FACILITY MASTER PLAN
FOR THE
BIGHORN NATIONAL FOREST
October 2002
Chapter 6: Powder
River
Summary of Facilities, Workforce and Needs
Powder River Ranger District
Hunter Dwelling at Hunter Work Center
Overview: Powder River Ranger District
Powder River Ranger District Office is located in Buffalo,
Wyoming. The district covers the southern third of the Forest. In the
mid-1990's, the former Tensleep and Buffalo Ranger Districts formally
combined to form the new Powder River District. The leased office in Worland
(former Tensleep office) was terminated, and the new Powder River District
is headquartered in Buffalo. In Buffalo, there is also a dwelling and
garage, located in the Buffalo city limits.
The other administrative sites on the district are located
in Worland, Tyrrell Ranger Station, and Hunter Work Center.
The eastern side of the district doesn't get nearly as
much snow as the west side; therefore the east side of the forest is more
easily accessible for a longer portion of the year. On the west side,
north of Tyrrell Ranger station, the West Tensleep Road runs north off
of Highway 16 for about 7 miles to West Tensleep Lake. This is the most
heavily used entrance to the Cloud Peak Wilderness on the Forest. Traffic
on this road runs right past the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
Workforce: Powder River Ranger District
Permanent Workforce
Current
The organization chart lists 2 Permanent Seasonals
and 12 PFTs on the Powder River District. Eleven are stationed out of
the Buffalo office, and 1 in Worland. The other two have their duty
station in the Tongue/S.O. office in Sheridan. Currently 1 of the positions
is vacant. The Organization Chart for the Powder River District is listed
in Appendix C (Chart C-8).
Anticipated changes
Due to the increase in fire funding, additional PFT
positions may be added in the future.
Seasonal Workforce
Current
In FY01, there were 29 seasonals working on the Powder
River District. This does not include the additional 11 S.O. seasonals
who will be working out of Tyrrell Ranger Station. The Buffalo dwelling
will house 6, Hunter 7, and Tyrrell 27.
In Appendix C, Table C-1 shows the locations the seasonals
were housed and working out of in FY01 site by site. It also shows the
anticipated maximum number of seasonals that will be staying there in
any given year.
Anticipated changes
There are no anticipated changes in the total summer
seasonal workforce, with the exception of the new seasonal fire positions.
However, the location of that workforce is expected to move around the
districts from year to year
Admin Sites & Facilities: Powder River Ranger District
There are 5 Administrative Sites on the Powder River
District. Three of them are outside the forest boundary and off of the
mountain: Powder River District Office Site and Buffalo Dwelling Site
are both in Buffalo, east of the Bighorn Mountains. Worland Leased Office
is in the small town of Worland, west of the Bighorn Mountains.
The other two administrative sites are both large work
centers. These are Tyrrell Ranger Station and Hunter Work Center. Hunter
is located about 15 miles west of Buffalo, about ½ mile off of
Highway 16. Hunter is accessible year-round, since the road is kept plowed
open by Paradise Ranch, a private outfitter located on Hunter Road, 3
miles past Hunter. There are 12 buildings at Hunter.
Tyrrell Ranger Station is located on the west side of
the district on West Tensleep Road, about ½ mile north of Highway
16. Tyrrell is not normally accessible during the winter except by snowmobile.
There are 19 buildings at Tyrrell.
There are a total of 35 FA&O facilities on the Powder
River District. Two of them are leased, one is owned by the BLM (Worland),
and the other 32 are Forest Service owned.
Following is a list of all the sites on the Powder River
District and a brief description of the facilities located at those sites:
POWDER RIVER DISTRICT OFFICE SITE (Site #101)
The Forest Service holds the lease on all 3 facilities
at the Powder River District Office Site. The site is co-located with
the BLM. The Forest Service uses only 2 of the buildings: the office and
warehouse #1.
#1111: Buffalo Leased Office
This is a 14,224 sq. ft. leased office building. Constructed
in 1997, it houses both the Powder River District of the Forest Service
and a BLM field office. The Forest Service occupies 4,368 sq. ft., and
the BLM occupies the rest. Since moving into this facility in 1997, the
BLM has almost doubled the size of their workforce, requiring a remodel
to the warehouse and one addition to the office. The lease originally
expired in 2012. The office has been remodeled twice to make space for
the extra BLM employees. The lease is now scheduled to run out in 2017.
As of fall, 2002, the BLM anticipates adding 35 to 40
additional employees to their workforce. The Forest has negotiated with
the BLM to ensure the Forest Service has adequate space. The decision
made was to have a new building constructed on the site that the FS would
occupy. Construction begins in late 2002, with completion planned for
2003. The office building will be 5,316 sq. ft.
#1112: Buffalo Leased Warehouse #1
This is a 4,287 sq. ft. (occupied space) warehouse constructed
in 1997. The facility was originally designed to provide storage and locker
facilities for both the BLM and the Forest Service. In 1999 a portion
of the building was remodeled to provide more office space for the BLM.
