CURRENT PROJECTS

Community Fire extinguishers

Wildfires are an increasing occurrence in the Northern Rockies, and Rock Creek has experienced numerous wildfires in recent years. In 2023 the RCPA funded and implemented an upgraded network of community fire extinguishers. These are placed on gates, fences and posts along Rock Creek Road, and adjoining roads, from Bonita and the Confluence all the way up to Idle Ranches.

The goal is to allow residents and visitors to quickly put out small valley fires before they spread.

Several RCPA members sponsored individual fire hydrants at $300 each, and one grateful and generous family donated $1000 to this cause.

Location of Fire Extinguishers

  • Hover property @ 24200 Bonita Ranger Station Rd.

  • FVLT Confluence Gate @ 29 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Lorraine Corra’s Gate @ 61 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Terry Heffernan’s Gate @ 550 Rock Creek Rd.

  • John Kane’s driveway entrance post @ 667 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Barber’s property fence post @ 740 Rock Creek Rd.

  • John Rodger’s driveway entrance @ 6 Island Dr.

  • Holtby property post @ 7 Rainbow Court

  • Conrad’s property NE corner of shop @ 753 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Peltier’s shed by garage @ 824 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Barker’s fence @ 20 Sawmill Fishing Rd.

  • Bartlett’s garage NE corner @ 6 Sawmill Fishing Rd.

  • Brown’s driveway entrance post @ 12 Snook Trail South

  • Minelli’s driveway entrance post @ 880 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Breindel’s post near mailboxes @ 8 Fran Dan Lane

  • Marcello’s rental on post near mailbox @ 959 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Brown’s fence post near entrance @ 1010 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Clausen’s driveway entrance post @ 1059 Rock Creek Rd.

  • York’s driveway entrance post @ 1181 Rock Creek Rd.

  • Trouthaven in field along roadway @ 31 Trouthaven Dr.

  • Idle Ranches on post at intersection of Miller Gulch Rd. and Idle Hour Dr.

  • Idle Ranches, Alder Gulch (west side) of RC @ T-intersection on Idle Hour Dr.

List updated October 7, 2024

Trail 10 maintanance

Description:
Under a Volunteer Agreement with Lolo National Forest, the RCPA has adopted Trail 10 (Babcock Mountain Trail) to perform tread and drainage work. The USFS is unable to put enough boots on the ground to maintain the vast network of public trails and relies on volunteer groups to help. Wild Montana, Backcountry Horseman, and many others help fill this need. We have chosen Trail 10 as it sees a high amount of use in our valley, is short (3 miles), and mostly requires improving the tread (a.k.a. foot path) on the gravelly slope. A spring and fall work day will be organized to give Trail 10 some much needed love. If you wish to be part of a trail work day, contact project leader Chris Evavold at 406-529-4233 or chris.evavold@gmail.com.

Wire Roll

As many of you know, we completed our first fence removal project in spring of 2024.  That project was at Grizzly Campground on public land so in that instance we worked in cooperation with the USFS.  There are countless dilapidated fences throughout this valley, however, many of which are on private land.  Regardless of where they are, they pose a serious entanglement risk to animals (and people). Our hope going forward is to have at least 2 project days each year (spring and fall).  If we have enough interest, it would be amazing to expand this to three days. If you wish to participate and/or have any questions about the fence removal project, please contact project leader Ingrid Johnson-Evavold at 715-781-4027 or johnson.evavold@gmail.com.

Fiber Optic Internet

Since 2018, the RCPA has been working actively to right the wrong of inequitable distribution of fiber optic internet on lower Rock Creek.

Resolution of Rock Creek Protective Association

WHEREAS Rock Creek’s fiber optic network was originally installed at significant expense for the lower Rock Creek community’s use; and

WHEREAS this fiber optic installation is believed to have been paid for using public funds designated to support rural broadband; and

WHEREAS Rock Creek’s fiber optic network is now being used, but not for its intended use by and for the Rock Creek community, resulting in inequitable distribution of fiber optic internet,

Now, therefore, be it:

RESOLVED, That RCPA supports equitable distribution of Rock Creek’s fiber optic internet; and

RESOLVED, that to achieve RCPA’s goal we will pursue a “Sunshine Strategy” by telling our story and sharing those facts learned through RCPA’s investigation with government agencies, elected officials, community leaders, and journalists we trust.

Dated this 4th day of May 2022.

Timeline of Rock Creek Fiber Optic Internet

1997: Blackfoot Co-op and its members receive a multi-million-dollar federal USDA loan for improvements to multiple Blackfoot markets. These improvements include Rock Creek’s planned fiber optic network.

2000/2001: Installation of Rock Creek’s new fiber optic network, at significant expense.

2013: Co-op members finish paying off the USDA loan after 15 years. For 180 months co-op members paid off this amount through their monthly bills, with hard-earned nickels, dimes, and dollars.

2013: Blackfoot confirms to Rock Creek residents that fiber optic service will be available to them in the future, and to be patient. We are told good things come to those who wait.

2018: Blackfoot provides the community’s fiber optic network to just one family, instead of servicing the community as originally planned. This basically wiped out our community’s investment in fiber and left us with antiquated dead-end internet technology.

2018: Rock Creek residents send a delegation of two RCPA board members to meet with Blackfoot management to protest. Blackfoot offers us nothing.

2018: The RCPA board votes that the inequitable distribution of fiber optic internet on Rock Creek is wrong and supports efforts to make it right.

2021: RCPA writes a letter to Blackfoot’s CEO asking him to explain and rectify the inequitable distribution of fiber optic internet on Rock Creek. Blackfoot offers nothing, and counters that we didn’t get fiber because we didn’t want it.

2022: RCPA hires a law firm (at no expense to members), to help us fight the good fight.

2022: RCPA passes a Resolution supporting equitable distribution of fiber optic internet. The resolution approves a “Sunshine Strategy” by telling our story and sharing those facts learned through the RCPA’s investigation. We will share our story with government agencies, elected officials, community leaders, and journalists we trust.

2022: To counter Blackfoot’s story that “we didn’t want” fiber, the RCPA fields a statistically reliable survey of Rock Creek residents. Unsurprisingly, the survey showed very high interest in fiber to replace our antiquated DSL technology.

Today: Many Blackfoot markets have already been upgraded from DSL to fiber, such as St. Ignatius, Thompson Falls, Lolo, and elsewhere. Currently, to great fanfare Blackfoot is rolling out fiber across Granite County, including Philipsburg, Drummond, Anaconda, Georgetown Lake, Upper Rock Creek, and elsewhere. Everywhere it seems except lower Rock Creek. Why is that? The once in a lifetime gusher of federal money to support rural fiber internet, that is happening now, is passing us by. We’ll be stranded with antiquated dead-end DSL technology.