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Council says Forest Service mini-NEPA for Bonneville Shoreline Trail remains delayed after two years
Summary
Alpine officials said the Forest Service's mini-NEPA review for a section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail has been pending for two years, delaying work even though city staff say they have responded to requests; the council discussed contacting local advocates to press the Forest Service.
Alpine City officials told the council on March 11 that a mini-NEPA environmental review by the U.S. Forest Service for a segment of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail has been in process for roughly two years and remains unresolved, blocking the city's ability to proceed with trail work on Forest Service lands.
Council members and staff said the city submitted required materials and has followed up repeatedly; staff described the review as taking far longer than the six months they had initially expected. "It was supposed to be a 6 month project," a city official said, "... every time I have a meeting with the Forest Service, I've asked about it, but we just found out that they thought, I don't know, there was a misunderstanding."
Staff explained the mini-NEPA must be completed by the Forest Service because the work would be on federal land; it cannot be delegated to a private party. The council discussed whether a local advocate, identified in meeting correspondence as Brandon Plew, could press Forest Service contacts to accelerate the process. Staff said they would ask Plew to follow up with his contacts to see whether he can help move the review forward.
No funding or project start date was announced; staff said they would await the Forest Service's completion of the mini-NEPA before proceeding with the portion of the trail that traverses federal land.
