Fremont County, BLM disagree on St. Anthony dune management
Source:
http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/article_4049f49e-3d38-11df-acfc-001cc4c03286.html
ST. ANTHONY - Who should pay for law enforcement and medical emergency response costs at the federally managed St. Anthony Sand Dunes in Fremont County?
That's a question that will likely be posed next week to Bureau of Land Management officials as a couple of Fremont County departments struggle with funding and staffing to cover the dunes, which produce a high percentage of serious accidents each summer.
At a meeting Monday, St. Anthony emergency medical technicians, county Emergency Medical Services Director Bob Foster, Sheriff Len Humphries, Chief Deputy Kurt Hillman and Deputy Joe Manley met with the County Commission to discuss issues related to the sand rail that's used for law enforcement patrol and medical emergencies at the dunes.
That discussion quickly turned to how emergency services are covered and paid for at the popular but occasionally dangerous dunes.
The sand rail was missing from its usual winter parking spot when Manley planned to get it ready for the upcoming recreation season at the dunes, and when it was located it had been modified by the EMS. The sheriff hadn't been consulted about the modifications. He said he didn't like them and didn't like not being consulted before they were made.
The sheriff had a copy of a memorandum of understanding made when the sand rail was funded and put into service in 2006. The agreement stipulated that the sand rail was owned by the sheriff's office and would be used and maintained mutually by the two emergency providers.
EMS Director Foster apologized for the modifications and promised they could be reversed. He and the sheriff agreed to work out the sand rail issues. There is some question about whether the MOU was signed by all of the parties, and Prosecuting Attorney Joette Lookabaugh, after a quick review of a copy of it, recommended a new, more specific agreement be drawn up regardless.
While the sand rail issues may be relatively easily solved through discussions, the commissioners, Foster and Humphries continue to be concerned about how to adequately provide medical and law enforcement services at the dunes with reductions in staffing and financial support from the BLM.
"Our biggest challenge is support from the BLM," Foster said. The agency's continued funding for the EMS program, which comes in grants, is in question.
Sheriff Humphries says he was informed in a recent meeting with the BLM that the agency would not be providing staff to patrol the dunes at the same level as in the past. And he also plans to cut back on the patrol time at the dunes.
Foster is concerned about the lack of a trained and experienced driver being available to drive injured patients from the scene of an accident on the dunes back to the ambulance. All of the county deputies are trained to drive the rail and will have refresher training this spring.
Two of the EMTs are trained to drive the rail, but as volunteers, their availability is uncertain.
The county's relationship with the BLM has been mixed concerning funding. And the county has proposed the use of a fee system to charge dune users. But talks with the BLM have not been successful because of a difference of opinion over who would get which share of the fee revenue.
Commission Chairman Paul Romrell said when the discussion about who should pay for emergency services - and even garbage fees - at the dunes comes up, the BLM's argument for not paying the fees or contributing more is that the county receives Payments in Lieu of Taxes from the agency, which could be used to pay some of the costs in question.
The county received $1.2 million in PILT funding last year. But the county has generally chosen to use the money for one-time projects rather than to cover day-to-day costs.
"There needs to be parity," Commissioner Skip Hurt said concerning sharing the costs of policing and providing emergency services.
"This is a BLM recreation area," Foster said. "I'm not sure but what they are abdicating their responsibilities. If a person gets injured on the BLM dunes, why are we putting our guys at risk?"
Humphries said he had talked to Utah officers at a recent meeting who told him a BLM dunes area "Little Sahara" received twice the BLM financial support than Fremont County receives.
If BLM officials accept the county's invitation to meet with the commission Monday, the officials may have a chance to air their concerns directly.
St. Anthony Sand Dunes
http://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/article_4049f49e-3d38-11df-acfc-001cc4c03286.html
ST. ANTHONY - Who should pay for law enforcement and medical emergency response costs at the federally managed St. Anthony Sand Dunes in Fremont County?
That's a question that will likely be posed next week to Bureau of Land Management officials as a couple of Fremont County departments struggle with funding and staffing to cover the dunes, which produce a high percentage of serious accidents each summer.
At a meeting Monday, St. Anthony emergency medical technicians, county Emergency Medical Services Director Bob Foster, Sheriff Len Humphries, Chief Deputy Kurt Hillman and Deputy Joe Manley met with the County Commission to discuss issues related to the sand rail that's used for law enforcement patrol and medical emergencies at the dunes.
That discussion quickly turned to how emergency services are covered and paid for at the popular but occasionally dangerous dunes.
The sand rail was missing from its usual winter parking spot when Manley planned to get it ready for the upcoming recreation season at the dunes, and when it was located it had been modified by the EMS. The sheriff hadn't been consulted about the modifications. He said he didn't like them and didn't like not being consulted before they were made.
The sheriff had a copy of a memorandum of understanding made when the sand rail was funded and put into service in 2006. The agreement stipulated that the sand rail was owned by the sheriff's office and would be used and maintained mutually by the two emergency providers.
EMS Director Foster apologized for the modifications and promised they could be reversed. He and the sheriff agreed to work out the sand rail issues. There is some question about whether the MOU was signed by all of the parties, and Prosecuting Attorney Joette Lookabaugh, after a quick review of a copy of it, recommended a new, more specific agreement be drawn up regardless.
While the sand rail issues may be relatively easily solved through discussions, the commissioners, Foster and Humphries continue to be concerned about how to adequately provide medical and law enforcement services at the dunes with reductions in staffing and financial support from the BLM.
"Our biggest challenge is support from the BLM," Foster said. The agency's continued funding for the EMS program, which comes in grants, is in question.
Sheriff Humphries says he was informed in a recent meeting with the BLM that the agency would not be providing staff to patrol the dunes at the same level as in the past. And he also plans to cut back on the patrol time at the dunes.
Foster is concerned about the lack of a trained and experienced driver being available to drive injured patients from the scene of an accident on the dunes back to the ambulance. All of the county deputies are trained to drive the rail and will have refresher training this spring.
Two of the EMTs are trained to drive the rail, but as volunteers, their availability is uncertain.
The county's relationship with the BLM has been mixed concerning funding. And the county has proposed the use of a fee system to charge dune users. But talks with the BLM have not been successful because of a difference of opinion over who would get which share of the fee revenue.
Commission Chairman Paul Romrell said when the discussion about who should pay for emergency services - and even garbage fees - at the dunes comes up, the BLM's argument for not paying the fees or contributing more is that the county receives Payments in Lieu of Taxes from the agency, which could be used to pay some of the costs in question.
The county received $1.2 million in PILT funding last year. But the county has generally chosen to use the money for one-time projects rather than to cover day-to-day costs.
"There needs to be parity," Commissioner Skip Hurt said concerning sharing the costs of policing and providing emergency services.
"This is a BLM recreation area," Foster said. "I'm not sure but what they are abdicating their responsibilities. If a person gets injured on the BLM dunes, why are we putting our guys at risk?"
Humphries said he had talked to Utah officers at a recent meeting who told him a BLM dunes area "Little Sahara" received twice the BLM financial support than Fremont County receives.
If BLM officials accept the county's invitation to meet with the commission Monday, the officials may have a chance to air their concerns directly.
St. Anthony Sand Dunes
posted by Crowdog at
10:09 PM
<< Home