Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Senate moves Bear Lake sovereign-lands bill forward after amendment restoring adjacent-owner access
Loading...
Summary
The Senate adopted an amendment and advanced first substitute S.B. 49 to third reading. Sponsor said the bill restores historical access for homeowners adjacent to Bear Lake, allowing motorized vehicle access and a minimum 100-foot launch/retrieval zone where recorded legal access exists; some senators raised concerns about limiting public access.
Lawmakers on Feb. 18 advanced first substitute S.B. 49, a Bear Lake sovereign-lands bill, after adopting an amendment that corrected a line reference and clarified access for homeowners adjacent to the lake.
Senator Iwamoto explained the amendment (Amendment 3 dated Feb. 18, 2015) was needed to preserve the bill's original intent, including protecting a historical ability for adjacent property owners to transport and park boats near the water's edge when the lake is low. "This bill addresses one important and simple noncontroversial piece, access for adjacent homeowners to launch, retrieve, and park a motor boat a minimum hundred feet," the sponsor said, describing constituent hardships when low water left owners many yards from the edge.
Senator Christiansen opposed the bill on public-access grounds, arguing Bear Lake and its beaches belong to the state and that the draft would effectively close most landing areas except where signage indicates openings. Senators including Hilliard urged further debate and noted competing proposals; Iwamoto and supporters said stakeholders had worked toward a noncontroversial compromise on the amendment.
After discussion, the Senate recorded the bill as having received 23 yay votes, 3 nay votes and 3 absent and ordered it for third reading. The amendment and debate focused on balancing adjacent-owner property rights and historical use against broader public-access concerns.
