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Division briefs commission on boating grant rulemaking, new TRT funding and ORI project progress
Summary
Division staff described the new Utah Boating Recreation Grant rulemaking, changes from recent bills including a transient room tax allocation to outdoor recreation grants (roughly $7 million/year), and updates on Outdoor Recreation Initiative projects and council activity; no vote was taken.
Division of Outdoor Recreation staff updated the commission on implementation steps for the Utah Boating Recreation Grant and summarized legislation and project activity affecting outdoor recreation.
Jorge Vasquez, who oversees the boating grant program, told the commission the grant was created by legislation passed in 2023 (HB 299) and that recent technical changes under 2024 watercraft amendments (SB 200) altered the uniform fee and set an effective date for the new boating grant tax in January 2026. Vasquez said the division has submitted administrative rules for the new grant and is preparing to launch the program; he described the change as revenue neutral and said the office is ready to administer the grant in the coming year.
Jason Curry provided a legislative debrief summarizing bills that affect the division and outdoor recreation stakeholders. Highlights included:
- HB 456 (transient room tax changes): added flexibility for counties to adjust TRT and enacted a statewide 0.75 percentage‑point increase distributed in thirds, with one‑third allocated to the Division of Outdoor Recreation to fund a new grant program to offset visitor impacts in rural counties. The division estimates roughly $7 million per year will flow to the new program. The law also creates a five‑member board to administer awards.
- HB 309 (wildlife management area access): restricts access to wildlife management areas to people with hunting or fishing licenses unless the wildlife board creates exceptions. Staff cautioned trail advocates to use the board’s exception process if needed.
- HB 98 (outdoor recreation liability): expanded the list of protected outdoor activities to include Via Ferrata climbing and related items.
- HB 34 (state campgrounds): authorizes processes to develop additional state campgrounds on federal land in partnership with federal land managers.
- SB 52 (vehicle registration enforcement): tightens enforcement on out‑of‑state vehicle registration practices to recover revenue for state and local sources.
Curry also noted two appropriations for the division: a roughly $21 million appropriation over two years to replace an aging shop facility and funding for a ranger residence in Flaming Gorge to address local housing challenges near remote resources.
Separately, Patrick Morrison and Carly Lynch updated the commission on Outdoor Recreation Initiative (ORI) work: most projects from last year are now under contract except for several federal partner projects; the Guacamole Mesa site will use state procurement to manage NEPA and capacity gaps; the Sherwood Hills property purchase was made public; the ORI has launched five regional councils that will vet and rank locally‑vetted projects; and the Outdoor Recreation Planning Assistance (ORPA) grant was in demand — 40 draft applications totaling about $1.6 million in requests against $1.5 million available.
Staff said they will continue to bring legislative and ORI implementation details back to the commission as rules, boards and grant scoring processes are established.
Who spoke (selected)
- Jorge Vasquez — Utah Boating Recreation Grant program lead, Division of Outdoor Recreation - Jason Curry — Director, Division of Outdoor Recreation - Patrick Morrison — Outdoor Recreation Initiative (ORI) staff - Carly Lynch — Division staff - Scott Strong — Director, Utah State Parks
Clarifying details presented
- Boating grant: statutory changes originate with HB 299 (2023) and SB 200 (2024 watercraft amendments); new structure effective Jan. 2026 according to staff. - TRT allocation: 0.75 percentage‑point statewide TRT increase; one‑third of that share directed to the Division for a visitor impact grant program (estimated ~$7,000,000/year). - Appropriations: approximately $21,000,000 over two years for a shop replacement; funding for a Flaming Gorge ranger residence for operational needs. - ORPA: 40 draft applications requesting about $1,600,000 with $1,500,000 available; scoring meeting scheduled June 5 (schedule stated in presentation).
No vote was taken on these informational items; staff were asked to report back as rulemaking and boards are stood up.
