Davis County staff, landowner propose 160‑acre land swap with U.S. Forest Service to complete Bonneville Shoreline Trail

Jeff Wyler, planning manager for Davis County Community and Economic Development, briefed the county commission on Oct. 14 on a multi‑parcel proposal to secure a missing section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail by trading a privately owned 160‑acre parcel to the U.S. Forest Service.

The proposal, driven by landowner Ron Crapo and conservation consultant Jaren Davis, would deliver public ownership of the parcel that currently blocks the trail in eastern Davis County and return 160 acres of Forest Service land elsewhere to the private owner. Wyler said the county would build the trail segment before transferring the parcel to the Forest Service so trail construction would not be delayed by federal permitting.

Proponents described the swap as a ‘‘no net loss’’ approach: the exchange package under discussion includes the 160‑acre trail parcel plus smaller parcels identified as potential trade assets — an 11‑acre site used by a local shooting club, a 28‑acre parcel bordering Layton and Centerville, roughly 6.5 acres above the Davis County shooting range (to allow a safety berm), and around 113 acres in the Fernwood area. Jaren Davis said the 160‑acre property would add about 1.84 miles of trail and connect to existing recreation nodes such as Elephant Rock and Kenny Creek Trail.

Supporters told the commission they have engaged congressional offices; Davis said Senator Mike Lee and, previously, Representative Chris Stewart had encouraged a no‑net‑loss condition for exchanges. Davis described two routes to complete the swap: an administrative Forest Service exchange (historically slow) or a congressional land‑exchange act that proponents said would expedite the process. Commissioners were told the congressional route could accelerate completion compared with a typical administrative timeline.

Commissioners raised several practical and political concerns. County staff and commissioners discussed public‑safety issues where the trail would pass near the Davis County shooting range, noting that an informal user‑created trail already exists but that county adoption would create liability unless physical safety measures (including a berm) were added. Jeff Wyler said the Forest Service had previously declined berm construction on its land, which shaped the proponents’ preference for a swap that would allow the county more control over safety improvements.

Several commissioners recommended early outreach to affected municipalities. Staff said Bountiful City has consistently signaled it wants to preserve the area as open space and that city residents would likely press officials against development. Wyler said proponents would still work with cities after a congressional exchange and that the private owner, Ron Crapo, would accept the land‑use risk (including annexation requirements) if the exchange proceeds.

A procedural next step offered by proponents was to request county support for pursuing the legislative route through Sen. Mike Lee's office. Commissioners expressed general support for further work, requested additional outreach to neighboring cities and city managers to explain preservation goals, and agreed to schedule a site visit to the property.

The next formal steps described were: continue conversations with city managers, prepare materials for possible communication with congressional staff, and arrange a field visit for interested commissioners. No formal county vote or legal commitment to the exchange was recorded at the Oct. 14 meeting.