Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the OHV Bill S2970 topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Boulder council to send letter opposing draft bill to open roads through Capitol Reef
Summary
After a presentation and broad public comment, Boulder Town Council directed the mayor to draft a letter opposing S.2970 (a proposal to open certain Capitol Reef roads to OHVs) and asked staff to prepare a town resolution for an emergency meeting if needed.
Scott Brody presented a proposed town resolution and urged Boulder Town Council to oppose S.2970 — the OHVs in Capitol Reef National Park Act — saying it would open roughly a dozen park roads (including the Burr Trail) to off‑highway vehicles and could make Boulder a staging point for long OHV routes. Brody warned of noise, erosion and added strain on emergency services and said local pushback in Washington, D.C., could matter.
The council heard more than a dozen public commenters in support of the resolution. Business owner Blake Spalding told the council the Burr Trail approach and tourist increases create safety and trash problems and asked for precautions in town; EMT Lucas Hammond and other commenters warned about the potential burden on already stretched emergency responders.
Council members debated enforcement limits — several acknowledged a town resolution would be largely symbolic because land-management decisions rest with federal agencies and Congress — but agreed a timely statement of opposition could influence the political process and support future funding discussions. Josh moved that the mayor draft a letter opposing the draft bill S.2970 on behalf of the town council “in lieu of a resolution due to the lack of time for appropriate consideration of local input,” and the motion passed. Council also voted to prepare a town resolution, using the draft presented by Brody, to be ready for an emergency meeting if committee action on the bill accelerates.
Mayor/Chair will circulate the draft letter to council members and staff before sending it to the congressional delegation and other stakeholders. The council said individual residents should also contact their senators and representatives; staff noted there had been no recorded committee action on the bill since December but emphasized speed could be required.
The council’s next formal steps are (1) distributing the drafted letter to Sen. Mike Lee, Rep. John Curtis and other congressional and federal land‑management contacts and (2) convening an emergency meeting to adopt a formal town resolution if the legislative timeline requires immediate action.
