
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a law created to assure that all branches of government give proper consideration to the environment prior to undertaking any major federal action that significantly affects the environment. An Environmental Assessment (EA) is an assessment of the likelihood of impacts from alternative courses of action and is the most visible NEPA requirement. In keeping with NEPA, the City of Kalispell is asking for public input on the TIGER project specific to the potential new north-south street connections and trail design.
Kalispell’s TIGER grant application proposes up to four (4) new, north-south street connections be built. The adjacent map shows eight possible street connections within the Core Area and we need your input to identify which of these are of the highest priority to our community considering any factors you feel are important. Additionally, Kalispell’s TIGER grant identified that the existing stretch of approximately 1.5 miles of railroad tracks that run through the Core Area be replaced with a bike/pedestrian trail. The community has long asked for this trail and we are now returning to the community to ask for your input on trail design. While we will host a community design forum expected next summer to focus on the specifics of the design, currently, we are asking for your input on the general design features that you would like to see incorporated.
Please complete this quick survey for the Community and Economic Development Department at the City of Kalispell. Once the community input is tallied the City will include this input in the NEPA EA document. To ensure your input is included in the EA document, please complete the survey prior to September 12, 2016, at 3 p.m.
Thank you for carefully considering how these new streets and trail can best meet the needs of Kalispell and the broader community!