Kane road battle turns into fight over records

When the president of a taxpayer group asked for records concerning how much Kane County has spent in seven years on its battle with the federal government over ownership of roads on public lands, he couldn't believe the answer. "They told us it would cost $27,000 and take a few years to get," said Sky Chaney, who heads the 400-member Taxpayer Association of Kane County. "This is ridiculous." For nearly a decade, the Kane County Commission has battled the Bureau of Land Management in federal court over ownership of roads lacing the redrock country of southern Utah. The county has mostly been on the losing end of court rulings, including appeals, except for the latest challenge. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals initially ruled against the county, but has now decided to rehear several issues. That case centers on the removal of 31 BLM road closure signs on hundreds of roads in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in 2003. The court has asked lawyers to file briefs on several issues. Chaney's group wants to know the total amount spent not only on the legal maneuvering, but on activities like those in the 2003 case, when the county replaced the removed signs with new ones...more