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Commissioners approve application for OHV trail-maintenance grant to buy small dozer
Summary
Millard County commissioners approved applying for and accepting a Division of Outdoor Recreation OHV grant to purchase a small trail dozer, trailer and hand tools to speed repairs on OHV trails; county match required is 25% and the purchase would support safety and surge maintenance needs.
Millard County commissioners voted to approve applying for and accepting an Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail-maintenance grant from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation to buy a small trail dozer, a tilt-deck trailer and related hand equipment.
The grant application requests $169,850. The county would provide a 25% match, listed in the packet as $47,433, which the presenter said could fall to just under $40,000 if contingency costs are excluded. The grant period is two years, the presenter said, and the county would purchase the equipment and use it for multiple projects during that time.
The county’s proposal includes letters of support from the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, the county road department, the Sandrock Ridge Riders and the county jamboree. County staff said federal land managers have moved to a longer grading rotation and are constrained by manpower, leaving many trails unrepaired until problems grow severe.
Proponents said the selected dozer is about 48 inches wide, allowing work on 50-inch trails commonly found on federal lands; the package also budgets donated volunteer hours from Sandrock Ridge Riders and seasonal county labor. Supporters cited recent incidents including vehicles rolling when deep ruts and washouts went unrepaired and noted tourism and safety reasons for quicker repairs.
Commissioners discussed alternatives including contracting for work, using road department equipment, and long-term maintenance and storage costs. Concerns included truck availability, certified drivers, maintenance responsibility and whether demand is consistent enough to justify county ownership. Supporters argued a county-owned piece could also aid search-and-rescue and emergency responses.
A motion to approve the application and accept the grant passed with a voice vote. The motion did not specify a departmental custodian in the packet; staff said they would work with Human Resources to create a seasonal position to operate the equipment and train successors.
If awarded, project funds would cover the trail dozer, a tilt-deck trailer, miscellaneous hand tools, a contingency line (about 10% in the budget), and seasonal labor. Staff noted tariffs and market changes could affect final cost and that some contingency might not be required. The presenter said the county expects routine maintenance costs and that the grant is intended to address safety and shortfall in federal maintenance capacity.
