Daggett County discusses grant to fund trail surveys, easement work and kiosk; no easement approved

Daggett County officials and local presenters discussed pursuing grant funding to pay for surveys and legal work needed to create a trail easement and install a kiosk near Little Hole, but they did not approve a formal easement at the meeting.

The discussion centered on seeking a “mini grant” to cover survey costs, a kiosk and the legal descriptions required to establish an easement. A presenter said Sunrise Engineering was willing to perform surveying and that the county surveyor or the county could also perform the work, and estimated survey costs at “about $2,500 per week.” The presenter added, “We should be able to factor that into the grant as well. So the grant should take care of it.”

Why it matters: County staff and local organizers said the trails work could increase recreation traffic and benefit local businesses if the routes are connected into a longer network. However, participants stressed that the map shown at the meeting was conceptual, that easement documentation must be created and negotiated, and that federal or state landowner approvals (the U.S. Forest Service) and attorneys from the town and county will need to be involved before any easement is recorded.

Participants described the board-level action being considered as approval to pursue the funding and legal process — not approval of any recorded easement or a final trail alignment. One participant summarized that the item under consideration was “approving the process of going through the legal documentation of creating a piece,” and another clarified, “we're not approving the actual easement today.” Meeting speakers repeatedly described the current package as a concept or overview rather than a legal instrument.

Discussion covered several implementation details. Presenters said the proposed project would use a surface easement that could be relocated if development required it; that the USDA Forest Service owns portions of the lower corner of the area and that crossing the forest boundary would require additional approvals; and that the town attorney and county attorney would need to negotiate legal descriptions. Attendees noted parking and restroom access as practical constraints for kiosk siting and discussed alternative kiosk locations, including near Little Hole Road or using existing parking at the airport with a short on-road connection to the trail.

Speakers also offered trail-connection estimates intended to show how the local network could become a longer “destination” loop. One presenter gave a series of approximations: existing lines total “about 5½ miles”; connecting nearby segments could push that to about 9 miles; including the Little Hole connection could raise it to about 15 miles; adding other named loops could increase mileage further; and linking to Red Canyon and Sweat Ranch Trails could approach an estimated 40 miles. Those figures were presented as rough estimates to illustrate potential, not as finalized measurements.

Several attendees raised multiuse concerns. A local walker asked how a small walking-only segment known as the Little Hole trail would function with bicycles; presenters said the trail is “multi-use” and suggested seasonal or informational management (for example, restricted bike periods) and improving other single-track loops to reduce conflict. The group agreed that clearer signage and improved routing would help manage multiuse sections.

Next steps described in the discussion included: applying for a mini grant to cover surveys, kiosk and legal description costs; coordinating with Sunrise Engineering, the county surveyor and the town attorney; and developing legally precise easement descriptions if funding is secured. Participants emphasized there would be back-and-forth negotiation and that recording a final easement would come later, subject to legal review and intergovernmental agreements.

No final vote to record an easement or to adopt a specific alignment was taken during the segment of the meeting covered by this article.