Landowners and Forest Service Clash Over Red Line Parking; County Urged to Push for Written Remedies

Landowners who use the Red Line snow-park parking area pressed the Granite County Commission to intervene after Forest Service staff told some residents they could no longer leave vehicles or trailers in the gravel lot during winter.

Patrick Germain, who lives on Upper Hidden Line Road, said the Forest Service’s enforcement led to a disputed $5.40 solid-waste bill question earlier in the meeting and has escalated to officers threatening impoundment. "When I look up the definition of recreational, we definitely fall into that category," Germain said, describing longstanding use by landowners who access cabins and snowmobile trails.

The county’s Forest Service district representative, Cameron, told the meeting the agency is enforcing a federal standard that considers personal property left unattended on National Forest System land for more than 72 hours to be at risk of violation. Cameron said temporary parking to unload snowmobiles for short recreational trips is allowed, but trailers and vehicles left for storage can be cited. "If you park in the parking area, unload, stay a week and leave, that's not a violation," he said, adding that the service is trying to prevent long-term storage and related trash and safety problems.

Several landowners disputed the consistency of enforcement. Aliyah Sapp, identifying herself as a resident’s daughter who boondocks frequently, said from personal experience that areas commonly allow 14 days of stationary camping and described a lack of written notice before enforcement actions. Tom Parker and other property owners said access to their parcels should not be impeded and asked the commission to press for a pragmatic solution rather than immediate prohibition.

Commissioners stressed that the county does not have jurisdiction over National Forest System land and urged residents to exhaust remedies with the Forest Service first. Commissioner Blaine Bradshaw (first referenced during the GIS presentation) suggested the commission could support a special-use permit or similar remedy if Forest Service responses are documented in writing. Multiple residents raised possible interim fixes—carving a parking bay in the county right-of-way, a paid snow-park permit or a landowner tag—but officials warned of long-term precedent issues if many lots are developed.

The commission asked staff to request written clarification from the Forest Service about the parking policy and enforcement process and advised residents to document interactions and any written denials of permit requests. The board also offered to revisit the issue if the Forest Service declines to provide a remedy or if additional cabins are developed that change demand for parking. The hearing included multiple emotional appeals and back-and-forth about what constitutes recreation versus storage; the Forest Service reiterated their operational concern: preventing abandonment and long-term storage that turns the lot into de facto private storage.

Next steps: commissioners recommended residents pursue a formal request with the Forest Service (special-use authorization or written exception) and asked staff to bring any denial or unresolved dispute back to the commission for potential county-level support or further options.