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Grand County Active Transportation & Trails presents annual workplan: trail builds, ambassadors and a $4M budget
Summary
The county's GCAT director reported a multi‑million dollar FY25 program including construction projects, a national award for the Trail Ambassador program and an upcoming Mud Springs trail phase that will be federally and state funded.
Grand County Active Transportation & Trails (GCAT) Director Maddie Lagowitz delivered a 2025 annual report to the commission, outlining trail construction, maintenance, volunteer engagement and the county’s Responsible Recreation (Trail Ambassador) program.
Lagowitz said the department’s overall budget exceeds $4 million, but that the majority is concentrated in one UDOT‑funded pathway project (Spanish Valley Drive). Without that single project, the department’s routine operations are funded through a mix of tax revenue, grants and interest. She highlighted three near‑term construction projects: Falcon Climb trail (linking San Flats Recreation Area and Falcon Flow), a Brands (Bar M) connectivity project to improve trail flow and the Mud Springs trail system in San Juan County (phase 1: about 11 miles of trail, construction window Aug. 1–Nov. 14 due to wildlife season constraints).
Lagowitz detailed GCAT’s trail crew work (intensive maintenance on Horse Thief, Pipe Dream post‑flood repairs), volunteer programs (Trail Work Wednesdays, Adopt‑a‑Trail, Spring Spruce event) and the department’s reliance on volunteers (valued as in‑kind match in grant proposals). She also described two recognition awards: a national American Trails award and a citation from the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation for the Trail Ambassador program.
On the Responsible Recreation program, Lagowitz explained the program’s tripartite goals: visitor safety and experience; resource protection; and reducing user conflict. The Trail Ambassador program operates non‑motorized and motorized ambassador teams, sells WAG bags to reduce human waste on trails and measures impact by local indicators (WAG bag sales, posters distributed to businesses, and weight of human waste removed by the solid waste district — she cited roughly 8.5 tons in 2023 and 17 tons in 2024).
Why it matters: GCAT oversees crucial trail infrastructure that supports recreation and the local economy; the Mud Springs phase and Brands projects represent near‑term construction that will affect access and visitor flow. The Trail Ambassador program targets preventable search‑and‑rescue calls, resource damage and negative visitor experiences.
What’s next: Lagowitz said a non‑motorized trail master plan update (UDOT‑funded $90,000, plus $30,000 city match) is underway with stakeholder interviews and an online survey; commissioners were invited to a stakeholder meeting. She also said the department would present a grant renewal request (motorized ambassador positions) in July.
