The 3 Lincoln County Commissioners, Y2 Consultants, and residents of the Stewart Trail area met on Feb 11 to discuss the details of the county’s plan for the proposed Stewart Trail development. 

Commission Chair, Robert King,stated early in the meeting that they had withdrawn the idea of an RV park as part of the plan because of obvious opposition from residents who had contacted the commissioners.  

Part of the issue, explained by Y2 consultants, is the road. The road built into the area, which rests above the Stewart Trail community on a bench, will need to match the level of development ultimately determined by the steering committee. More development will require a better road. 

If the current old building on the site is dismantled and hauled away, then there isn’t much need for a good road. If it is remodeled and will be used, then the road is a key part of that equation. 

“We just want to keep doing the things we’re doing there,” said one resident––which essentially is snowmobiling, riding horses, hiking, and hunting, so the issue came up about constructing a toilet for people using the area. One resident asked Commissioner King, “Would you want a toilet built close to your home?” King expressed he would not want one. 

In the end, the commissioners expressed they wanted to push back the timeline with the BLM a month, whittle down the list of proposals and put the newly revised proposal out for public comment again. 

One issue that needs to be addressed, according to Y2, and others in the meeting, is how to manage the build-up of dead trees and flammable underbrush that develops. 

Resident, Dave Schultz expressed after the meeting, “I’m cautiously optimistic. We made some progress through the discussion.”

Both Y2 Consultants and the commissioners emphasized the importance of residents who have opinions about the proposal, putting those specific ideas into writing and submitting them for consideration.