I thought Wyoming was having all the fun with the federal government and the associated federal agencies.

Wyoming’s challenges are  generally  related to our valuable energy resources, something that “picks up the tab” for schools, roads, local governments and much more. The problems seem endless when all we want to do is run a successful state.  There always seem to be new problems.

However, recently the Town of Afton, as small community, seems to have more than it’s fair share of special experiences with federal agencies as I think back on the EPA and the community’s water system. Then  most recently a FERC visit.

The EPA experience alone included countless meetings, here in Afton and a couple of runs  back to D.C. as we called on the Wyoming team of Hageman, Lummis, and Barrasso to help us work that one out with a federal agency.

We found a solution but the town was put through an undue amount of stress.

I thought we might be done with the federal agency scenarios for awhile, but it came back with a FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) visit recently.

Apparently the Forest Service was questioning how Afton restored a trail in the canyon, following an earlier slide.

FERC, invited by the Forest Service, got the call because Afton and Lower Valley Energy work together on a small hydro system in the canyon.

After a meeting at the LVE office with the co-op, FERC and town representatives at the table, followed by a tour of the canyon site, it sounds like we may be fine. The town explained the entire process.

Well done. I commend the town for remaining calm and patient in their response.

I think the town crews did an excellent job of dealing with the slide while restoring a much-improved walking path to the Intermittent Spring.

Now all that needs to be done is to improve the road to the Spring that leads to that very popular site.

That responsibility falls to the Forest Service.

Dropping a blade on the road and cutting back the willows for safety would go a long way in building a working relationship between the Bridger-Teton National Forest and the Town Afton.