Public Access to Snow Canyon State Park, February 2012

This is from an article I submitted to the Spectrum Newspaper in February of 2012. Snow Canyon is a beautiful and important part of community, but I’m concerned about the access restrictions and fees limit the publics’ use and enjoyment of our park. The fees and regulations applied to the park don’t necessarily reflect the way our community views and would like to use the park. It is my desire to achieve a balance that preserves the pristine nature of the park and gives access to the people who actually own this crown jewel. Concern about the public's access to Snow Canyon State Park has created enough public interest that I have asked a group to join me in reviewing this situation. The committee includes: park manager Kristen Comella, Assistant Region Manager Lawrence Twitchell, Deputy Director Tim Smith, St. George Mayor Dan McArthur, Ivins Mayor Kris Hart, and Washington County Commissioner Alan Gardner. We need to address reasonable user fees and reconcile them with the use of the park and park facilities. Restrictions to some areas and fees to simply pass through the park are at the top of my list of concerns. The Desert Tortoise Preserve in Washington County and within the boundaries of Snow County State Park does complicate the mission and use of the area, however it is limited in total acreage compared to the overall size, therefore we will work through those issues to improve the peoples access The reality is that this is a very well loved State Parks with a high user rate, but that doesn’t mean we need to drive people away with restricted access and high fees. If we are unable to come up with a satisfactory management plan for Snow Canyon, I am prepared to propose legislation that would move management of the park to a joint management system that includes Washington County, Ivins and St. George City. Together these entities have parks departments and law enforcement personnel necessary to manage this area without adding unnecessary costs to local governments. I believe it might be best if this park is placed under local control so that the needs of the community are met. Government is always better when it is closer to the people. I believe local governance of this park will better serve the people of Southern Utah by ensuring our access to the park are not overlooked in a broader State Park management system. The role this park plays in our community it too important to have our access limited.