Brian Head » Already a destination for serious mountain bikers, the town of Brian Head is upgrading its system of hiking, biking, horse and motorized trails with the help of a little known federal program.
The Rivers Trails and Conservation Assistance Program (RTCAP) is helping this mountain town in Iron County identify, map and mark its trail system as part of a trails master plan.
The Brian Head project is one of five around Utah that is supported by the RTCAP, the community outreach arm of the National Park Service.
Marcy DeMillion, who heads the office in Salt Lake City, said the Brian Head project will eventually connect existing trails with those already on the Dixie National Forest and nearby Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Her office is supplying in-kind services equivalent to about $15,000 for the project, which will also identify where to put trailheads, informational kiosks and signs. A logo to identify the trails will also be developed.
The trails can also be used in winter for skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling on motorized sections.
DeMillion said the Brian Head project and four others were chosen from a pool of 12 for work this year.
RTCAP chooses projects based on such criteria as whether they will engage young people and be supported by ongoing partnerships with government agencies, including those that promote the health benefits of using the trails.
"Communities bring energy and enthusiasm to their projects," said DeMillion.
Brian Head town manager Bryce Haderlie said RTCAP's help will save the town a lot of money on a new system that will benefit residents and visitors both.
"We hope this improves the information ... and increases the number who want to use the system," said Haderlie.
He said existing trails aren't well coordinated, but when the project is completed, probably in 2011, users will find a seamless system identified by logos and signs.
In Moab, officials are excited to see the city's Lions Park project going forward.
Kimberly Schappert, executive director of the Moab Trails Alliance, said it will become the focal point for the community.
"We're taking the most underutilized real estate in the county and making it a showcase gateway to the community," she said of the 155-acre parcel she described as currently looking like "nuclear fallout."
She said when completed, the park with pavilions and other amenities will combine with the existing Colorado Riverway Bridge to allow access to trails to adjacent Arches National Park and along the Colorado River.
Moab's growing popularity, especially with mountain bikers, means cyclists are competing with off-road vehicles on some popular trials and with auto traffic on busy highways in and out of town. The Lions Park project will allow hikers and bikers to access less congested trails and travel alongside congested areas more safely.
Schappert said DeMillion has been helpful in keeping the project on target and helped the alliance get a $100,000 grant for design work.
The alliance also needs to raise about $1.2 million for construction and is hoping for a transportation grant from Congress.
"If you were to ask me 1½ years ago about the Rivers and Trails program, I wouldn't have known what you were talking about," said Schappert. "But this reclusive little [office] has become extremely beneficial."
