Littering prompts county

to put gates on roads

By Robert Stevens

Managing editor

Jan. 25, 2018

EPHRAIM—Residents driving on two county roads west of Ephraim may run into some gates after the Sanpete County Commission gave a private land owner permission to shut them.

Kevin Christensen, director of Sanpete County Economic Development, said the commission gave Tom Lund of Ephraim the go-ahead to close gates on the public access roads to Dry Canyon and Ax Handle Canyon, which both cross his private land then lead to public land in the San Pitch Mountains.

Christensen said Lund’s reasoning for the request was littering on his land from people who used the roads to access the canyons.

“The public needs to know what happened. Otherwise there may be a lot of people upset when they see the gates,” Christensen said. “The sign is to notify people that they can still use the road, but they need to close the gate and respect the private property.”

The gate-closure agreement between the commission and Lund includes the installation of a sign on the gates to inform the public that the road is a public road despite the closed gates.

“When the people use these roads they need to be respectful of personal property rights by not leaving the road, not littering and by closing the gate,” Christensen said. “Respected access is open access.”

The gates will remain closed but unlocked.