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Committee advances HB 439 to help small counties with OHV trail projects
Summary
The interim committee voted to pass HB 439, a first-substitute bill that adjusts grant eligibility to help smaller counties and nonprofits complete off‑highway vehicle (OHV) recreation projects that require local matching funds.
The Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Interim Committee on June 12 voted to pass HB 439, the first substitute of the outdoor recreation revisions bill, with a favorable recommendation.
The bill revises grant eligibility and matching‑fund provisions for OHV (off‑highway vehicle) recreation projects to allow small counties and certain nonprofits to apply and complete projects that previously were unreachable because of a 25% upfront local match requirement. Representative Chu, the bill sponsor, described the change as a way to let counties and nonprofits apply and finish projects instead of being unable to apply because they “can't even finalize the contract with the final 25%,” citing Paiute County as an example of one that lacks the local funds.
Committee members who spoke in favor said the change targets counties with limited budgets and helps maintain and improve trails that receive significant use. One committee member noted that small counties sometimes spend scarce resources on essential equipment repairs — for example, replacing a grader tire — instead of moving forward on trail projects, and said the bill would help in those cases.
Public comment on the bill was limited. The committee chair closed the public comment period after confirming there were no online speakers, and members unanimously approved moving the first substitute forward.
The committee's action sends the first substitute of HB 439 forward with a recommendation that the full Legislature consider the revised matching and eligibility provisions when the bill is scheduled.
The committee did not discuss additional funding amounts or detailed implementation steps during the recorded discussion.
