Rules on ownership, maintenance are addressed in bills

Two bills that a state legislator says are designed to mesh with a recent appeals court decision regarding the ownership and maintenance of Utah's rural backroads were approved by a House committee this week.

HB264, sponsored by Rep. Mike Noel, R-Kanab, establishes a process for counties to identify and record road claims under RS 2477, an old federal mining law that granted rights-of-way to county governments across public land. The law was repealed in 1976, but existing claims were grandfathered in.

Noel's bill comes on the heels of a court ruling that state law - requiring 10 years of continuous use on a road - prevailed in RS 2477 disputes with federal agencies.

"This bill will help us implement that decision," he said.

Rep. Jackie Biskupski, D-Salt Lake City, said the legislation could leave the state liable for expensive legal bills, although Noel disputed that.

The House Natural Resources, Environment and Agricultural Committee also approved HB238, another roads bill authored by Noel that authorizes counties to temporarily close unpaved backroads for construction or maintenance, without losing ownership claim to the road.

- Joe Baird

Lake Powell water

Planning for pipeline gets OK from Senate

The Lake Powell Pipeline Development Act is on the fast track.

The measure sponsored by Sen. Tom Hatch, R-Panguitch, cruised through the Senate last week and on Wednesday cleared a House committee.

Backers of SB27, which authorizes pre-construction and planning for the 127-mile pipeline, as well as initial contracting for water the project will deliver, say even getting work started now will make for a close call.

"We've gone from 13,000 people in 1970, to 130,000 today and we'll have 600,000 by 2050," said Ron Thompson, general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. "We need this pipeline producing water by 2020."

- Joe Baird

Agriculture position

Representative for ranchers may be hired

Utah agricultural officials hope to hire a program director to represent ranchers grazing cattle on state and federal lands - a request one opponent said would use taxpayer dollars to promote a single industry.

HB145, sponsored by Rep. Bradley Johnson, a Republican rancher from Aurora, would create the Grazing Improvement Program to provide information on grazing decisions, weed eradication programs and projects to increase productivity on public lands.

"For decades no one person has been in a position to speak for, or represent, the interest of Utah's livestock industry during the debate over rangeland issues," said Leonard Blackham, commissioner of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. "Under our proposal the position of rangeland specialist would be created to carry out this important responsibility."

Cost for the program and a full-time director is $320,000.

Jim Catlin, coordinator for Wild Utah Project, said conservationists, research scientists, recreationists and the public should be included in the decision. Cooperation is needed, he said, because rangelands are depleted.

- Dawn House