Eastern Utah leaders ask state for $1 million toward Navajo Mountain road EIS

Vice Chair Representative Owens heard presentations Wednesday as local and tribal officials asked the Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee for state help to pay for an environmental impact study for a direct road to Navajo Mountain.

Keith Heaton, executive director of the 7 County Infrastructure Coalition, told the committee “we're looking for a $1,000,000, contribution from the state for a $4,000,000 EIS on this road,” and said the paved connection would shorten a trip that currently requires driving from Monument Valley through Arizona to Kayenta and back. Heaton said the study would support planning and clarify construction needs.

The request was presented as part of a multi-party funding plan. Shandine Parrish, a member of the Navajo Nation Council and chairwoman of its Budget and Finance Committee, told the committee the Navajo Nation has committed $1,000,000 to begin the environmental review and said federal offices, including the office of “Senator Curtis,” have pledged several million dollars toward the review. Parrish said tribal leaders are preparing institutional policy changes to leverage future funds for construction and that the nation will consider further contributions once the EIS produces a construction cost estimate.

Committee members asked about long-term construction funding and ownership. Representative Kristofferson asked whether a state contribution would imply a state obligation to pay for construction; Parrish and Heaton said financing commitments remain to be determined and are likely to be shared among tribal, federal and local partners. Heaton said the EIS typically takes two years and “we would expect to get it done in 2 years.”

Committee members and other legislators on the call noted discrepancies in construction cost estimates. Heaton said local estimates are roughly half of a recent UDOT figure; a participant summarized the UDOT preliminary estimate as “$100,000,000,” and Heaton said local estimates are lower but did not give a precise number.

Speakers emphasized emergency and service-access reasons for the project. Heaton said many state-provided services come from Blanding and that the road would improve access to education, social services and emergency response. Parrish described residents as “stuck on some islands out here in the middle of Lake Powell” and said completing the EIS is necessary to plan how all partners will contribute to building the road.

No formal appropriation or motion to fund the EIS was taken in the subcommittee during the presentation. The request was presented for committee consideration as an RFA (request for appropriations); committee members said they would likely evaluate it alongside other requests during the subcommittee’s packet and prioritization process.

The subcommittee moved on after questions and invited further coordination among the parties.