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Re: US95 South



Thank you for the intelligent discussion; I have a few comments, being a resident on Paradise Ridge;
 
1.  Not true that "most of the animal life has been pushed that direction by residences on Paradise Ridge."  We owned our parcel here approx. 3 years before building, and the herds of elk & deer continually migrate up and down the ridge, east to west, and vice versa;  more so in the winter.  "Wildlife habitat" doesn't connote "endangered."  I've only lived in the area for a little over 10 years, and I've heard of the Palouse Prairie.  Seeing the view from the ridge, it is easy to see that the Palouse is a prairie.
 
2.  Whether the Highway District absorbs the old 95 route or not, Reisenauer Hill is ALREADY an albatross.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand the stretch of road from Moscow to Genesee to be one of the most, if not THE most, dangerous/deadly sections of highway in Idaho.  That was supposed to be the issue causing a search for an alternative in the first place.
 
3.  I don't know the techinal term for the fog we experience on the Ridge, but anyone living in Moscow can see the Ridge covered in fog many times every winter.  It's no joke, and running a high speed highway through it will cause problems, not unlike the problems faced with Reisenauer Hill (collisions, fatalities, and the like.)
 
4.  The USDA/Ed Haagen out of the Moscow office prepared the analysis regarding lost cropland, and proposed 10A absorbs a lot more productive cropland (not CRP) than other proposed routes.
 
5.  If Paradise Ridge is a "game preserve" then those of us living on the Ridge aren't "driving the wildlife into areas where Route 10A will be located."  We, as private property owners, can choose not to allow hunting up here.  No one else has the ability to tell us we have to allow hunting.  Game migration is only going to contribute to collisions and fatalities on the new proposed route 10A.  The assessment already completed on the project acknowledges that.
 
6.  If I'm understanding your comments correctly, just because trees weren't there when Moscow was settled means it's o.k. to go in and cut them all down?  Moscow is a Tree City, USA, and it seems to me Moscow residents have always prided themselves on that point.  Let's cut down all the trees in downtown Moscow and put in a parking lot.
 
7.  And, while we're at it, let's shoot all the birds.  I don't see the benefit of expecting birds to take up residence in K-Mart signs.
 
8.  It's interesting that, given the original reason for looking for a new route for the highway, that the old 95 from Eid Road to Moscow will remain open, and from the sound of it, open to anyone wishing to use it.  So, why are we looking at a new route?
 
9.  Compensation for seizure under imminent domain isn't necessarily what you might think it is.  Depending on the formula and calculations, those displaced homeowners may or may not be able to relocate and be left whole.
 
10-11.  To heck with the wetlands; let's fill them in with cement to match the parking lot downtown.  And what about the people?  Are we all resilient enough to endure more collisions and fatalities along a misplaced new 95?
 
12.  It is true that concerns aren't proof; the reason for the impact study was to hopefully consider all the potential difficulties with each proposed route; that focus has been lost in all the misguided comments.  Water quality?  Who cares.  There has been a suggestion that the leveling and deep digging required for the 10A route may cut into the groundwater reservoir; who cares?  But, that's just a concern, we won't have proof until it's done.
 
13.  Noise is noise, depending on where you are in relation to the noise.  The current highway is noisy for all those residents who chose to build along the highway.  When we moved up to the Ridge, we were choosing not to be close to the highway, and to get away from the noise of the city and highways.
 
My point in all this is that there are no easy, clear answers, and any decision will impact all of us, either positively or negatively.  No one is RIGHT or WRONG here.  From my perspective, what is most upsetting is that the Department of Transportation seemed to have its mind made up long before it came in and announced "proposed routes."  That was only done to appease the little people who live here.
 
Cindy Miller
----- Original Message -----
From: Dan Carscallen
To: Vision2020 ; Bob Hoffmann
Sent: Thursday, June 27, 2002 8:01 PM
Subject: Re: US95 South

I appreciate your positive points, but I think you are heavier on the negatives.  I'd like to answer each of them:

Negatives:
1. Alignment 10A adds 200 acres of new, impervious surfaces (roads) to Latah County of which 67 acres is the shoulder to shoulder width of the roadway, 41 acres of wildlife habitat destroyed, 32 acres that could be used by Threatened and Endangered Species destroyed, Idaho Department of Fish and Game estimates 465 acres of wildlife
habitat negatively impacted. With the destruction also comes the increased potential for noxious weed expansion that would threatened remaining Palouse Prairie habitat. Palouse Prairie is considered an endangered ecosystem. A report prepared for the BLM cited the major threats to remnants were road building and weeds.
 
