I was looking at the larger version of this image

that I shared a while back when it occurred to me...

Those of you who so enjoyed the view of this aspen grove, might be interested in its future.

You see, that's a county road passing through what we call Aspen Alley. And seeing as how it is one of the main access roads onto the National Forest, that is one of the most heavily traveled dirt roads in the county.

So much so that, beginning in 2007, the county is going to start a seven-year project to pave the entire road. And, just as was done (or is being done as I type) to one of our other heavily traveled county roads, the road will be upgraded to state highway standards. As in, a full width two-lane asphalt road, with four-foot paved shoulders and neatly graded, gradual and wide safe shoulders.

Take a look at that picture up there. Even in that small image you can tell, there wouldn't be much of the Alley left if you expanded that roadway by two-and-a-half to three times.

And that is where the story gets interesting. And maybe a little different from what you might see elsewhere in the world.

The folks at county road & bridge? Well, they know how special Aspen Alley is, so they suggested re-routing the paved road to the east, around the alley grove. A significant increase in expense, in surveying the route, buying the new right-of-way across private land, and preparing the roadbed for paving.

And the county commissioners agreed.

Now, much of the funding of the upgrade of this road comes from the federal highway administration. Most of the money spent to save this grove of trees would come from their funds.

And they agreed.

Some of this money is allocated because this county road is officially designated as a forest access road. A roadway deemed essential by the US Forest Service to provide access to the forest, both for getting forest products out, but also for getting forest recreationists in. So they, also, would have to buy off on changing the route.

And they did.

Now, the eventual hope of the county is to get this road up to state highway standards so that they can then give the roadway to the state highway department to maintain. Which is why the state highway department folks will be drafting all the engineering documents on the new road, and supervising every stage of construction. This new diversion around Aspen Alley is gonna be their problem, to design, to build and to maintain.

And they agreed.

And, finally, Aspen Alley is on private ground. Owned by the same folks, fairly new residents, who own the ground the new route would cross over. They, of course, agreed to the new route, because it saves the grove that they own. But the question then becomes, why go to so much public expense to save a pretty aspen lane when only the landowners and their friends would have the right to see it? Would they consider leaving that gravel road in there, as a county road? A kind of scenic bypass?

And they said "Yes".

And now, here's the most remarkable point about all of this.

It happened without any public screaming or hollering. In fact, the people and agencies involved in upgrading this roadway had it all worked out before they even came public with their plans.

Just because they all knew how special that simple gravel road through that aspen grove was.

And that, my friends, is one of the reasons we live here.