ha,
i endorsed such a project. Sup1
e lEmmert told of the bridge prob
: lem at Polebridge where the fed
d eral government could spend mon
T ey and had it available for hal
:. of a new bridge. The county, how
S, ever, must go through a bond issu
Y if more than $4,000 is spent an
this was not viewed as practica
It Solution is to make the bridge 10
4. cation eligible for funds other tha
from county sources.
a The bridge at Polebridge
n presently being rebuilt by tn
e county and park service with re
4, pairs expected to last at least fiv
h. wears, though temporary.
K Emmert said that his organiza