Federal funding put to use in Bighorn National Forest maintenance projects - The Sheridan Press

SHERIDAN — Federal dollars from the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund will continue to be put to use in infrastructure improvement projects throughout Bighorn National Forest and the Rocky Mountains region, local and regional forest service officials said. 

Bighorn National Forest Public Information Officer Sarah Evans Kirol said the infrastructure investment, which is supporting ongoing projects throughout Bighorn National Forest and will continue to do so in fiscal year 2022, will improve visitor experience in national forests and grasslands. 

The Great American Outdoors Act, a federal law passed in 2020, designates funding for various federal agencies responsible for public land, including the National Park Service, USFS and Bureau of Land Management, to undertake overdue maintenance projects. Specifically, the law deposits 50% of revenue generated by oil, gas, goal and alternative energy development on federal lands or water into the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, which then disburses up to $1.9 billion annually, for FY2021 through FY2025, for public land maintenance projects. 

The Bighorn National Forest was among five national forests and grasslands in Wyoming to benefit from the additional funding. In particular, USFS documents state Bighorn National Forest received funding for eight projects, including repair and reconditioning roads, clearing trees and replacing power systems across the national forest. 

Some of the projects funded by the FY2021 disbursement are currently underway, Kirol said. Later this month and into July, forest service personnel will begin work on two Legacy Restoration Fund projects, Evans Kirol said: repairs and reconstruction on Crazy Woman Road and Dayton Gulch Road. 

The work on Crazy Woman Road — also known as Forest Service Road 33 — will include reconstructing the road, improving drainage and surfacing and stabilizing a historic bridge. This project, Evans Kirol said, will involve closing Crazy Woman Road for a period of time in July or August. 

Construction on Dayton Gulch Road will address some of the same issues but without requiring a road closure, Evans Kirol said. Forest Service documents indicate Dayton Gulch Road's heavy usage — by recreators, permittees and timber salespeople — necessitates reconstruction, surfacing and drainage improvements on the road. Although Dayton Gulch Road will not be closed this summer, Evans Kirol said traffic may be slowed as a result of construction and asked visitors to obey posted signs and barriers along the road.  

The Bighorn National Forest will receive Legacy Restoration Fund funding for additional projects during FY2022, USFS documents state.

Earlier this month, the Forest Service Rocky Mountain region announced it will receive nearly $27 million in Legacy Restoration Fund dollars in FY2022 to spend on deferred maintenance projects throughout Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and much of Wyoming and South Dakota. 

USFS' Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Frank Beum said the projects completed with the FY2022 grant will include campground and dam reconstruction, trailhead and parking rehabilitation, road conditioning and repair, fence and toilet replacement and trail maintenance.

"This funding will facilitate the completion of a variety of needed projects throughout the Rocky Mountain Region. The projects will enhance visitor experiences and improve safety," Beum said. 

According to the USFS' list of FY2022 Legacy Restoration Fund projects, Bighorn National Forest is slated to receive funding for five projects in the coming fiscal year, including continuing construction on Crazy Woman Road and other roads, trailhead improvements, toilet replacements and a historical preservation and rehabilitation project. 

Evans Kirol said Legacy Restoration Fund dollars improve safety, amenities and access for Bighorn National Forest visitors by updating infrastructure, from signposts and toilets to roads and bridges. Overall, Evans Kirol anticipated this will improve visitor experience in the national forest. 

Bighorn National Forest plans to apply for additional funding from the Legacy Restoration Fund, which will be disbursed until at least FY2025, in the coming years, Evans Kirol said. 

"We'll continue doing things each year into the future hopefully…" Evans Kirol said. "We are applying for future dollars, too."