House committee advances Curtis bill to construct shoreline trail in Utah

U.S. Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) commended recent committee passage of his legislation to extend and connect portions of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, an ultimately 280-mile, mixed-use trail that will stretch from the Idaho border to Nephi, Utah.

“I am pleased to see a bipartisan group of my colleagues unanimously support the construction of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail,” said Rep. Curtis. “This bill strikes the right balance of appropriate recreation and conservation, and I look forward to supporting the completion of this extremely unique 280-mile trail.”

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 19 approved the proposed Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act, H.R. 2551, which Rep. Curtis sponsored in April 2021 with three original cosponsors, including U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT). 

If enacted, H.R. 2551 would designate and adjust certain lands in the State of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System in order to connect the trail’s currently segmented portions that prohibit biking in certain parts, according to information provided by Rep. Curtis’ staff. Upon completion, the trail will connect dozens of Utah’s communities as the route attempts to follow the Bonneville bench that was formed by an ancient lake.

Specifically, H.R. 2551 would release 326 acres of wilderness divided over more than 20 small locations to accommodate the advancement of the trail in Salt Lake County and Utah County, two Utah population centers in high demand for additional recreation opportunities, the information says, and would resolve a wilderness boundary issue in Birch Canyon, Utah, to ensure the trail that runs parallel to the road can be fully utilized as a multi-use trail.

H.R. 2551, which now heads to the full House for consideration, is the identical bill to S. 1222, introduced in April 2021 by U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).