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First Substitute S.J.R. 16

Senator Ralph Okerlund proposes the following substitute bill:


             1     
JOINT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE

             2     
HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK SAN JUAN MISSION HISTORIC

             3     
TRAIL

             4     
2012 GENERAL SESSION

             5     
STATE OF UTAH

             6     
Chief Sponsor: Ralph Okerlund

             7     
House Sponsor: Michael E. Noel

             8     
             9      LONG TITLE
             10      General Description:
             11          This joint resolution of the Legislature honors the Utah pioneers who participated in the
             12      San Juan Mission and designates the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail, over which the San Juan
             13      Mission passed, as a state historic trail.
             14      Highlighted Provisions:
             15          This resolution:
             16          .    honors the Utah pioneers who participated in the 1879-1880 trek of the San Juan
             17      Mission and successfully constructed and traversed a trail from Parowan, Utah, to
             18      Bluff, Utah, through some of the most difficult and desolate terrain in the western
             19      United States;
             20          .    designates the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail (Trail) over which the San Juan Mission
             21      passed as a state historic trail;
             22          .    sets forth how the designation is to be conducted;
             23          .    recognizes the importance of conserving the Trail for the use and enjoyment of
             24      future generations, to foster cooperative and coordinated planning, management,
             25      and interpretation that spans the length of the Trail;


             26          .    urges that the designation be coordinated through an inter-organizational
             27      collaborative team consisting of counties, applicable state and federal land and
             28      resource management agencies, and relevant non-governmental organizations;
             29          .    urges that a management plan be developed, with the participation of Garfield
             30      County, Iron County, Kane County, San Juan County, the Bureau of Land
             31      Management, the National Park Service, and the United States Forest Service that
             32      focuses on interpretation, management of key Trail-related public use areas on
             33      public lands, and access;
             34          .    declares that this designation shall have no effect on private property rights, water
             35      rights, grazing rights, access rights, or other existing rights on public lands;
             36          .    declares that portions of the trail that are public roads shall be managed for public
             37      transportation and not rerouted as a result of historic trail designation;
             38          .    recognizes that the Trail supports local and regional tourism economies by
             39      attracting tourists having an interest in the Southern Utah culture and the history of
             40      western settlement;
             41          .    declares that acquisition of Trail-related lands by the state of Utah is prohibited;
             42          .    declares that the Board of State Parks and Recreation is authorized to designate
             43      additional trails within the state of Utah as state historic trails, and that designated
             44      trails shall be determined to be of statewide significance and shall meet other
             45      criteria as defined by the board.
             46      Special Clauses:
             47          None
             48     
             49      Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             50          WHEREAS, the San Juan Mission's trek over the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail (Trail) is
             51      recognized as one of the most difficult and courageous wagon journeys in the history of
             52      western settlement;
             53          WHEREAS, the state of Utah Historic Preservation Office has certified the national
             54      significance of the Trail, and the National Park Service has affirmed this significance by
             55      designating the Trail as a National Historic site;
             56          WHEREAS, the Trail is accessible along much of its route and there are several sites


