That mile-long road is nearly completed, the construction costs being paid by the landowners. The easement allowing public use of the route should be finalized in a few weeks, according to Alex Sienkiewicz, Yellowstone District ranger. But the road won’t be open to the public until the Forest Service finishes its continuation of the route.

So now the agency is taking the next step — proposing to construct about a mile-and-a-half of new road on the forest to get to the public land. To do that, the Forest Service has written a draft environmental assessment, which is now available to the public for comment. The new route will be called West Deer Creek Road No. 421 and is to provide access to 16,000 acres of public land.

Assuming the process goes smoothly, work on building the Forest Service’s portion of the 12- to 14-foot-wide road could begin as soon as this summer. Maintenance and management of the entire road – across public and private land – would be the Forest Service’s responsibility.