Dalton Banks

Local lawmakers’ attempt to steer $1.2 million of state money to a new set of bike trails east of Lovell came up just short in the Budget Session, but the project will likely get the opportunity to compete for a smaller sum.

Within the biennial budget that passed the Legislature on Monday, the House and Senate set aside $800,000 from the Wyoming tourism account to build or operate trails in the state. Seekers of the funds will need to go through an application process and match every dollar with a dollar of nonstate funds. That means some more steps are needed before the planned Cottonwood Canyon Trails System becomes a reality.

Sen. Dan Laursen, R-Powell, was able to narrowly shepherd an earmark for the Lovell area project through the Senate, where his $1.2 million budget amendment passed on a 16-15 vote. However, Rep. Dalton Banks, R-Cowley, found the going tougher in the House. His colleagues rejected the identical $1.2 million earmark by a 27-33 margin, but later voted 51-10 to set aside $400,000 for trails across the entire state with a match requirement. When negotiators from the two chambers met Friday to hash out their budget differences, they opted to meet in the middle.

‘An investment into the state’

Boosters of the Cottonwood Canyon Trails System intend to construct over 26 miles of trails for bicyclists, horse riders and hikers on Bureau of Land Management property. The system would start near the Cottonwood Creek Campground east of Bighorn Lake and about 5 miles off U.S. Highway 14A.

A total of 10 trails are planned, ranging from uphill to downhill and from beginner to advanced tracks.

Supporters promoted the new trail system as a way to tap into growing interest in nonmotorized trails.

“Outdoor recreation has a $1.1 trillion annual impact into our economy and this is seeking to build upon that — not only for the Big Horn Basin but for the state as a whole,” Banks said on the House floor. While the funding “might seem like a big ask, the way I see it is it’s an investment into the state,” he said.

Laursen predicted the bike trails will bring in a lot of tourists from around the country, along with many Wyoming cyclists.

“It will be a fantastic project,” he said in the Senate. 

Lawmakers from other parts of the state agreed.

Rep. Liz Storer, D-Jackson, said the project would yield great returns for the state. She described how amenities like trails attract new residents, who may start stores related to recreation, coffee shops, restaurants, and so on.

“That’s how these communities grow and end up employing young people in good-paying jobs that people actually want to have,” Storer said. “This is how it starts.”

An analysis conducted by the Wyoming Pathways Initiative asserted that the state’s $1.2 million investment could generate $2 million to $5 million in annual visitor spending and create 50 to 100 jobs within five years. The analysis described the Cottonwood project as “a strategic blueprint to diversify the local economy, capture a portion of the 4.7 million annual Yellowstone visitors, and provide a high-quality recreational asset for our residents.”

The Powell City Council endorsed the state funding during its Feb. 17 meeting, voting unanimously to send a letter in support of the Lovell area project.

In looking through the plans, Councilman Steve Lensegrav said it looked like a neat area where a recreationist could “kind of set your own adventure, you know, in multiple different ways.”

During the Feb. 20 floor debate, Sen. Ed Cooper, R-Ten Sleep, said the trails will come together with the area’s caves and other attractions to create a big draw for northern Big Horn County.

“It’s going to bring a lot more tourism and economic development into that area that’s quite depressed right now,” Cooper said, adding, “It’s just the right thing for that corner of the state.”

Drawing some concerns

Opponents of the funding said little during the debates in the two chambers.

However, Sen. Dan Dockstader, R-Afton, who ultimately voted no, wondered about the precedent.

“... if we do this in this area, does this open up opportunities for me to rebuild the trails in my part of the country, over on the west side of the state?” Dockstader asked rhetorically.

Meanwhile, Rep. Scott Heiner, R-Green River, complimented the project but said a statewide approach and cooperation with the federal government was needed.

“I like this idea, but it’s too small,” Heiner said before voting no on the earmark.

Another no vote, Sen. John Kolb, R-Rock Springs, expressed concern that the trails won’t be “multiple use” and questioned what efforts had already been made to raise funds at the local level.

However, the concerns raised during debate appear to have been addressed with the decision to open up the $800,000 to any trail project and to require matching funds.

Banks had noted that the Lovell community raised over $25,000 — a significant sum for the area — to help develop the plans for the Cottonwood Canyon project over the past four years. He described it as a unique effort that’s brought together multiple communities, nonprofit organizations, local governments, stakeholders and the public.

‘A pretty good stunt’

As Banks began to respond to some of the questions during the Feb. 21 debate in the House, he started trailing off and then collapsed at the podium. The episode was believed to be a case of dehydration, as Banks had battled a stomach bug earlier in the week.

“I forgot to eat my Wheaties!” Banks later joked to Cowboy State Daily and the Lovell Chronicle.

Though the incident forced Banks to miss the vote on his amendment and caused concern in the chamber — Rep. Paul Hoeft, R-Powell, led a prayer for healing — Banks was able to return to the floor later in the day.

Banks also got a bit of a do-over by getting to cast an aye vote for the amendment setting aside $400,000 for trail construction.

In bringing the proposal, Rep. John Bear, R-Gillette, said he was “showing a little heart.”

“We tried to tell him [Banks] to hit the ground running, but instead he thought we were talking about his speech, and he hit the ground during his presentation,” Bear quipped.

Numerous lawmakers who’d opposed the $1.2 million earmark for Cottonwood Canyon Trails System backed the $400,000 for trails in general — including local Reps. Hoeft, Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, R-Cody, and Nina Webber, R-Webber, and Rep. Ken Pendergraft, R-Sheridan.

In remarks on the floor, Pendergraft congratulated Banks, joking that his collapse was “a pretty good stunt.”

Lawmakers overwhelmingly passed the overall budget on Monday, sending it to Gov. Mark Gordon for his review.