Daggett County amends road map to add GPS alignment for Sears Canyon Road

Daggett County commissioners voted during a commission meeting to amend the county road map to include a GPS-derived alignment for Sears Canyon Road, a route the board said runs from SITLA property up to BLM lands at the Daggett County line. The board approved adding the shape file developed from real-time GPS data and asked staff to provide the updated map to county planning staff for inclusion in the county resource management plan; formal ratification was scheduled for next week.

Commission members discussed two versions of the line: a pink, aerial-photography–based estimate and a GPS-tracked (blue) line produced by county employee Mike Cook. Commissioners said the GPS layer follows real-time coordinates captured on the road and would replace the estimated alignment on the official county road map. A participant explained that the pink line contained “wiggles” where trees obscured the road in aerial imagery, while the GPS layer traces the traveled alignment more closely.

The commissioners directed staff to combine the GPS shape file with the county’s existing road layer, match the line style to other secondary roads on the map, and produce a signed, dated map with a signature box for the clerk’s office. The board noted that the map change will also be used as part of a potential Section 2477 claim process (referred to in the meeting as a "2477 complaint"), citing the route’s historical use prior to the 1976–1977 time frame that governs those claims. Commissioners acknowledged potential challenges locating witnesses with firsthand knowledge from before 1976 but said there is sufficient documentary evidence to consider Sears Canyon a built road rather than just a trail.

During discussion, commissioners asked whether the land-status layer (BLM, SITLA, private) was included on the displayed map; staff said it was not present on the current view but that most of the added segment is on BLM-managed land. Commissioners also asked that the finalized map be provided to "Carrie" in planning for recordkeeping and further processing.

A motion to adopt the GPS-based Sears Canyon alignment into the Daggett County road map was moved and seconded. The meeting record shows the motion was carried; the board also stated the change will be formally ratified at the next meeting. The commission closed the item and adjourned shortly thereafter.

Administrative follow-up listed by the commission included producing a signed, dated map for the clerk’s office and transferring the updated shape file to county planning staff for incorporation into the county resource management plan and records.