01-04-2018, 07:06 PM
[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]It is NOT set in concrete - yet. However, the process to make it a State Park has been set in motion. Echo Resort agreed on Nov 1, 2017 to terminate their concessionaire contract early to allow the State Park process to officially begin.
There is currently an agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and the State of Utah Parks & Reclamation (P&R) to manage 11 BoR projects as State Parks. The agreement covers Deer Creek, East Canyon, Huntington North, Hyrum, Jordanelle, Red Fleet, Rockport, Scofield, Starvation, Steinaker, and Willard Bay. A new agreement is being developed to include Echo for a total of 12 BoR projects being managed by P&R.
The target date for completion of the agreement is Dec 31, 2018. After the agreement is completed and signed by all parties, THEN development of the plan to actually construct a state park at Echo will be started. I would guess that the development and actual construction to completion and official opening will take 3 or more years. A similar Federal/State/Local project – resurface of the road from I-15 to the Bear River Bird Refuge Tour loop (over 12 miles) - took over 7 years to complete.
Unless you have worked within the Federal Government and been involved in budgeting, permit requirements, and the public hearing processes (I did for 45 years), you have no idea what the process is and how painstakingly slow it can be.
In the meantime, Echo Resorts will continue to operate some, or all, of the current facilities available. For how long is anybody’s guess. Personally, I would bet that we will not see an Echo State Park for at least 5 years.
I also talked with the P&R and found out that Gov Herbert’s proposed budget for 2018 includes $10m for P&R with $2M of that total earmarked specifically for Echo. And again, that isn’t set in concrete either. Those budget amounts will have to be approved by the State Legislature which convenes later this month.
There you have it folks. You now know some factual information (as opposed to mere rumors) about Echo becoming a State Park. Stay tuned in the near further because there will be some public hearing meetings to get input from users such as fisher persons and campers. I’ll post any that I learn of so you can attend if convenient and desired.[/#][/font]
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There is currently an agreement between the Bureau of Reclamation (BoR) and the State of Utah Parks & Reclamation (P&R) to manage 11 BoR projects as State Parks. The agreement covers Deer Creek, East Canyon, Huntington North, Hyrum, Jordanelle, Red Fleet, Rockport, Scofield, Starvation, Steinaker, and Willard Bay. A new agreement is being developed to include Echo for a total of 12 BoR projects being managed by P&R.
The target date for completion of the agreement is Dec 31, 2018. After the agreement is completed and signed by all parties, THEN development of the plan to actually construct a state park at Echo will be started. I would guess that the development and actual construction to completion and official opening will take 3 or more years. A similar Federal/State/Local project – resurface of the road from I-15 to the Bear River Bird Refuge Tour loop (over 12 miles) - took over 7 years to complete.
Unless you have worked within the Federal Government and been involved in budgeting, permit requirements, and the public hearing processes (I did for 45 years), you have no idea what the process is and how painstakingly slow it can be.
In the meantime, Echo Resorts will continue to operate some, or all, of the current facilities available. For how long is anybody’s guess. Personally, I would bet that we will not see an Echo State Park for at least 5 years.
I also talked with the P&R and found out that Gov Herbert’s proposed budget for 2018 includes $10m for P&R with $2M of that total earmarked specifically for Echo. And again, that isn’t set in concrete either. Those budget amounts will have to be approved by the State Legislature which convenes later this month.
There you have it folks. You now know some factual information (as opposed to mere rumors) about Echo becoming a State Park. Stay tuned in the near further because there will be some public hearing meetings to get input from users such as fisher persons and campers. I’ll post any that I learn of so you can attend if convenient and desired.[/#][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 81 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
I'm 81 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
