U.S. acknowledges 4 additional R.S. 2477 highway rights-of-way in Kane County lawsuit

PRESS RELEASE

Kane County Commission  

Douglas K. Heaton, Daniel W. Hulet, Mark W. Habbeshaw

                             

September 14, 2010

The United States acknowledged four more R.S. 2477 rights-of-way in a Kane County and State of Utah quiet title suit filed in U.S. District Court.  The Sand Dunes, Hancock, Mill Creek and Bald Knoll roads join the recently acknowledged Skutumpah road as public highways under County jurisdiction as they cross federally managed lands. 

These five roads, totaling approximately seventy-five (75) miles, provide public access to communities, private property, grazing allotments, mineral resources, and to numerous scenic locations including the Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park.  The County now has the requisite authority to repair the roads to correct public safety hazards and will maintain and sign the roads consistent with County and State highway standards.

The full scope of the rights-of-way, along with the validity of seven other roads in the lawsuit, will be determined by the U.S. District Court.  Kane County remains hopeful that with further court guidance, the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management will be able to acknowledge the public’s highway rights across federally managed lands without the tremendous cost and delay of litigation.