Cache land deal is boon to hikers
603 acres provide access to Wellsville Mountain wilds area
By Joe Bauman                                        September 4, 2005
Deseret Morning News
      Land controlling access to part of the Wellsville Mountains has been purchased and set aside for public purposes, says the Trust for Public Land.
      A celebration of the exchange, including a barbecue lunch, took place this past week at the site, which is near Wellsville, Cache County, and has been dubbed the "foothill property." About 250 people were present, including Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, and representatives of other politicians' offices, said Cordell Yeates, a member of the Cache County Council.
      The trust said it was deeding the 603 acres to the U.S. Forest Service. It will be part of Wasatch-Cache National Forest, a site where hikers can easily reach the Bonneville Shoreline Trail.
      Congress provided the appropriation and the trust handled the transfer of the property, which had belonged to private owners, said Yeates.
      "This not only secures the land for access to the Wellsville people here in the Cache Valley, but also for anyone who wants to have a wilderness experience," he said. The site will host trail heads and possibly someday campgrounds and parking facilities, he said.
      "One of the things we have really struggled for is access to the Wellsville Mountains from the west side of Cache Valley," he added.
      "You know, it is gorgeous," Yeates said of the view. The area is high, offering a spectacular vista of the valley, he added.
      Shauna Kerr, the trust's recently appointed state director for Utah and Arizona, said the site is on the southern end of Cache Valley. It is across the steep Wellsville Mountains from Brigham City and offers a way to reach the Wellsville Mountain Wilderness Area, she said.
      "This allows the public access to this wilderness area that otherwise would not be accessible," said Kerr, who grew up in Wellsville.
      Part of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail is on the property, she said. "Ultimately, there will be some opportunity for picnicking, camping" in the area, she said.
      Much of the credit for the property's acquisition goes to Bennett, according to the trust, as he has worked for more than a decade to secure federal money for the Bonneville Shoreline Trail project.
      Larry Shepherd of the senator's staff responded to a query from the Deseret Morning News by noting that last fall Bennett "was successful in securing $1.8 million in federal funding for the purchase of the Murray Farm property." The Bonneville Shoreline Trail has received over $11 million through Bennett's efforts over the years, he added.
      "Acquisition of the Murray Farm will provide public access and an extension of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail in a rapidly developing area of Cache County," says a written statement by Bennett.
      "I'm pleased to take part in this celebration and congratulate those whose vision and efforts are protecting and extending recreation opportunities along this popular trail system."