Lincoln County Commissioner, Kent Connelly, spoke with SVI about several different ongoing elements of the job as the county continues to experience growth.

RELATED: RADIO INTERVIEW WITH KENT CONNELLY –

Dry Piney Project

Located ten miles northwest of LaBarge, the project will include up to nine production wells a processing plant and acid-gas injection for permanent CO2 storage. Construction is expected to start soon.

“We went through industrial siting which is sales tax that comes from the state but you don’t get it until after the construction starts, “Connelly stated. “LaBarge winds up with $16 million worth of money all spread out. The bulk of the money is going to the cities. There will be 3-400 people to build it and 50-60 people to run it. You can [use that money] for sheriff’s deputies and such but the Dry Piney Project is impact money on major industry coming in. It’s a system that’s needed when big industry comes in.”

Cokeville solar farm

This project is aiming to create up to 185 megawatts (MW) and 400 megawatt-hours (MWH) of battery storage. It is going through the application process once again.

“They’ve contacted us about redoing the application and getting it off the ground,” Connelly replied. “That one has been around for a while. There is no money until you build. They have made the request for us to look at it on a new permit.”

Forest Service Revision Plan

The Bridger-Teton National Forest has not updated their plan since 1990. Connelly noted that the county wants to clear out timber but needs the public’s input on the process to move it forward.

“This is one of the oldest plans in America and it should be revised every ten years and it’s been about 40 years,” he said. Four-wheelers didn’t exist on the original plan. We absolutely are requesting more logging. Murphy Creek in the Greys River and Little Hornet in the LaBarge area. We’ve got to get back to a healthy forest. Please comment on it. We’re sitting at the table and we’re going back and forth. Please be involved. We want to know what you want on federal lands.”

Connelly also provided more specifics on the Wild and Scenic designation which is part of the discussion.

“Most Wild and Scenic designations state that you can’t have disbursed camping right up against it,” he answered. “You have to be in designated areas. It’s more restricted. Roadless is an issue. People who look at the national discussion there are a lot of roadless ares in the Bridger-Teton. It’s not a matter of if it’s going to burn it’s when. There are comment periods on this and we need the public input on these things.”