There is money available for trail maintenance on federal land, but it is a pot of funding that Jefferson County has in the past opted not to access.
The money falls under the federal Secure Rural Schools program, with three categories — Title I, Title II and Title III.
Jefferson County receives Title I and Title III funds, the former used for roads and schools and the latter for county projects.
Title II can be used for road and trail infrastructure and maintenance, as well as noxious weed control, two items highlighted by the Jefferson County Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission as part of its request to get a Travel Management Plan underway. (See story, page 1)
Years ago, a former board of Commissioners decided not to allocate funding to the Title II category, according to Commission Chairman Leonard Wortman.
Commissioner Cory Kirsch said he could only speculate on why that decision was made, but Title III funds are geared to fire mitigation and emergency response.
“My guess is that seemed like more of a priority to them at the time,” he said.
Counties can determine the percentage amount to be allocated to each of the three funds, and Jefferson County chose to put 85% to Title I and 15% to Title III and zero to Title II, according to Tim Lahey, distinct ranger, Butte Ranger District.
In 2019, Jefferson County received $250,241 in Title I funds and $44,60 in Title III, with those amounts determined on the determined percentage basis, according to the U.S. Forest Service. In turn, the county also makes a contribution to those funding categories.
Lahey said that it would take action by the U.S. Congress for Jefferson County to change those funding percentages. That doesn’t preclude the county receiving Title II money for projects, but it could cause a problem with the other three counties that fall under the Southwest Resource Advisory Commission, as those counties do contribute to Title II funding, said Lahey. In addition to Jefferson County, Beaverhead, Madison and Silver Bow are also in that Commission group.
The inability of Jefferson County to receive Title II money frustrates Carellen Smith-Nix, who is a member of the Southwest Resource Advisory Commission.
During the most recent funding cycle, Smith-Nix said three projects for Jefferson County had to be eliminated immediately because it does not receive Title II funds.
Two were for noxious weed control near Bernice and the third was for a youth forest monitoring program managed out of Helena, said Smith-Nix.
Projects that did receive funding included noxious weed treatments, trail improvements and maintenance and cutthroat trout enhancement, among others.
Smith-Nix said the RAC meets again early next year and will again consider roughly $650,000 in funding for projects in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
Smith-Nix said she’s asked the Commission to communicate with state representatives to have the Secure Rural Schools designation reopened at the federal level, but hasn’t gotten much response.
Wortman explained why.
“We have talked with about everyone there is to talk with about this. At this point, I’m not sure it’s worth the effort to try to change it. We get to decide what and when we spend the money we get within the guidelines. If we change, a committee of people, mostly outside our county, will decide if what we want fits their criteria. At the present time I think we should just stay where we are,” he said.
