Bonneville Trail Addition Celebrated (UT)

Lindon, Utah, 9/20/2003 – U.S. Sen. Bob Bennett said today that the addition of a new 200-acre parcel to the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a “wonderful way to celebrate” one of the Salt Lake City region’s most popular recreation areas.

Bennett, R-Utah, spoke at an event sponsored by the Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit conservation organization, which helped the U.S. Forest Service acquire the site at Dry Canyon, east of Lindon.

Bennett has been a strong supporter of protecting the Bonneville Shoreline Trail(BST). ?He helped secure $1.7 million last year for the Dry Canyon site, complementing the $8.6 million he has secured for other segments of the popular trail.

“Protecting this property in Lindon will only enhance the tremendous recreational opportunities of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail,” said Bennett, a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee. ?”I’m so pleased we were able to secure the funds necessary to preserve this part of the Trail for all to enjoy.”

The property is located about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City, along the hillsides below the mouth of Dry Canyon, at the base of Mount Timpanogos. ?The 200-acre parcel will be a major link between the City of Lindon and all of the recreational opportunities offered by the BST and the Wasatch Range. Funding for the project came from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund.

National Public Lands Day, which is being celebrated this year on Sept. 20, is an annual nationwide celebration of publicly owned lands around the nation.

Jenny Parks, the TPL project manager, said, “The Bonneville Shoreline Trail is a wonderful amenity for the citizens of Utah. ?The Dry Canyon piece was a challenging project which required the help of many people to see completed. ?We are particularly grateful to Sen. Bennett for his leadership in securing the funding, along with the help provided by the U.S. Forest Service. ?Thankfully, everyone came together and made it a reality. ?Now, future generations will forever enjoy the beauty of Dry Canyon and have a gateway to the BST and the Uinta National Forest.”

The BST has become one of the top recreation sites in the increasingly urban Salt Lake City region. ?When completed, it will run for more than 100 miles from Brigham City to Nephi, following the prehistoric shoreline of Lake Bonneville within the national forest along the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range. ?Although much of the trail is on private land, for years it has been heavily used by residents of six rapidly-growing counties – Box Elder, Weber, Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Juab. ?Acquisition of this tract by the Forest Service will provide much needed public access to the trail system and popular forested recreation lands. ?

The Trust for Public Land is a national nonprofit land conservation organization conserving land for people to enjoy as parks, gardens, and natural areas, and ensuring livable communities for generations to come. ?Since its founding in 1972, TPL has helped protect more than 1.6 million acres of land in 45 states. ?TPL depends on the support of individuals, foundations, and businesses. ?For more information, visit TPL on the web at www.tpl.org.