"What's New"

Western Federal Lands Highway Division welcomes your comments on the effects of the project on the projected activities, features and attributes for the future home of the Kettle Falls Interpretative Center

Kettle Falls and US Forest Service partnership for Interpretative Center

Kettle Falls will be constructing a new Information Center on Hwy 395 at Happy Dell Park. With a partnership of the US Forest Service, the City of Kettle Falls was successful in acquiring a US Department of Transportation grant in the amount of $431,250. Kettle Falls is a hub to several Forest Highways and the gateway to the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway.

Design and site preparation will take place the summer of 2007 and construction will begin in 2008. The Information Center will be a welcome to travelers that visit the area. The design theme will be an interpretation of an 1800’s Great Northern Railway Train Depot. The Great Northern was instrumental in the settlement of the region and one of the reasons why Kettle Falls and Marcus was established by settlers. It will provide information about the many recreation opportunities and destinations that surround the area. The Center will also have an interpretive display that will show the history of the area and how the town of Kettle Falls & Marcus had to be relocated to higher ground when Grand Coulee Dam was constructed in 1939.

Other features will include a gift shop and handicap accessible public restrooms. For additional information, please contact City Hall at (509)738-6821

Federal Highways is doing an administrative review of our proposed Information Center. The review provides a comment period that will be open until April 11, 2008. During this period an official notice will also appear in the Statesman Examiner. Below are extracts of the report with access to the Pdf listed below and as a courtesy to the public some plat drawings of the plan have been included for viewing above (click on thumbnails).

To view the full Pdf file of the review by The Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)

The Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFLHD) of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), proposes to construct a regional information center adjacent to U.S. Highway (Hwy.) 395/ State Hwy. 20 and within the city limits of Kettle Falls (see Vicinity Map). The City is an entry point to the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway, starting in the City of Kettle Falls along Hwy. 395/20 ending in the city of Republic. The Sherman Pass Scenic Byway has also been designated a National Forest Scenic Byway. The City is located in Stevens County and is approximately 78 miles north of Spokane, WA. The proposed project will be located on a city-owned parcel, which is approximately 2 acres in size at the intersection of Hwy. 395 and Juniper Street.  It is adjacent to a privately owned park, Happy Dell Park. (More)

The purpose of the proposed project is to provide a parking area and a visitor information center for those visitors entering the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway to provide some cultural history of the surrounding region. The proposed project is compatible with the goals and objectives of the Draft Kettle Falls Past, Present & Future Community Revitalization Plan (City of Kettle Falls, April 2005), The Northeast Washington Regional Planning Organization Regional Plan (Tri-County Economic Development District, 2004), and the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway Corridor Plan (USFS, February 2004). (More)

This revision provides that once the Department of Transportation (DOT) determines that a transportation use of Section 4(f) property, after consideration of any impact avoidance, minimization, and mitigation or enhancement measures, results in a de minimis impact on that property, an analysis of avoidance alternatives is not required, and the Section 4(f) evaluation process is complete. (More)

The future home of the KFIC will be located on a 2-acre city-owned parcel abutting Happy Dell Park. Happy Dell Park is owned by the Kettle Falls Park Committee, a private non-profit corporation. It is the primary park for the community of Kettle Falls. The park consists of a playground, softball field, tennis courts, public restrooms, picnic tables and barbeque pits (BBQs), a pavilion and an historical display.  Despite the fact that it is a privately-owned park, it is open for public use. (More)

The proposed action would provide the public the opportunity to an aesthetically pleasing wheelchair accessible visitor information center for the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway and the cultural history of the surrounding region. (More)

Excess material that can not be used during construction will be legally disposed of off site according to federal, state and local requirements. The propose KFIC will be constructed on previously disturbed ground minimizing new ground disturbance. Exposed ground after construction will be vegetated.

The proposed project is being coordinated by WFLHD, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Colville National Forest, and the City of Kettle Falls, Washington. Western Federal Lands Highway Division has informed the City of Kettle Falls of its intent to make a de minimis determination.