The Forest Service occupies 1,208 sq. ft. for storage, while the BLM occupies
2,166 sq. ft. for storage and 913 sq. ft. for office space. Since this
building is on the same site as the Buffalo office building, the lease
for this building also expires in 2017. A new building will be constructed
for the FS to use in 2002/03. It will be 984 sq. ft.
Site Utilities
Water: City of Buffalo
Wastewater: City of Buffalo
Electricity: Public Utility
Telephone: Public Utility
Other: Natural Gas - Public Utility
Key Issues or Problems
In 2001, the BLM announced the need to hire 35-40 more
people, so the two agencies began addressing space needs.
BUFFALO DWELLING SITE (Site #102)
#3567: Buffalo Dwelling
This is a 2,608 sq. ft. dwelling constructed in 1968.
The building sits on a main thoroughfare in downtown Buffalo on a sizable
lot. It was originally intended to provide housing for the Ranger, but
over the years various employees on the District have used it. This building
is recommended for disposal, but for now it will be used as seasonal housing
until additional seasonal housing is constructed at Hunter Work Center.
Site Utilities
Water: City of Buffalo
Wastewater: City of Buffalo
Electricity: Public Utility
Telephone: Public Utility
Other: Natural Gas - Public Utility
Key Issues or Problems
This structure has had numerous tenants in its lifetime
and very little maintenance. The Powder District has used it mainly
to house employees when they first move to the area. The Forest cannot
continue to provide this type of housing to permanent employees. Since
this facility was constructed as a single family dwelling, it is not
very useful to house seasonals. The forest wishes to pursue selling
this structure once the Forest Service is permitted to keep the proceeds
from buildings sales, or exchange it for a facility at a different location
on the forest. However, due to our lack of seasonal space at Hunter,
the Forest will use this as seasonal housing for now.
HUNTER WORK CENTER (Site #103)
Hunter Work Center is one of the two work centers located
on the district. It is open year-round. There are 12 buildings at the
site: 3 seasonal housing quarters, 1 PFT house, 5 storage buildings, 1
barn, 1 bath house, and 1 utility building (pumphouse).
#3511: Hunter WC Crew Quarters
This is a 1,092 sq. ft. crew quarters constructed in
1964. It is one of the newer structures at Hunter WC. It is of similar
construction to the other "flattop" crew quarters at the
other Ranger Stations. Its main downfall is that is not co-habitable,
(meaning
men and women cannot live in it together) because of its open floor
plan. The District wishes to remodel or replace this building.
#3516: Hunter WC Flammable Storage
This is a 240 sq. ft. flammable storage building constructed
in 1963. It is metal sided and does not match the other buildings at the
work center. It does not meet current codes for flammable storage, so
should be disposed of and replaced. Or it can be used for other storage,
while flammable storage lockers are installed somewhere else on the site.
#3517: Hunter WC Dwelling
This is a 2,084 sq. ft. dwelling constructed in 1936.
It is one of several built at the site by the CCC, along with the shop/garage,
barn, and office/garage. It is in fairly good condition for its age. For
the last ten or more years it has been occupied year-round by a permanent
employee. This building should be maintained.
#3518: Hunter WC Shop / Garage
This is a 1,755 sq. ft. shop/garage constructed in 1938.
It is mostly used as storage and as a sign making shop. This building
should be maintained.
#3531: Hunter WC Office / Garage
This is a 1,092 sq. ft. office/garage combo building
constructed in 1936. The office portion has not been staffed for many
years. It has been used in the past by seasonals, as it has a restroom
(not accessible), but lately has been used mostly for storage. The two-stall
garage is also used as storage. This building should be remodeled.
#3534: Hunter WC Barn
This is a 1,065 sq. ft. barn constructed in 1936. This
structure is used to store tack and hay for the horses that reside at
the work center year-round. The building does have a fair amount of deferred
maintenance needs, but should be maintained.
#3540: Hunter WC Guard Cabin
This is a 416 sq. ft. cabin constructed in 1933. Otherwise
known as the "dog house", the guard cabin is the oldest structure
at the Hunter WC. It is currently used as seasonal housing. It is poor
condition and is considered ineligible for the Historic register because
its integrity has been destroyed. This structure should be disposed
of
and replaced with a new barracks.
#3550: Hunter WC Fire Cache
This is a 345 sq. ft. fire cache constructed in 1950.
Its architectural flavor parallels that of the CCC buildings. The needs
for fire storage have exceeded this building's capacity, so the building
either needs to be added on to, replaced with a larger structure, or used
for another purpose.
