Millard County to sign MOU with BLM on High Desert Trail environmental review

Millard County commissioners voted to enter a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Land Management to participate as a cooperating agency on environmental assessments for the High Desert Trail, county tourism staff said.

Rachel West, the county’s tourism staffer, told commissioners the MOU would not obligate Millard County to provide funding. "It just gives Millard County a seat at the table when there's notice for these environmental assessments and also says Millard County will provide whatever background or technical expertise," West said. She described the trail as a multi-county route stretching from Box Elder County to Washington County and noted the county’s interest in advising on viewsheds, dust mitigation and other local impacts.

Commissioners asked whether signing the MOU would trigger any county costs; West and staff said no financial obligations were attached. A commissioner asked whether prior litigation in another county on the project affected Millard County’s role; West said the state had taken over some litigation elsewhere and that the county’s involvement would be limited to providing input on the environmental analysis.

The commission moved, seconded and approved the MOU by voice vote. The motion authorizes staff to execute the cooperating-agency agreement and to provide technical and place-based information as requested by BLM during the environmental-review process.

Because the MOU does not itself create project approvals, the county’s role will be advisory: the county will receive notices and may comment on proposed environmental mitigations and route changes. Commissioners said they expect to be notified as route alignments are finalized and to evaluate any site-specific impacts when those notices arrive.