RANDOLPH, Utah. February 4, 2015. Mitch Poulsen, Director of the Bear Lake Regional Commission,
reported to the Rich County Commission that for area economic development trails
are important. Unfortunately the Legacy
Pathway proposed to go around Bear Lake is not making much progress because of
the need to get easements from private property owners. The State of Utah is creating a database of
trails to create a cell phone app. They
want to identify OHV trails, bicycle and
mountain bike trails, horseback and walking trails.
Commissioner Tom Weston said that more and more people are
mountain biking up Temple Canyon from Meadowville. “There is a
nice fishing pond up there,” said Weston.
Poulsen is making a local train inventory because the state
doesn’t have much information on Rich County.
Since some of the trails used by locals go through private lands,
accesses would have to be acquired.
Commissioner Norm Weston suggested that some land owners might have to
be paid a lease fee. Commissioner Bill
Cox said that there are trail dollars available.
Mitch said the county has had agreement with several owners,
Richardson Canyon for example. However
there have been some problems with private land damage. Norm Weston said the road up the canyon needs
to be improved since it is such a popular trail. The county owns the land from Garden City parking
up Hodges or Richardsons to get to Forest Service lands. The trail is public but it goes through
private lands, so as long as people stay on the road it can be used.
Private landowners are concerned about vandalism, and there
are some major springs in the area.
Poulsen said that if a trail is improved there is less vandalism. Cox said the sheriff is doing OHV monitoring
during the summer months, but it is so busy he cannot monitor it enough.
Poulsen asked about a separated trail with signage about
yielding. Cox said, “you would have a
hard time separating roads. Who yields
to whom?”
The forest service would welcome more trails as long as they
were not OHV trails. Poulsen and Joe
Stocking, Bear Lake Chamber will talk to scout troops for cleaning and creating
trails for their service projects.
Poulsen wants to start a trail committee to create more
trails and encourage landowners to donate the trail and then having scouts
maintain them. Poulsen will put a
committee together.
Justin Dolling and Pam Kramer, Utah Division of Wildlife Management, reported on the DWM Management plan for Swan Creek.
DWM needs a management plan every 5 to 10 years which is approved by
local and state governments. Swan Creek Wildlife area adjoins the Forest
Service land and land has been acquired to protect habitat and reduce big game
animal depredation. They want to approve
wildlife habitat and range lands. Due to
the presence of Bonneville Cutthroat they must improve the trap diversion and
consider installing a fish screen to some of the existing canals and streams. DWM will maintain current catch and release
policies.
There are 670 acres in the management area. Tom Weston said that it might be a good trail
area. Hiking trails would be allowed in
the area, said Kramer. Cox said that
trails should be considered in the management plan. There are roads which are open to vehicle
access in the area and, with some parking, these could be good walking trails.
No comments:
Post a Comment