Daggett County, Forest Service and local stakeholders push Lucerne boat-ramp upgrades, explore Easy Dock and grant options

At a Daggett County Commission meeting, local stakeholders and U.S. Forest Service staff described a plan to repair the Lucerne boat ramp, add ADA-accessible floating docks and improve access for paddleboards and kayaks.

Brett Paulson, a local marina stakeholder, told commissioners the existing access is eroded and unsafe and said users have been injured trying to reach docks. "We've had some accidents, people falling, You know, getting hurt trying trying to get down there," Paulson said, arguing the site needs safer access and separate facilities for paddlecraft.

Brian Wilson, who identified himself as the district ranger for the Forest Service, and Jerry Taylor, representing Lost Arnaud Valley Marina, described potential solutions that include modular floating dock products and a small reconfiguration of the east cove to provide year-round access. Wilson said some sites have already been used as examples and the Forest Service is working with partners to adapt appropriate designs for Lucerne.

Presenters flagged two near-term technical paths. One would rebid concrete repairs to the fixed ramp; another would install a modular floating "Easy Dock" system in the nearby deeper cove to maintain ADA access even as lake levels fluctuate. A presenter provided a preliminary rebid for "30 squares" of ramp repair and said the estimate for that piece of work was "about a 62 to a hundred and $75,000." The presenters said the figures had been passed to state grant managers for review.

Funding emerged as the central hurdle. Speakers noted that different grant programs carry different local-match requirements: "If the Forest Service applies for funds from the state of Utah, it can carry a 50% match; if a local partner or the county applies, the match can be 20%," a presenter told the commission. Commissioners and stakeholders discussed using the Tourism Tax Advisory Board (TRT) funds either as a direct match or as short-term cash flow to pay contractors that would be reimbursed when grants arrive. The group also identified potential sources including Utah Outdoor Recreation grants, the Great American Outdoors Act and ADA-specific funding streams.

Several participants emphasized that grant design, who formally applies, and cash flow timing matter. One potential approach discussed was to have the county or a county-affiliated 501(c)(3) serve as the applicant to secure the lower match and relieve small seasonal businesses of upfront costs and reimbursement risks. County representatives described a recent application for a rural-county grant that included a $55,000 line intended to be regranted to local businesses and said hiring grant-writing staff at county level could improve the county's ability to pursue multi-source funding.

Commissioners asked staff and partners to proceed to design and cost scoping so the county can assign dollar estimates to the proposed improvements, and to continue coordinating with the Forest Service and local providers. Presenters also reported related improvements at Lucerne: a planned RV park phase 1 with 34 hookup sites, a shower/laundry building and pavilion, and a new dip tank installation that presenters described as a major investment for the site.

The group did not adopt any binding appropriation at the meeting; next steps were described as design work to produce a dollar estimate and continued grant-seeking and coordination among the county, the Forest Service and local partners.