Council hears update on Zion Corridor management plan tied to All-American Road nomination

Unidentified Speaker (S2) briefed the council on the updated Zion Corridor management plan and the next steps for pursuing All-American Road designation.

The speaker said the corridor was first designated a state scenic byway in 1990, a corridor management plan was completed in 2011, and in 2024 the effort led to a National Scenic Byway designation. The updated plan must be current (management plans may not be more than 10 years old) to pursue the higher All-American Road standing. Representative Joseph Eliason was identified in the discussion as the bill sponsor in the state legislature; the speaker reported unanimous committee approval to move the matter to the House floor and noted that municipalities across the corridor (Springdale, Rockville, Virgin, Wilburkn, Hurricane) and both Kane and Washington counties supported the update.

Council members asked whether the designation would impose restrictions on private property. The speaker answered that the designation itself does not impose private-property restrictions and that billboard restrictions referenced in the discussion were the result of state law, not the scenic designation. Meeting speakers also noted public outreach had included several public meetings and that only one written objector was recorded in the legislative testimony cited.

Next steps described in the meeting: continued legislative consideration (House and Senate), gubernatorial sign-off and then application/nomination processes for the All-American Road designation. The transcript does not provide a final timeline for nomination or details on any appropriation requests; a councilor asked about appropriations but the transcript records only that questions were asked and that Representative Eliason had answered some questions.