Funds help preserve history

A lot of history can be found up in those mountains and out in those woods. But in a typical year, Kootenai National Forest doesn’t have the money to complete more than one or two historic preservation projects.

Funding available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is changing the norm this fiscal year. It all started last fall with painting projects at two historic structures – one in the Yaak region and another in the Fortine district.

“We’re just real excited. Our budgets are such that it would be very, very difficult to schedule (this many projects),” said Becky Timmons, an archaeologist with Kootenai National Forest. “We’ve picked away at our historic buildings over time but maybe two would be a good year.”

Thanks to stimulus funds, roofing and flooring projects are planned for eight historic buildings.

“In the life of a cabin, one of the first things to tend to is the roof,” Timmons said. “When your roof is leaking, you’re in trouble. You want to stabilize the roof.”

The Ant Flat Ranger Station Office, constructed in 1922 and located on the Fortine district, and the Sylvanite Ranger Station House, built in 1912 and on the Three Rivers district, were the sites that had painting projects finished late last year. The work was done by the Montana Conservation Corps.

One of the biggest projects this summer will see renovation work at the Locke Cabin, another structure on the Fortine district.

A Region 1 historic preservation team headed up by specialist Kirby Matthew will lead work on the Locke Cabin over the last two weeks in July.

“They will be doing log replacement and floor replacement up at Locke,” Timmons said.

Work contracted out through ARRA includes roof and shingle replacement at several cabins, including Locke.

“This year, the log work will be done and the roof could potentially happen this year,” Timmons said. “The log roof has to be replaced.”

Besides the Locke, Ant Flat and Sylvanite structures, others on the list for shingle projects include Robinson Lookout, Meadow Point Lookout, Star Peak Stone House, Fairview Log Shed and the Fairview Log Cabin.

The ARRA funding involves a whole lot more than the historic preservation projects. Everything from gravel resurfacing to lightning protection projects are included.

“We’re getting a lot of bidders on these projects,” said Paul Stantus, KNF technical services staff officer who oversees stimulus projects. “It’s been fairly successful in awarding local projects. When I say local, some are from Idaho, Kalispell and Libby-Troy.”

Kootenai National Forest received $16.5 million in ARRA funds and as of April 1, nearly $12 million of that had been included in contracts already submitted to the East Rutherford Operations Center, or EROC.

Stantus said the hope is to get most of the projects done this summer although there could be delays.

“The contracting centers at EROC are getting so overloaded that they’re slower than expected in getting these contracts out,” Stantus said.

Stantus said EROC wants all contracts in by May and the Kootenai will meet that deadline with one exception.

“That’s the reconstruction of McGillivray Campground,” Stantus said. “But we’re close to having everything else into EROC.”

The McGillivray Campground project includes the removal of three flush toilets, installation of three to six concrete vault toilets, replacement of fire rings and tables, and realignment of the road.