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SALT LAKE CITY — A bill to extend Utah’s scenic byway program faces pushback from nonprofit groups who say provisions that sway members of the committee overseeing new byway proposals threaten the purpose of the program. is recieving.
Meanwhile, state lawmakers argue the changes will provide a better “representative sample” for new roads to consider.
SB28Utah Scenic Byways, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper, R-Taylorsville, includes information on how to designate a highway as a scenic byway, how to declassify it, and how to get nominated for one of the National Scenic Byways. – Requires some changes to the program. Or All-American Road. It also removes the program’s existing end date of January 2, 2025.
Utah’s program has been active since the mid-1980s with the goal of “preserving and promoting the unique roads throughout Utah that connect travelers and tourist destinations, outstanding recreational opportunities, and public lands.” I’m here. According to the Utah Office of Tourism, Film, and Global Branding..There is 28 national highways and state side roads They are scattered throughout the Beehive State.
But leaders of Scenic Utah, a nonprofit that works to “preserve and enhance the aesthetic” of Utah’s communities and roads, say representatives from sign companies will serve on the committee overseeing the new proposal. It states that there is a problem with allowing .
If approved, the new board will include individuals appointed by the Utah Department of Tourism, the Utah Department of Transportation, all counties with scenic byway exits, the Utah League of Cities and Cities, as well as members of the “outdoor advertising industry.” One representative will be appointed. By the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity. ” The committee will be chaired by an appointee from the Utah Department of Tourism.
It would also remove requirements for the commission to be appointed by a sitting governor and to include representatives from multiple entities, including the Utah State Park Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
Former Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, chairman of Scenic Utah’s board of directors, said the changes are “a gift to sign companies” because they give them more authority in the byway review process. claim. He said Utah could be the first state to “enact a scenic highway law in partnership with the sign industry.”
“Giving sign owners a vital role on the Scenic Byway Commission is like giving a fox the security of a chicken coop,” he said in a statement Wednesday.
Legally, existing signs can be carried over to newly designed side streets, but no new signs are allowed (except for sections of side streets that are not considered scenic, according to Vicki Varela, director of the Utah Tourism Authority). ). A draft version of the proposal was presented at the Transportation Interim Committee meeting in November.
She brought up the topic after Sen. Heidi Balderry (R-Saratoga Springs) questioned the need to include sign companies.
Rep. Kay Christofferson (R-Lehi), who is introducing the bill in the House, said the goal is for the committee to assemble a “representative sample” of people affected by the new scenic detour request. He explained that the purpose was to establish a
“I think the voices of all the people who have an interest should be represented because the signs are part of the road.If we decide to designate a part of the road as a scenic byway, we are already adding to the road. “It could impact people who are investing in ‘signs in the area,'” he said at the time. “We just want to be fair.”
He also said there could be “adjustments in the future” as the bill moves through the legislative process. Nate Seacrest, president of Reagan Outdoor Advertising, said it has become the “standard” in Utah to include industry stakeholders on boards whose decisions could impact the industry. Ta.
But Becker and other members of Scenic Utah remain unhappy with the way the bill is written and have concerns about how the commission will decide in the future what qualifies as scenic. added.
“It would be a shame for Utah to once again succumb to money-making and ignore the will of the majority of Utahns,” he said.
As for other proposed changes, Kurt Gasser, deputy general counsel and general counsel for the nonpartisan Utah Legislative Research Office, said the bill would adjust the functions of the committees and take “huge duties” off the governor. he said, summarizing the intent behind the bill. invoice.
The commission exists on an “as-needed” basis, so when a road is designated for scenic byway status, the commission is not a “standing, statewide commission,” but rather the local area. He said that it would be established with representatives from. .
Kristofferson said the number of people serving on the committee will also vary based on requests. If the road in question passes through multiple counties, representatives from all affected counties would sit on the committee to consider the request.
Members of the Transportation Interim Committee ultimately voted 13-2 in favor of the bill on Nov. 15. SB28 will be one of hundreds to be considered during the legislative session, which begins Tuesday.