#3577: Hunter WC Trailer
This is a 345 sq. ft. travel trailer that was purchased
and set in the early 1980's. It has been used as seasonal housing for
several decades. It needs to be disposed of and replaced by a permanent
structure such as a new barracks.
#3605: Hunter RS Pesticide Storage
This is a 64 sq. ft. pesticide dugout constructed in
1964. It does not meet current codes for pesticide storage so should therefore
be replaced. If pesticide storage is still needed at the site, it will
be incorporated into a new flammable storage building or cabinets.
#3608: Hunter RS Bath House
This is a 1,000 sq. ft. bathhouse constructed in 1997.
It contains men's and women's shower rooms and a laundry room, primarily
serving seasonals staying in travel trailers. It should be maintained.
#3610: Hunter RS Pumphouse
This is a 144 sq. ft. pumphouse constructed in 1998.
It houses all of the equipment necessary for supplying water to all the
buildings at the Hunter WC. It should be maintained.
Trailer Pads:
The Hunter WC has five trailer pads. They were upgraded
in 1997 so now all of them have water, sewer, and electrical hookups.
Site Utilities
Water: on-site well
Wastewater: septic tanks and leach field
Electricity: Rural Public Utility
Telephone: Public Utility with lines maintained by F.S.; Unreliable
Other: some structures use propane for heat
Key Issues or Problems
Hunter is the only Work Center that is accessible year
round by car. For this reason, seasonal employees are able to stay at
this facility much longer in the fall/winter than at other ranger stations.
Unfortunately, there is only permanent housing for 8 people (not including
the main dwelling or the trailer pads). And even those can't be used
in the winter since they are not winterized. There is a need to construct
a new barracks to provide more housing at Hunter WC. This may also allow
disposal of other housing at Hunter, which is largely inadequate.
The seasonal housing capacity was at it's maximum in
the summer of 2001. (not including trailer pads). Permanent employees
occasionally use this site for temporary overnight quarters.
There is also a need for an accessible restroom at
Hunter.
WORLAND ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE SITE (Site #501)
#5555: Worland Leased Office
This is a 250 sq. ft. space in an office constructed
in 1989, and owned by the BLM. The BLM allows the forest to use this space
at no lease cost (The Forest pays overhead instead). Two employees are
stationed here, a VIS specialist and a SCSEP. The lease should be maintained.
Site Utilities
Water: City of Worland
Wastewater: City of Worland
Electricity: Public Utility
Telephone: Public Utility
Other: Natural Gas - Public Utility
Key Issues or Problems
The two Worland employees have been stationed inside
this building since the Tensleep District Office in Worland closed in
1999. It is not an ideal amount or configuration of space, and continued
discussion with the BLM will occur to resolve this situation.
TYRRELL RANGER STATION (Site #502)
Tyrrell Ranger Station is one of the two work centers
located on the district. It is not accessible by car in the winter. There
are more facilities at Tyrrell than at any other Administrative Site on
the Forest, yet the average size of buildings at Tyrrell is the smallest
of all the 7 large work centers, at 425 sq. ft.
There are 19 buildings at the site: Four are seasonal
quarters, 1 is a utility building (pump house) and the other 14 are all
used for storage, with some workshop area mixed into the storage space.
#3498: Tyrrell Timber Shed
This is a 133 sq. ft. storage shed constructed in 1936.
It was originally located at Meadowlark lake, used as a toilet during
the construction of the dam. In 1980 it was moved to Tyrrell RS. It is
currently used to store timber equipment. It is in fairly good condition
and should be maintained.
#3500: Tyrrell RS Crew Quarters
This is a 630 sq. ft. crew quarters constructed in 1961.
It is one of the five "flattops" constructed on the forest
during the 1960's. It is used as seasonal housing. It should be maintained.
#3501: Tyrrell Guard Cabin
This is a 393 sq. ft. cabin constructed in 1940. Originally
used by the General District Assistant, it is now used as seasonal housing.
It is a good example of CCC era architecture, is in fairly good condition,
and should be maintained.
#3527: Tyrrell RS Dwelling (ADR)
This is a 1,000 sq. ft. dwelling constructed in 1940.
It was originally used by the Ranger and his family, but now is used as
seasonal housing. It should be maintained.
#3538: Tyrrell River Cabin
This is a 346 sq. ft. cabin constructed in 1938. It was
the first structure erected in the Tyrrell area. It was originally used
by the fire guard. In past decades it has been used to house permanent
employees and their families, as well as seasonals. Recently it has been
used only as storage. The district wishes to use this building as a VIS
site, either in its current location or in a new location. The planned
use of this building will be reassessed before anything is done with it.
#3547: Tyrrell RS Office / Fire Cache
This is a 550 sq. ft. office/cache combo building constructed
in 1942. This building houses an office for VIS contact and seasonal support,
a single car garage (used for storage), and upstairs storage. The district
wishes to convert the garage into a meeting room and add a bathroom. Currently
there is no restroom at the Ranger station for the public or visiting
employees.
