An attempt by a Georgia-based developer to build a private fishing lodge near the Little Hole fishing area on the Green River east of Flaming Gorge Reservoir may have hit a roadblock.
The development company, Flint Timber, wants to lease a 365-acre parcel from the state's School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA) near Red Canyon across the river from Little Hole and build a lodge, restaurant and 10 cabins.
But the State Division of Wildlife Resources stated in a July 18 letter to SITLA that it would not allow a road to pass through DWR land to the proposed lodge site. So the future of the proposed lodge is unclear.
Plans for the lodge have prompted protests from the DWR, fishermen and environmentalists.
SITLA had previously claimed it had a right of access to a DWR road. The road on the DWR land near Little Hole ends several hundred yards from the parcel the developer wants.
In the letter, the DWR refuted SITLA's access claim. The wildlife division said that expanding the road would require it to run through lands given to DWR by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation as mitigation for the wildlife habitat lost in the construction of the reservoir, which would violate the deed on the land.
"It quite clearly ties our hands," said Bill James, energy-development coordinator for the DWR.
Even if the land weren't restricted, James said his division is reluctant to see the land developed for a lodge. "The property we own is a high-value wildlife habitat, and we want to protect that," he said.
The DWR has offered to buy the parcel from SITLA or trade other land for it. James said this week that SITLA officials had told him they would not accept the offer.
However, Kevin Carter, director of SITLA, said SITLA never turned down DWR's offer. He refused to comment on the letter from the DWR about the road access.
As for the DWR's lease proposal, he said, "we're evaluating (the DWR's) bid, along with the others."
He said SITLA will likely reach a decision next week on leasing the parcel.
E-mail: dgardiner@desnews.com