The Bonneville Shoreline Trail (BST) is an important regional project for several Utah counties. It is planned to run for over 300 miles along the foothills bordering the main population centers of the State, from the Idaho border south to Provo and beyond.

 

The Utah Conservation Corps (UCC) became involved in building a technically difficult section of this long-distance trail. As a multi-agency effort, it provides a good model for how youth corps can partner in a large project. The City of Logan took the leadership role in planning the project, dealing with land issues, and writing the grant application. The UCC role was to develop the relationship with the city, wait for resolution of the land issues, and be available when the project was ready to start.

 

Multi-agency Cooperation:
The City of Logan held a series of meetings to promote the Bonneville Shoreline Trail concept and encourage public comment. One of these meetings provided the opportunity for UCC staff to learn more about the proposed work, and to introduce the city to the capabilities of the UCC.

 

The trail corridor is close to UCC headquarters at Utah State University, which made this a very convenient location for the project. The city’s Parks and Recreation Department took the lead in the grant-writing process. In addition to city-owned land the trail also crosses national forest lands, which made cooperation of the Logan Ranger District recreation staff essential. The project also had the support and involvement of local nonprofit groups, in particular, the Bonneville Shoreline Trail Coalition and the Cache Trails Coalition.

 

Cost Effectiveness of the UCC
The UCC role in recruiting and managing volunteers was an important contribution to the project. It heightened community engagement in the project, and the amount of work done by the volunteers has a significant and measurable value. It is easy to quantify the feet of trail built, surfacing material applied, and finish work performed. The dollar equivalent of this amount of work was used to demonstrate the true value of corps involvement.

 

Funding and Grants
Primary funding for the project was awarded by the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) through grant funds administered by Utah State Parks. The State awarded the grant to the project sponsor, the City of Logan, in August 2003. All funding awarded under Utah’s RTP program requires a 50/50 sponsor match. The match may be comprised of cash, in-kind services, volunteer labor, or donations. Upon completion of the project, the sponsor submits a request for reimbursement of cost to the State. A final inspection is completed, and payment is made.

 

The Trail Project
The BST runs at a level of several hundred feet above the valley below. The trail takes its name from the ancient Lake Bonneville, from the Ice Age, which was nearly as large as Lake Michigan. This vast expanse of water left a distinct line where waves cut terraces into the steep hillsides. The modern trail provides great views as it follows what was once the wave-lapped margin of this lake.

 

The project, as developed by the City of Logan, runs from Logan Canyon north to Green Canyon, two popular access points to public lands along the mountains. The original concept was a narrow footpath, but in order to meet State standards a wider “bench cut” trail across the steep side slopes was needed.

 

There were four major aspects of the trail project:
» Design and layout of the trail by the Forest Service and the city
» Mechanized trail work by the city
» Volunteer work organized for National Trails Day by UCC
» UCC work with a trail crew

A Forest Service trail supervisor did trail design work on the national forest portion of the route and advised the city on trail layout. Logan Parks and Recreation Department then began work on construction of a mile of trail tread with a SWECO trail-building machine.

National Trails Day is a nationwide effort (coordinated nationally by the American Hiking Society), much like Earth Day, which aims to involve the public in construction and maintenance of trails across America. With regard to the trail project, community members were involved through the National Trails Day volunteer project on Saturday, June 5, 2004. Work began at the mouth of Green Canyon heading south along the Bonneville Shoreline Trail alignment. The project was sponsored by the Utah Conservation Corps, Cache Trails Coalition, and the US Forest Service. More than 100 volunteers participated in the work of spreading gravel base for a one-mile stretch of the trail in one day.

 

The UCC fielded a six-person crew with a crew leader for their part of the project over a six-week period. The work consisted of constructing roughly a mile-length of trail corridor along a steep side slope. This kind of situation is more suited to work with hand tools than with mechanized techniques. UCC workers are 18-25 years old, the majority being students at Utah State University, which sponsors UCC through its Division of Student Services. All corps members receive training in basic trail work with Forest Service crews and supervisors.

 

Benefits of the Project
The completed section is one of the most heavily used trails in this part of Utah. With their proximity to a major university and urban area, the trailheads for the new path are readily accessible by many people. As a segment of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, the project has brand name recognition. For the Utah Conservation Corps, the trail provides a highly visible example of the kind of work it can complete. Because the trail is a regional priority with good public support, there will be years of future projects as the work progresses. For the communities of the Cache Valley as well as the Forest Service, the success of the trail has spurred even more interest in connecting trails and providing access to public lands. Finally, several UCC members have been hired as seasonal employees by the Forest Service based on their experience in building a quality trail.

 

Key Points and Lessons Learned
Programs do best when the program: » Addresses priority trail projects as identified in current planning documents
» Engages planners and outdoor recreation staff in discussion of proposed and potential projects
» Gets involved with other nonprofit groups in the region that address outdoor recreation and resource stewardship
» Documents the real value and cost effectiveness of working with corps
» Reviews the budgets of other local trail projects to accurately identify costs of materials, equipment, and agency crews, as well as corps

For More Information:
Bonneville Shoreline Trail
www.bonnevilleshorelinetrail.org

Trails Program Coordinator
Division of Parks and Recreation
Department of Natural Resources
PO Box 146001
Salt Lake City UT 84114-6001
(801) 538-7344
www.stateparks.utah.gov/grants

Utah Conservation Corps
7205 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-7205
(435) 797-0964
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
www.usu.edu/ucc