WASHINGTON— During a hearing for the Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) delivered remarks on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act. The Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act, bicameral legislation introduced by Senator Romney and Representative John Curtis (R-UT) earlier this year, would enable the construction of high priority sections of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) to enhance recreation opportunities near Utah’s most urban areas. The BST is planned to eventually connect the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah—stretching over 280 miles. The legislation is cosponsored by the Utah congressional delegation, including the subcommittee’s Ranking Member, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT).
“The legislation would trade 326 acres of wilderness for 326 acres of Forest Service land, such that the trails can be connected, and there would be a 280 mile long Bonneville Shoreline Trail that would stretch from Utah all the way up into Idaho, allowing people for generation after generation to walk this trail along the side of the mountains and see nothing but the beauty of the landscape,” Senator Romney said. “It would be a treasure for the people of our country and a legacy for future generations. I hope this committee will see fit to bring this proposal to the floor so that this trail can be completed and future generations can enjoy it.”
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act:
- Releases 326 acres of wilderness, divided over more than 20 small locations, to accommodate the advancement of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in Salt Lake County and Utah County, two population centers in high demand for additional recreation opportunities.
- Resolves a wilderness boundary issue in Birch Canyon to ensure the trail that runs parallel to the road can be fully utilized as a multiuse trail.
- Designates 326 acres of wilderness to preserve land formerly owned by the Boy Scouts of America in Mill Creek Canyon that fully offsets any wilderness release to accommodate the BST.