             57      along the Trail that are of high historical significance;
             58          WHEREAS, currently, there is no unified, trail-wide effort to interpret the Trail for
             59      visitors;
             60          WHEREAS, the Escalante Heritage Center has a direct physical and cultural link to the
             61      Trail and can serve as a focal point for visitor contact in the middle portion of the Trail;
             62          WHEREAS, the Hole-in-Rock Foundation has plans for a future visitor facility in
             63      Bluff;
             64          WHEREAS, the visibility of the Trail has increased significantly in the past year due to
             65      the publication of Gerald Lund's book, "The Undaunted";
             66          WHEREAS, interest in visiting the Trail has increased significantly, particularly among
             67      Utahns who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;
             68          WHEREAS, an analysis of these visits in the Escalante area shows that during the
             69      spring and summer of 2010, church group visits provided community benefits of from $3,000
             70      to $15,000, with a total benefit of approximately $80,000;
             71          WHEREAS, much of the Trail is bordered by federal lands managed by the United
             72      States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), or the National Park Service;
             73          WHEREAS, a significant portion of the Trail is contiguous with or adjacent to public
             74      roads managed by the state of Utah, a county, or a municipality, with only small and relatively
             75      insignificant portions of the Trail crossing into private property;
             76          WHEREAS, federal managers of lands along the Trail are initiating efforts to cooperate
             77      and coordinate with local governments to increase interpretive opportunities along the Trail
             78      and engage in coordinated Trail management;
             79          WHEREAS, BLM's Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) seeks to
             80      improve public use of Trail-related sites;
             81          WHEREAS, in the summer of 2011, the GSENM began issuing permission to large
             82      groups to hold historic-oriented events at Dancehill Rock or to camp at Forty Mile Spring, two
             83      areas popular with culturally oriented groups;
             84          WHEREAS, the GSENM is also engaged in an ongoing effort with Kane and Garfield
             85      counties over the management of the Hole-in-the-Rock Road, which will increase
             86      interpretation of, and access to, these historic sites;
             87          WHEREAS, many consider the Hole-in-the-Rock Road to be one of the best all terrain


             88      vehicle (ATV) roads in the area, and Utah counties and federal agencies desire to appropriately
             89      manage ATV use on the Hole-in-th-Rock Road;
             90          WHEREAS, interpretive opportunities and access to the Trail and Trail-related historic
             91      sites are largely undeveloped;
             92          WHEREAS, evidence regarding tourism in Southern Utah suggests that historically
             93      significant trails attract tourists and are culturally beneficial, especially for families and retired
             94      persons;
             95          WHEREAS, these are also the visitors most likely to contribute to local economies and
             96      to benefit from interpretive opportunities during their stay in the area;
             97          WHEREAS, local tourism interests believe that a focus on the historical significance of
             98      the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail could be a significant boost to the tourism economies of
             99      communities along the Trail;
             100          WHEREAS, coordination between federal and local agencies will maximize
             101      responsible use by current and future generations; and
             102          WHEREAS, it is fitting that the state of Utah designate the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail
             103      from Parowan to Bluff as a state historic trail for the use and enjoyment of future generations:
             104          NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah
             105      honors the Utah pioneers who participated in the 1879-1880 trek of the San Juan Mission and
             106      successfully constructed and traversed a trail from Parowan, Utah, to Bluff, Utah, through
             107      some of the most difficult and desolate terrain in the Western United States.
             108          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah designates the
             109      Hole-in-the-Rock Trail from Parowan to Bluff as a state historic trail.
             110          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Legislature of the state of Utah urges that this
             111      designation be coordinated through an inter-organizational collaborative team consisting of
             112      counties, applicable state and federal land and resource management agencies, and relevant
             113      non-governmental organizations.
             114          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urges that a
             115      management plan be developed, with the participation of Garfield County, Iron County, Kane
             116      County, San Juan County, the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, and the
             117      United States Forest Service that focuses on interpretation, management of key Trail-related
             118      public use areas on public lands, and access.


             119          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urges that this
             120      designation have no affect on private property rights, water rights, access rights, grazing rights,
             121      or other existing rights on public lands.
             122          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urges that
             123      portions of the trail that are public roads should continue to be managed for public
             124      transportation and not rerouted as a result of historic trail designation.
             125          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah urges the Board
             126      of State Parks and Recreation to designate additional trails within the state of Utah as state
             127      historic trails, if the trails are determined by the board to be of statewide significance and to
             128      meet other criteria as defined by the board.
             129          BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Board of
             130      State Parks and Recreation, the cities of Parowan and Bluff, Utah, the Kane County
             131      Commission, the Garfield County Commission, the Iron County Commission, the San Juan
             132      County Commission, the Bureau of Land Management, Escalante Heritage Center, the United
             133      States Forest Service, the National Park Service, and the State of Utah Historic Preservation
             134      Office.


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