June 18, 2010

To: Doral Hoff, Idaho Transportation Department

Cc: ITD’s Jim Carpenter, Dist. 2, Bryan Ness, Director, Alan Frew,

Cc: C. L. “Butch” Otter, Governor of Idaho

From: Linwood Laughy and Borg Hendrickson, Kooskia, Idaho 83539

ITD Alert 6/14/10  Protecting the Integrity of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and All-American Road

As you are aware, Highway 12 in Idaho has been designated by the U.S. Department of Transportation as the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and one of only 27 All-American Roads in the nation. ITD is the responsible state agency for administering the scenic byway program in Idaho.

Each Scenic Byway has a Corridor Management Plan. Federal regulations require a plan that:

• is designed to “protect the unique qualities of a scenic byway.”

• calls for “protective measures to preserve the historic, cultural,   recreational and scenic qualities of the scenic byway.”

• will “minimize intrusions on the visitor’s experience” and strive to enhance that experience.

The NWPSB Corridor Management Plan lists as its two highest priorities “ensuring the public safety while maintaining the intrinsic qualities of the byway.”

ConocoPhillips and ImperialOil/ExxonMobil have filed travel plans with ITD for the transport through the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway and Byway Corridor of over 200 overlegal size loads of gigantic proportions during approximately a one-year time period, including the months of greatest visitor presence in the scenic byway corridor. ITD will decide whether permits for this travel will be issued. If this travel is allowed, The Port of Lewiston expects “many other companies” to begin using Highway 12 as an alternative route for the transport of such giant loads, i.e. for the route to become a permanent high and wide industrial truck route.

We believe ITD has legal and moral obligations to meet Federal Highway Administration requirements, an obligation you previously assumed. The issuance of the permits in question, and those that would most certainly be requested in the future, would not and could not ensure the public safety, minimize intrusions on the visitor experience, or protect the unique qualities of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway.

Federal Highway Administration regulations also speak to the potential de-designation of Scenic Byways and All-American Roads “when it is determined that the local and/or State commitments described in a corridor management plan have not been met….” 

We find unwise any ITD action which could damage what ITD presents in the 2006 revised NWPSB Corridor Management Plan as an annual $149 million travel and tourism industry in north central Idaho, resulting in 4,696 Idaho jobs.

We note as well that the State of Idaho/ITD has in recent years received $2,347,836 in FHWA funds for the enhancement of the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway. We trust those monies have been received in good faith and that the ITD will not jeopardize the future receipt of federal highway dollars by the State of Idaho.