City says state-funded study recommends preserving Washington Dome; plan to come before council this month

Mayor Staley told residents that Washington Dome, a hillside area comprising about 855 Bureau of Land Management acres and approximately 150 privately held acres east of Washington Field and south of the Virgin River, is the focus of a preservation effort.

The city obtained a grant from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation to fund a study of the area. "What came back is that we could preserve Washington Dome and we could better define the use in terms of defining trails with maps and wayfinding signs and defining what types of uses, whether that be mountain biking, hiking, running, etcetera," Staley said. He said staff engaged the community for six to eight months and posted the study and feedback at washingtondome.com.

Staley said the study's recommendations will be presented to the city council this month for potential inclusion in the master parks and recreation plan. He asked residents to take pride in the local landscape and said the city had started measures to protect the area after observing vehicle scarring on hillsides.

No formal council action was taken during the mayor's message; the mayor said the study's recommendations will be considered by the council at an upcoming meeting. The address did not specify ordinance language, funding to implement the recommendations, or a schedule for trail construction.