#3548: Tyrrell RS Barn / Shop
This is a 2,050 sq. ft. barn/shop combo constructed in
1939. It was built by the CCC, along with four other buildings at the
site. It is currently used as storage for equipment, tack, and vehicles.
Because the horses are kept down at the pasture, this facility is in a
poor location for tack storage. The district wishes to construct a new
barn at the pasture and a new storage facility within the Ranger Station.
This new storage building would provide space for fire pumper trucks,
as well as snowmobiles, 4-wheelers, and other equipment. It would also
make up for the lack of storage within the barn/shop, and provide group
storage replacement for the numerous small storage buildings scheduled
for disposal. (See below). The barn/shop would then be disposed of.
#3568: Tyrrell RS 10-Person Barracks
This is a 2,295 sq. ft. barracks constructed in 1986.
This structure serves as seasonal housing and is the newest building at
the ranger station. It should be maintained.
#3595: Tyrrell RS Pumphouse
This is a 53 sq. ft. pumphouse building constructed in
1965. It houses water system equipment for the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
It is scheduled for disposal, and was replaced with a new, larger, pre-cast
concrete pumphouse structure in conjunction with a new water system in
2002.
#3620: Tyrrell RS Small Storage #1
This is a 58 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3621: Tyrrell RS Small Storage #2
This is a 16 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
This building is recommended for disposal.
#3629: Tyrrell Fire Tool Shed
This is 58 sq. ft. storage shed constructed in 1995.
It is located next to the office, and is used by the fire crew as storage.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3630: Tyrrell River Cabin Toilet
This is a 16 sq. ft. toilet constructed in 1938. It originally
served the Tyrrell River Cabin, but in recent years has sat vacant because
the River Cabin has been used only as storage. If the river cabin is converted
into a VIS, a new toilet will either be constructed inside or a new toilet
building will be erected outside. This building is recommended for disposal.
#3631: Tyrrell RS Pesticide Storage
This is 181 sq. ft. storage facility constructed in 1975.
This round metal, prefabricated structure is used to store pesticides.
This building is recommended for disposal.
#3632: Tyrrell Saw Shed
This is a 58 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3633: Tyrrell GDA Storage
This is a 58 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3634: Tyrrell Rec Storage
This is a 58 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3640: Tyrrell Range Storage
This is a 58 sq. ft. storage building constructed in
1970. This structure was originally used as a toilet at a Campground on
the Tensleep District, but was then moved to the Tyrrell Ranger Station.
The forest wishes to dispose of this structure, incorporating the storage
needs into a new larger structure that will serve the entire ranger station.
It may be necessary to keep a couple of the smaller storage buildings,
depending on specific needs.
#3641: Tyrrell Paint Storage
This is a 64 sq. ft. pesticide dugout constructed in
1939. The new non-flammable paint being used doesn't need a separate storage
building. If flammable storage is still needed at the site, it will be
incorporated into the new flammable storage cabinets. This building may
recommended for disposal.
Site Utilities
Water: Well
Wastewater: septic tanks and leach field
Electricity: Rural Public Utility
Telephone: Cell Phone
Other: Some structures use propane for heat
Key Issues or Problems
With 19 buildings, The Tyrrell Ranger Station has more
structures than any other site on the Bighorn National Forest. Because
most of these structures are small, the maintenance needs per square
foot are high. In addition, the Powder River District lacks enough storage
space on the mountain for resource supplies and equipment, including
fire equipment. Constructing a newer, larger storage facility, and eliminating
the smaller structures would help alleviate both of these problems.
Also, there is no restroom easily available to the
visiting public or the VIS employee. This needs to be addressed as well
as determining if this is a Recreation funded building.
Challenges and Opportunities: Powder River Ranger District
One of the priorities of the Powder River District in
the last couple of years was to determine the future of the office lease
at the district office in Buffalo. With the BLM adding an additional 30
employees to their workforce in Buffalo they had an urgent need for more
office space. Since the Forest Service holds the lease, we were very much
involved in this process. The conclusion to the negotiations is that a
new building will be built specifically for the Forest Service on the
same site. However the lease cost will increase significantly
One of the other priorities is to improve and increase
housing at Hunter Work Center. Hunter was on the Fire Facilities Project
List to get funded for a new 10-person barracks in 2006. Just recently
it seems as if this money is no longer available. Therefore, a facility
at this site would have to compete with other facilities on the forest
for Capital Improvements funds. The Forest will need to take a look at
all of the work centers to ensure this is the location where a barracks
is needed the most.
A third priority is to eliminate hazardous waste from
the two work centers. After this is complete, the district can assess
how much, if any, additional storage space is needed. After site development
plans are completed, it will be determined if a new storage facility should
be built to replace all the smaller structures scattered around Tyrrell. |
