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Water cascades down the lower falls of Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale, Daily Herald file photo

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Water cascades down Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald file photo

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Water cascades down Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020. Isaac Hale, Daily Herald

Isaac Hale Daily Herald

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With the Utah State Legislature considering making Bridal Veil Falls a state monument, one Utah County commissioner suggested that the county pull back some of the approximately $1.5 million already set aside by the county for improvements at the falls.

The commission approved about $1 million for Bridal Veil Falls safety and trail upgrades in November 2019. In December 2020, the commission approved an additional $500,000 for the falls, in addition to approving a conservation easement between the county and Utah Open Lands.

The county has yet to spend the majority of that money, according to Commissioner Tanner Ainge.

During a commission meeting on Tuesday, Commissioner Tom Sakievich, who took office in January, suggested that the county hold back on allocating the already approved $500,000 “until we hear the results of the monument designation first,” noting additional money will likely be allocated to the falls through grants and state funding matches.

“I was thinking that perhaps the current commission could perhaps reverse itself on some of that based on the new information that we now have before us,” Sakievich said, adding that “my recommendation is not to spend the taxpayer dollars too soon to allow us to see what comes from the state first.”

The suggestion came during a discussion about a concurrent resolution sponsored by Rep. Keven Stratton, R-Orem, that would encourage the Utah Division of Parks and Recreation to “evaluate options for designating the Bridal Veil Falls area a state monument or state park” and recognizing “the beauty of the Bridal Veil Falls area and its use by thousands of visitors for sightseeing and recreation.”

Commissioner Bill Lee put forward a resolution to voice the county’s support for “going through the process regarding the potential nomination of the Bridal Veil Falls Properties as a Utah State Monument.”

Ainge said he supported the main intent of the resolution but was “not comfortable moving forward with this if the message from the commission to (the Utah County) Public Works (Department) on this is that we’re putting the brakes on the existing plans until we hear back from the state.”

Ainge added that the state monument designation “was meant to build upon” what was already allocated by the county and said the commission “can’t reverse ourselves” on something already approved by a previous commission.

“I fundamentally disagree with that approach,” he said.

The non-binding resolution passed 2-1 on Tuesday, with Ainge voting against it.