Carly Lanter, trails and planning program director, and Patrick Parcel, statewide trails program manager, briefed the commission Oct. 23 on multiple division-managed projects.

Lanter described work to initiate a statewide outdoor recreation participation study (funded previously at $200,000) and the Central Region long-range recreation plan (contracted with SC Group). She updated commissioners on several on-the-ground projects: the North Wash Boat Ramp (a Cataract Canyon takeout used by commercial guides and outfitters) is under contract selection but engineers now estimate the contractor will need roughly $150,000 more than commission-supported funding; staff plan to present that request at the next meeting. Lanter said jurisdictional differences between National Park Service units (Canyonlands and Glen Canyon) and federal staffing levels have delayed the project.

Patrick Parcel reviewed the High Desert Trail project and said the trail's intent is to stitch existing roads and routes into a continuous 700+ mile through route on the western edge of Utah to support rural economies and recreation access. Parcel said the project requires no land acquisition, that tribal consultation is underway, and that the division is preparing an environmental assessment (NEPA) with contractor SWCA along with a comprehensive signage and wayfinding plan and partner memorandum of understanding. Parcel said the trail is usable now by knowledgeable users but formal designation, signage and route finding will reduce user confusion and likely reduce search-and-rescue calls in remote areas.

Lanter also updated the commission on the 5 Mile staging-area project (Tooele County/BLM) and Guacamole Mesa (Washington County). Both projects have contractors selected but were paused because of the federal government shutdown; staff will resume procurement once federal partners are available. For Guacamole Mesa, Lanter said environmental compliance and agreements with adjacent private landowners are part of the work to manage user-created, spider-web trail networks.

The commission asked about grazing allotments and gates along the High Desert Trail; Parcel said he expects to avoid gates where possible, will identify cattle guards that need repair, and will add etiquette information to wayfinding materials so users reduce impacts on working lands.

Provenance: Carly Lanter (participation study, Central Region, project updates) and Patrick Parcel (High Desert Trail) presentations (transcript tc 13:18'--56:00).