North
Logan workshop draws public opinion on county trails
system
By Cory Broussard
April 13, 2006 | NORTH LOGAN -- Around
60 people gathered last week at the North Logan Library
to discuss a county-wide bike trail that would stretch
around the borders of Cache Valley.
"It would be the mountain biking trail of a lifetime,"
Tim Watkins, trails coordinator for Cache County, said.
The trail, named the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, would
wind along both the east and west foothills of Cache
Valley and cut across the valley north of Paradise and
end south of Hyrum.
Watkins said the trail was far from a certainty, but
the workshops were the first step in the approval process.
Participants in the workshops were asked to fill out
a survey that asked questions about trail usage. They
were also asked to place small stickers that indicated
a comment or concern that they had about trails on a
map of Cache Valley. Watkins said support from the community
had been strong.
Watkins said problems such as land rights, deer and
elk feeding habitats, and land easements must be solved
before the plan could take effect. "A plan is not a
mandate, and it requires land owner approval," Watkins
said.
Watkins said that some landowners were worried about
public safety and people wandering off the trails onto
their property.
"Thats why we have these workshops, we need to be
a player," Watkins said.
Other possible bike trails were also discussed. A
trail that cut from the American West Heritage Center
to Mendon and others were waiting for permission from
property owners before being approved. Watkins said
that he wanted to create a county-wide bike trail system
to bring the array of smaller city bike trails together
into a cohesive unit.
"We are creating value and enhancing quality of life,"
Watkins said of the trail program.
Once the information from the workshops is gathered
it will be placed on the Cache County trails website
at www.cachecounty.org/trails.
A report will be filed in early May, Watkins said, that
will lead to a final plan and an appeal for funding.
NW
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