Park Improvements Eyed
Yellowstone National Park has begun looking at ways it might improve the Bechler Area located in the park’s remote southwest corner. Other than US Highway 191 which skirts the western boundary of Yellowstone, the Bechler Area is the singular section of the park that is not connected to the Grand Loop road system. The area is accessed at the end of a gravel road 26 miles east of Ashton, Idaho, and an historic ranger station serves as the centerpiece of the small administrative site just north of Cave Falls. That’s Park Spokesman Al Nash who says the National Park Service is looking at ways it might improve facilities and services there while preserving the historic character of the area. Specifically, the park will look at ideas such as improving parking, utility upgrades, and addressing employee housing. The first step in preparing a plan and Environmental Assessment is to ask the public to help identify issues that the park staff should consider. Nash says this process, known as public scoping, is now open and runs through March 4th. Nash says additional details on the proposal and an electronic form to submit comments on the internet can be found at the National Park Service’s Planning, Environment and Public Comment website.