How many endangered species live in that area?  Most of the animal life has been pushed that direction by residences on Paradise Ridge than anything else.  And this is the first I've ever heard of the "Palouse Prairie"--sounds like a buzzword for environmental groups to use against development they don't want.
 
2. Dangerous Reisenauer Hill now becomes albatross of county. Genesee school bus must still negotiate during snowy weather. Poor alignment at corner of Eid and current US 95 still in place.  Poor road approaches at Zeitler and Snow roads still exist.
 
The "New-old" US95 will likely be adopted by the North Latah County Highway District.  The Highway District commissioners have passed a motion to accept the old section into their system.  NLCHD and ITD will be working together to facilitate the changeover to county road status.

3. Orographic fog (caused by the elevational change of the north-south Paradise Ridge against the prevailing east-west winds of the Palouse) will be a problem. Between Halloween 1999 and Christmas 1999, there were 13 days when orographic fog  descended below the level of the proposed route (doesnt't include the 10 days when
everyone had fog during late December). More snow accumulation at higher elevation.
 
This sounds like "Voodoo weather" to me.  I'm no scientist, so I guess I'm not informed enough to have ever heard of orographic fog, not even on the Weather Channel.  I would also venture to guess that you would see more fog on the Genesee flats than on Paradise ridge.

4. Disrupts cropland. Although much of the ground is currently in CRP, if it was good enough to farm during the last 15 years, it may be good enoughto farm in the future. (No woody vegetation planted, indicating farmers leaving the option to retill).
 
If you go look at CRP ground, you'll notice that a lot of it is being naturally seeded with trees.  There's a reason it went into CRP in the first place, mainly because it wasn't as profitable to farm it.

5. Route will greatly affect big game movement.  Moose use riparian/hawthorn stringers. Large deer herds (I've seen as many as 100 head) roam up and down the ridge. Elk run the stringers during spring and fall migration. Free roaming deer may become safety concern. Only available water for big game during harsh winters on west side of
new road - cover on east.
 
This is another problem caused by people moving into that area, driving the wildlife out into areas where Route 10A will be located.  It is also caused by the top of Paradise ridge being a game preserve.  Since there is no hunting pressure, the deer herd has boomed in that area.  A limited permit archery only hunt would be effective in controlling the deer population without risk to those who live in the Paradise ridge area of stray bullets.

6. Removes one of only 2 lower elevation pine stands that serve as wildlife oasis between the top of the Lewiston Hill and Moscow.
 
Those trees weren't there when Moscow was settled, so they're not "natural" anyway.

7. Removes pine stand used for nesting by 4 species of birds of prey: Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, Great Horned Owls, and Barn Owls.  Removes pine stand that serves as integral part of wildlife area used by 115 species of birds, at least 8 mammals, 3 amphibians. Three species are listed as Species of Special Concern for Idaho:
Western Toad, Barn Owl, and Pygmy Nuthatch, the later being listed as borderline S2 (without concern for habitat, may become extirpated from State).
 
Remember the Spotted Owl that would only nest in old growth forest?  I seem to remember hearing about one nesting in an "old growth" K-Mart sign.

8. The biggest "losers" in this route, residents along Eid Road, won't even have close access to the new highway. Using the new road to go to Moscow will add about 1.5 miles to the trip.
 
They still have access to the old highway, not changing the mileage of their trip one inch.

9. Requires removal of at least 5 trailer homes, one 4-stall garage, one split level home and garage at Eid Road.
 
I think those people will be properly compensated.  And I personally have experience trying to sell a trailer home.  It's not easy.

10. Numerous wetland disruptions. Pond just south of Eid Road, riparian / hawthorn stringers, extremely close to Stevens? Springs (south end Zeitler Road), several ponds on Mike Snow property.  Construction through decomposed granite may cause increased sediment loads to South Fork Palouse River drainage.
 
From what i've seen, there is 0.6 acre of wetland that will be "disrupted".  I think that can be made up for very easily with new pond construction.

11. Proposed wetland mitigation for Alt 10A "takes" will be 10 miles away-no benefit to the wildlife of Paradise Ridge.
 
As noted before with the spotted owl example, wildlife species are a lot more resilient than a lot of people give them credit.

12. May impact water quality in Hidden Village. DEQ has concerns about this.
 
Concerns aren't proof.

13. Elevating the new road bed 60' above the current Eid Road will be noisy to Hidden Village residents.

Any noisier than having the road directly below the Hidden Village?
 
Dan Carscallen
Moscow



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