County agrees in principle to sponsor BLM backcountry airstrip applications; staff to vet and place on agenda

John Clayton, representing the Rachael Aviation Foundation and Utah Backcountry Pilots, asked the commission to sponsor BLM SF-299 applications that would record backcountry airstrips on federal land as right-of-ways. Clayton said the BLM prefers a government applicant for these filings because government sponsorship often leads to categorical exclusions and long-term recognition of the strip; he told the commission there are roughly 19 candidate strips in Garfield County.

"We're not asking the county to do anything other than just sponsoring this application," Clayton said, explaining the BLM application process and noting that many strips have been used for decades but are not formally recorded by the agency.

Commissioners expressed support for preservation and emergency-access benefits, cited the limited county budget for routine maintenance and asked that any agreement include a legal review. Public works staff and commissioners discussed that occasional grading or limited maintenance could be performed when county crews were nearby rather than creating an ongoing maintenance obligation.

Action: commissioners asked staff and the county attorney to vet the SF-299 application for the Simplot (Simplod) airstrip, and to prepare an application and supporting materials for formal sponsorship. The county asked that the draft agreement be legally reviewed and placed on an upcoming agenda for formal action.

Clayton said his organization and donors will fund archeological surveys and other up-front work for many strips; the county would only be asked to file the government application form and accept the right-of-way for recording. Commissioners requested that staff review the specific SF-299 form and return with a vetted application for commission approval.