Nothing planned for Granite Creek land say new owners

By ROGER MORRIS Western News Publisher

New owners of the former Lukens Hazel Mine property on Granite Creek Road told the Lincoln County Commissioners Wednesday that they have no plan to subdivide the property and they are only investigating having the county abandon the road through their land.

Charlie Stevens of Fort Worth, Texas, and his father, John Stevens of Kansas, said they have no concrete plans for the property except keeping trespassers off of it.

"We're having trouble keeping people off of it," Charlie Stevens told the commissioners. "We've had a couple of fires on our property already."

The land is just downstream of the Granite Lake trailhead into the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness. The Stevens bought 650 acres previously owned by Plum Creek and nearly split in half by the county road known as the Granite Creek Road.

Stevens said they are looking into asking the county to abandon the road. In return, they are talking to the Forest Service about building a new access using the old Lower Granite Creek Road.

They have not submitted any requests to anyone, both Stevens said.

"We don't have anything to discuss at this point," Charlie Stevens said.

"It's an important county road and it guarantees access to the trailhead and entire Cabinet face," said Libby commissioner Rita Windom.

"We understand the importance of this trailhead," Charlie Stevens replied. He said he talked to some landowners and members of the Cabinet Back Country Horsemen and the alternative road is a better access.

Libby District Ranger Malcolm Edwards said the proposed access would Continued from Page 1

be a Forest Service road and subject to the whims of political influences in terms of remaining open.

"As long as that road is a county road, the public has access in perpetuity," Windom said. "I don't trust the Forest Service. Grizzly bears come into this equation and a lot of other things come into the equation."

Windom said the only way she would consider abandoning the existing road is if the Stevens build a new road that satisfies the needs of all constituencies and not just the Cabinet Back Country Horsemen. The Forest Service is estimating that if the access to the trailhead comes via Lower Granite Creek Road then the actual trailhead maybe a mile farther away from Granite Lake than presently located.

"What's the hesitancy of the Forest Service and the county?" Charlie Stevens asked. "Why can't the Forest Service grant Lower Granite to the county?"

Windom said there is a process "if you get beyond the emotion" and to the reason.

"There will be a lot of people at a hearing citing the reasons I just told you," she said. "There has to be an alternate before the county abandons."

Edwards said the road building process falls under the National Environmental Protection Act process which would require a second set of hearings to the county's meetings.

"We're willing to go down the road to see what is the cost of putting in a new trailheads," Charlie Stevens said.

"What are you doing that you don't want the road going through it?" asked Eureka commissioner Marianne Roose.

"Nothing," replied Charlie Stevens. "This is a unique road that goes nowhere except to that trailhead. I'm not saying they have to give up the trailhead, there would be just a different access."

Windom asked Stevens if he hadn't said under questioning earlier this year that they were interested in subdividing the property into thirty-one 20-acre parcels. Stevens he didn't.

"That doesn't make a difference to us," said Troy commissioner John Konzen.

"It makes a difference to those of us who live up there already," said Devry Rockwood.

Stevens said he would like the road shut off at the edge of his property.

"We see roads closed on the national forest all the time and it's a big issue with our constituents," Roose said.

"I understand that," Charlie Stevens said. "I think we just want to get it out there and people will see it's not a big deal if they understand it. We're saying if it (the new road access) is something reasonable we would pay for it."

John Stevens said the two men are trying to get all their "entitlements" in place for the property.

"We don't have any intentions of selling any of the property today," John Stevens continued. "We just like to look down the line."

"So do we," Windom said.