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County accepts state grant for three cattle guards on Seneca Draw Road; adjacent landowner objects
Summary
Uintah County accepted a $22,500 Division of Outdoor Recreation grant plus a county in‑kind match to install three cattle guards on Seneca Draw Road to preserve public access to trails; a nearby landowner objected to location choices during the meeting.
Jenny Bird, Uintah County purchasing and grants, asked the commission to accept a Division of Outdoor Recreation grant that the county would pair with an in-kind match to install three cattle guards on Seneca Draw Road.
Bird said the grant award is $22,500 and the county match is $6,282.72, all in-kind (labor and equipment), for a project total of $28,782.72. She said the work is intended to ensure public access to Moonshine Arch and the Road Mountain trail systems. "The grama award is $22,500. The county match is $6,282.72. All of the county's matches in kind," Bird said.
Trails coordinator Mike Cook described the planned locations: one cattle guard on the west property line of the Taylor property where Staneker Draw runs from Taylor Mountain Road; one on the east property line where it enters state parks; and a third on the north/south property line near where the county road crosses the property line. Cook confirmed installation and maintenance are the county road department's responsibility.
Property owner Seth Taylor said he owns affected land and raised objections to the chosen locations. "All you're doing is putting a cattle guard on my property and going right back to the utility easement ... You're putting cattle guards just on our property and not anybody else's," Taylor said, asking the county to consider alternative alignments that would avoid placing improvements solely on his property.
Commissioners acknowledged Taylor's concerns and Bird and Cook offered to meet after the meeting to discuss specific placement. A commissioner said the scope of work in the grant is specific to Seneca Draw Road but could be changed if the county requests different locations. The board voted to accept the grant; a motion to approve the grant passed on a voice vote.
Why it matters: The project uses state grant funds to preserve public trail access in the Seneca Draw area, but the landowner objection highlights a potential property-access and project-location dispute the county will need to resolve before or during installation.
What happens next: The county will accept the grant, coordinate installation and maintenance through the road department, and staff said they will meet with the landowner to review site locations and possible alternatives.
