A fix for FSR 261:

Carbon County and the Medicine Bow National Forest are preparing to team up to repair Forest Service Road (FSR) 261 (Cedar Pass Road).

"The county contacted us and said that in the meantime, to address what is a serious safety concern, they would be willing to attempt at (FSR 261) getting through the hunting season and into next year," Melanie Fullman, Brush Creek/Hayden District Ranger for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest (MBRNF).

FSR 261 is one of the controversial roads listed as having sections decommissioned in the West Side Snowy Range Travel Management (WSSRTM) alternatives. The problem is sloughs or slumps that have been occurring in the Cedar Creek area of the road.

According to Fullman, FSR 261 was built in 1964 and portions started to fail as early as 1984, and millions of dollars have already been spent to maintain the road. "We spent 1.2 million dollars [on FSR 261] as recently as 2011 or 2012," Fullman said.

Bill Nation, Carbon County Road and Bridge Superintendent, said, "There is a slough up there that I think we can fix." He cited his experience with other sloughs along county roads and his knowledge of problem areas around the county.

"There is some methodology that we use, knowing the county, along county roads. They slough and it seems to work fairly well," Nation said. That methodology will include about three days' work with an excavator, a D6 CAT and the appropriate road materials.

"If we do that it will be a cooperative deal. It's not just the road and bridge, it's the road and bridge and the forest," Nation said.The county and the MBRNF met at the main slough on the road on Thursday and came up with a tentative repair plan according to Fullman. According to both the county and the MBRNF the two parties are now working on determining who has what materials and equipment available to complete the repair.

Fullman was clear about two things in the interview. The first is that this is a stop gap measure to keep the road open through the 2015 hunting season. The second is that the proposed closure of FSR 261 in no way impedes access to Kennaday Peak. The Kennaday Peak road is FSR 215.

Fullman also pointed out that there are seven or eight areas along the Cedar Pass Road (FSR 261) that are continuously failing.

How long the repair lasts, according to Nation, is up to "Mother Nature."

Fullman said that FSR 261 and its potential decommissioning will still be a part of the WSSRTM analysis which will be completed this winter.

"If this is successful, that certainly weighs into the decision," Fullman said, adding, "We have to analyze the whole road, in its entirety, and weigh that against the best available science, public needs and public investment."

The draft environmental assessment should be available for public comment in the spring of 2016.

Fullman said the offer of a cooperative effort between the county and the MBRNF was, "... an unexpected offer for which we are grateful."