Bobbie Coray, Reporter
Rich Civic Times
RANDOLPH, Utah. April 4, 2018. Mitch Poulsen, Bear Lake Regional Commision, told County Commissioners that salaries and benefits increase every year with cost of living increases and there has been no increase in budget since 1985 from the two states who benefit from the two-state partnership in the area around Bear Lake. In 2005 there were three staff people, now there are two.
This year BLRC worked on water quality projects in Idaho. They built a quagga mussel program in Idaho and Utah and worked with Wyoming so that there is only one inspection in the three-state area while having better coverage. They closed one station and added to the hours in the Laketown and Logan Canyon road. They act as an intermediary between the states. BLRC was awarded $1.5 million in grant money to do best practices for fisheries and land use and $800,000 for the bike path around the lake. They worked with BRAG to plan for the development of trails and wrote a resource management plan. BRLC coordinates efforts of two state agencies.
The commissioner teleconferenced with Mike Styler, Department of Natural Resources, to ask him to increase the Utah portion by $25,000. Bill Cox said Rich County would increase their portion by $10,000 and they would try to get Idaho to match.
Styler advised the commissioners to call Senator Lyle Hillyard and ask him to make a formal request to the committee on Natural Resources. He said that there were a lot of legislators who have boat slips in the lake and so are helpful to the area. Styler said he would put it in the budget if the legislature agrees. He also praised BLRC for looking at grants because they are more than willing to help people who help themselves.
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