By Christina Ramirez-Milhoan, The Olympian , 8/15/2000
OLYMPIA - The Chehalis tribe is coming to Thurston County's aid, even though a plan to transfer two dilapidated bridges to the tribe fell apart.
Although Thurston County Commissioners transferred two bridges on 188th Avenue to the Chehalis Indian Reservation on Monday morning, the action was canceled later in the day after the tribe found it could not get money from the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs to replace the bridges.
County officials were hoping that the tribe could get the federal government to pick up the bill for replacing the bridges.
Without tribal or federal help, the county would be left to come up with 20 percent of the necessary funding, which would be at least $20,000.
While the bridge deal fell through, the Chehalis tribe did agree to pay the 20 percent.
"All the intentions were good, but the BIA office said they would not be able to get us the money for the project," said C.S. Sodhi, director of the tribe's natural resources department. "We found that the county had found funding, so we told them to go ahead with the replacement of the bridges." The bridges, which are on a portion of 188th Avenue adjacent to Moon Road, are on overflow channels of the Chehalis River.
Joe Bonga, regional road engineer for the Northwest BIA region, said turning over county roads to reservations was common.
Still, keeping the bridges in Thurston County's ownership would put less stress on BIA funding, Bonga said.
"Our road maintenance budget is one-third of what the counties get," Bonga said. "Our maintenance money comes from the Department of the Interior, which means we have to compete with 44 other tribes across six states." But Sodhi told Thurston County officials that the tribe would pick up the tab for the 20 percent matching funds.
"The project has to be done and the bridges would help provide access to the reservation," Sodhi said. "They will also provide necessary access while we work on Anderson Road." The tribe has $2.5 million for the Anderson Road project, which calls for building two bridges on the road.
The project also will widen the 22-foot wide road, which runs though Grays Harbor and Thurston counties to 40 feet.
Winter floods often close Anderson Road.
'Anderson is our priority Sodhi said. "There are times when the closing down of the road shuts us down for days."
Christina RamirezMilhoan writes for The Olympian. She can be reached at 754-5420.
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