Proposed bill would give billboard companies a seat in scenic byway program committee
A proposed bill to extend Utah’s scenic byway program would give billboard companies a spot on the program's committee.
S.B. 28, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Harper (R-Taylorsville), involves a few changes to the Utah State Scenic Byway Program. One of the provisions would add a billboard company representative to the committee that oversees new scenic byway proposals.
At the same time, the bill would remove appointments made by the sitting governor as well as requirements to include representatives from several groups, including the Utah Division of State Parks and Bureau of Land Management.
Proponents of the bill claim they want a representative sample of those impacted by scenic byway requests. Critics claim the provision is yielding to monied interests rather than the will of the majority.
Snowmobilers rescue man trapped in avalanche
A man in American Fork was rescued after getting stuck in an avalanche over the weekend.
Robert Tillotson was snowmobiling in American Fork Canyon on Saturday when an avalanche was triggered, trapping him under three feet of snow for nearly 15 minutes.
Other snowmobilers in the area heard he was stuck and used the beacon and search setting on their snowmobiles to track him down. Using snow shovels, the snowmobilers were able to slowly dig Tillotson out from the snow to safety.
New snowpack from weekend storms have increased the risk of avalanches in Utah. The Utah Avalanche Center recommends being on or beneath steep terrain of all elevations in areas with high avalanche danger.
