Legislation led by U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) on March 26 would call for a federal feasibility study to evaluate whether Utah’s Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) qualifies to become a National Scenic Trail or another designation under the National Trails System.
“The Bonneville Shoreline Trail provides recreational access to over 80 percent of Utah’s population living along the Wasatch Front,” Sen. Curtis said. “Utahns love this trail, and with this bill, we’re taking proactive action to ensure it becomes eligible for federal resources — so we can preserve public access, protect the landscape, and finish what we started.”
Specifically, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Feasibility Study Act, S. 1135, which has one Republican cosponsor, would amend the National Trails System Act to direct the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the BST, which is a system of trails and potential trails extending approximately 280 miles from the Idaho-Utah border to Nephi, Utah, following the Bonneville bench that was created by the historic Lake Bonneville, according to the text of the bill.
The BST is a mixed-use recreation trail running through Cache, Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, and Utah counties. While several segments are completed and well-used, others remain under development, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Curtis’ staff.
Before the trail can be formally designated as part of the National Trails System, federal law requires a feasibility study conducted by the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate whether the trail meets specific standards based on factors such as geographic and cultural significance, public accessibility, and long-term sustainability and management potential.
If the BST qualifies, then it would be eligible for federal funding for construction, planning, and maintenance; land acquisition tools, such as willing-seller agreements; and priority status for environmental protection and trail development, the summary says.
The study also would identify current gaps in the trail system, resolve potential conflicts with private development or infrastructure, and incorporate public input from across the Wasatch Front.
The legislation is supported by Trust for Public Land, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Committee, and Trails Utah.