Reporter's Notes

Erramouspe Road

On Tuesday, Sublette County Commissioners approved entering into an agreement with the Bureau of Land Management for a 30-year easement for the Erramouspe Road. The deal provides public access to the road, which has been subject to a federal-versus-local jurisdictional dispute that isn't expected to end with the easement.

The easement grant requires the county to provide five days notice to the BLM before commencing any surface improvement work. Surface disturbance is prohibited from April 15 through June 30 to protect raptors, unless specifically exempted in writing by the BLM. Roadwork when the surface is too wet is prohibited as well.

The easement grant does state that the deal does not affect any claims to RS-2477 rights to the road.

Commissioner Bill Cramer said he believed the county should accept the easement grant offer from the BLM.

"Until we win our RS-2477 case, then we can tear this up," he said.

Visitor center

The Sublette County Commission entered into a contract to purchase a parcel of land at the corner of Tyler and Pine streets in Pinedale for the eventual location of a new visitor center for the county. The county will purchase the land for $150,000 from Albert Korfanta.

Fairbanks and DEQ

Sublette County Commission Chairman Gordon Johnston noted Tuesday that he and County Clerk Mary Lankford had recently met with Wyoming Attorney General Pat Crank. Although the purpose of the meeting was to discuss the problem of finding qualified workers for the natural gas industry who can pass drug tests, Johnston said he alerted Crank to another matter - that of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and its attempt to regulate dust a on county road.

Although DEQ had told gravel pit operator Eric Fairbanks that he must control dust on the county road leading to his gravel pit operation, both Fairbanks and the county commission disagreed with that assertion. The commission told a DEQ representative that county roads are the county's jurisdiction, not the DEQ's.

Johnston said he told Crank about the situation and let Crank know that Johnston had advised his fellow commissioners that once he leaves office, the commission should continue to support Fairbanks in the matter, should it continue.