Long-overdue stimulus arrives

The bloated federal stimulus package passed in early 2009 has long been frustrating, full of faults and clearly not the most effective way to actually stimulate the economy.

Money has been strewn far and wide, some on projects of questionable value, some on projects that are quite worthwhile. In the latter category we would put the stimulus money directed at the Flathead National Forest, most of which will be “hitting the ground” in the coming months.

About $13.3 million was allocated to the Flathead Forest from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act last fall, months after Congress rushed the legislation through under the premise that it was urgently needed to boost the economy and, as President Barack Obama said, to keep unemployment from exceeding 8 percent.

Well, we all know that unemployment has been hovering just below 10 percent and it has been much higher in some parts of the country. It was obvious from the beginning that the Keynesian spending plan would take time in finding its way to “shovel ready” infrastructure projects across the country.

In this case, it took considerable time for the Forest Service and other agencies to identify and design projects. On the Flathead Forest, only a fraction of the work got under way last year before winter set in.

But the new field season is loaded with projects, and the $13 million directed at them is significant, considering the forest’s annual operating budget is about $20 million and its annual roads budget ranges from $2 million to $3 million a year.

Most of the projects are road improvements, resurfacing and replacing culverts and bridges on roads where the work is sorely needed.

The roads around Hungry Horse Reservoir and the road to Tally Lake could sure use some help. And anybody who’s been on the bumpy, winding road to Jewel Basin knows that upkeep and improvements are long overdue.

Other projects include new boat launch facilities, trail maintenance and improvements at campgrounds and other facilities.

Forest users are in for some access inconveniences, with temporary closures here and there over the next few months. Work on the Jewel Basin Road, for instance, will require the road’s closure after Labor Day, which will surely be a disappointment to many.

But folks should remember that the projects are intended to put their neighbors to work. Fairly hefty contracts were awarded to several Western Montana firms, including one in Kalispell and one in Columbia Falls.

There’s no telling how many jobs will be created, because that partly depends on the decisions of private contractors. Flathead Forest officials are wisely not offering job creation estimates, avoiding many past examples of inflated job creation claims that have been attributed to stimulus spending.

But these days, any and all job creation is important here in Montana, especially when that was one of the primary purposes of stimulus spending. Better late than never.