Statement from Trust for Public Land on the U.S. House of Representatives Passage of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Act

Denver, CO – Earlier this week, the United States House of Representatives unanimously passed the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act [BSTAA] to help improve public access, protect the lands around the trail, and ultimately complete the unique and popular 280-mile outdoor recreation treasure. This bill now moves to the U.S. Senate for their consideration during the remainder of this Congress.  

 In 2016, TPL worked with the Boy Scouts of America to convey the lands around Camp Tracy to the U.S. Forest Service, protecting public access and ensuring Camp Tracy’s future in Mill Creek Canyon. Utilizing the Land and Water Conservation Fund, nearly 850 acres were added to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The property contains a portion of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, as well as Mill Creek — a tributary to the Jordan River. Mill Creek Canyon and the Bonneville Shoreline Trail are major recreational destinations for hiking, biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and picnicking due to its proximity to Salt Lake City and the greater Wasatch Front.

A statement from Jim Petterson, Vice President Mountain West Region, Colorado & Southwest Director for Trust for Public [TPL]:   

“The Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act will help solidify the decades-long dream to protect this incredibly special land along the foothills of the Wasatch Front, achieving the vision of a 280-mile-long Bonneville Shoreline Trail stretching from the Idaho border in the north, to Nephi in the heart of Utah.

Trust for Public Land is pleased to see the U.S. House of Representative unanimously vote to support this landmark land legislation for not only Utah, but the American West. Yesterday’s unanimous vote by the House is the direct result of Utah’s Congressional Representative John Curtis and his dogged championing of this landmark lands bill. We now urge the Senate to act quickly to pass the BSTAA, in the short time remaining in this Congress.  

For over three decades, Trust for Public Land has worked to protect the foothills of the Wasatch Front and in support of advancing the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, completing more than 20 projects since 2000.

The Bonneville Shoreline Trail Advancement Act will help to complete the vision of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail; giving mountain bikers, runners, hikers, equestrians, cross-country skiers – and families – new opportunities to get outside, enjoy the outdoors and the wonders of the Wasatch Front. Trust for Public Land urges Congress to move expeditiously, this decades-long dream cannot be deferred further.”

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