Trail Report To Rich County Commission

Anita Weston, Reporter

Rich Civic Times

RANDOLPH, Utah.  December 16, 2015. Mitch Poulsen, Director of Bear Lake Regional Commission, appeared before the Commission.  He noted that he has been working on a trails plan.  He has drawn a map of all of the trails that he can find.  He has also used different colors to denote which lands are private, state, and federal.  He pointed out a trail that goes from Garden City to Randolph and noted that it appears to be quite popular to four-wheelers.

Bill Cox told Poulsen to get a copy of the Forest Service trail map.  He said that there are several additional trails on that map that he could add to his.  He noted that there are also several trails that go from Curtis Creek, from Saddle Creek, and from Hardware Ranch to Randolph.  Rich County also allows ATVs to travel on all county roads.  However, it was also noted, that riders need to stay on the roads and not go off into other areas and create erosion problems.  They must stay on the roads.

Poulsen is working on getting the bike trail on the south end of the lake to extend further north from Vista Grande to the First Point boat trailer parking area.  He has been working on getting grants to help pay for this extension. 

He has submitted a request a grant of $48,840 from Utah Wave Point Grant Group.  He asked the Commissioners if they would be willing to help by using their equipment to push off the vegetation and smooth out the area for the extension.  He felt this work would come to about $18,000.  He has also asked for $7,220 from Rocky Mountain Power Company from their Community Foundation.  These Rocky Mount Power Company grants generally vary in size from $5,000 to $10,000.  He has also put in an application for a Tourism Grant from the County for $15,000.  He thinks that it will cost about $109,500 to do that section of the trail.  He is still a bit short, but he said he would keep looking for some other funding sources.

The County noted that this coming summer the sewer system will be put along that same area that would be used by the trail.  The Commissioners said that the sewer should be done before the bike path is built.  They suggested that the two projects work together which should save some money and may allow the extension to go even a bit further north.  The excavation for both projects could be done at the same time.

Poulsen noted that the trail will have a crushed gravel surface.  Asphalt is much too expensive at the present time.  Asphalt can perhaps be added at a later time.  Poulsen said he would get in touch with the sewer district and see if they would be willing to work with him.

There is a writing seminar in a couple of weeks sponsored by the Association of Counties.  Poulsen asked if it would be possible from him to attend.  He was told to attend and see what was going on there.

There is still a vacancy on the County Planning and Zoning Commission.  Poulsen asked that the Commissioners see if they could think of some names of individuals from the Randolph or Woodruff area who would be willing to serve on this board.