About

About the Coalition

The Coalition is a public interlocal entity, allowing its members to build essential regional infrastructure elements that span across county lines.

The Coalition’s main roles are to identify revenue-producing infrastructure projects that will benefit the region. Its mission is to evaluate the needs, plan the new infrastructure, procure funding, permit, design, secure rights-of-way and even own such facilities. Operation and maintenance of these assets will likely be outsourced to third parties. It is contemplated that arrangements with private sector partners will be made to share risks and bring specialized expertise to proposed projects.

Each of the member counties are located in resource rich Eastern Utah. Coming together as a Coalition gives the counties economic and political strength and accommodates opportunities to cross traditional boundaries. There are challenges that will impact the implementation of vital regional infrastructure projects in the future.

These challenges include:

  • Limited transportation connectivity
  • Environmental issues, such as:
    • National parks
    • National Monuments
    • Streams, lakes and other wetlands
    • Cultural resources
    • Protected wildlife areas
  • Topographic constraints, including:
    • Steep grades
    • Impassable mountain ranges
    • Deep canyons and other difficult terrain features
    • Long distances between resources
  • Political differences
  • Market volatility
  • Public safety
  • Public opinion

Potential projects may include but are not limited to:

  • Roads and highways
  • Railroad spurs
  • Dry bulk terminals
  • Pipelines
  • Electric transmission and distribution lines
  • Airports
  • Water resource improvements
  • Telecommunications and fiber optics

New infrastructure projects will produce major economic benefits for the citizens of the region. It is anticipated that the Coalition’s shared revenues will add significantly to the quality of life in these Eastern Utah communities. Over time, the Coalition’s portfolio of revenue-producing and other projects is expected grow, producing consistent revenue to its members. Proper and efficient utilization of natural resources is an important driver of the quality of life in Utah and beyond.