The Grand County Commission on Nov. 18 voted to endorse an 'Access and Capacity Enhancement' (ACE) alternative to present to the state of Utah and the U.S. Department of the Interior as the county’s proposed option for Arches National Park visitor use management.

Background and purpose: Commissioner Brian Martinez, who drafted the ACE outline after extended local engagement, said the county was invited by the state to propose alternatives for Arches as part of a renewed visitor‑use process. The ACE alternative urges consideration of adaptive management, improved trail connectivity, redesigned parking and traffic flow at major Arches trailheads, and the use of a statewide visitor‑information app developed with Southern Utah University that would show real‑time conditions across Utah parks.

Commission discussion: Supporters said the ACE alternative provides the park service with additional locally informed options and modernizes planning language that dates to 1989. Critics on the commission called for broader stakeholder engagement and warned that some ACE elements could amount to increased access without clear mitigation for resource impacts; they urged the park‑level environmental assessment process (NEPA) to fully analyze impacts.

Decision: The commission voted to endorse ACE and authorized Commissioners Martinez and Hedeen to present the alternative at upcoming interagency meetings with the state and Department of the Interior. Commissioners stressed that endorsement is a county proposal for inclusion in the park’s public planning process — not a county‑imposed plan — and that further NEPA reviews would determine implementation of any ideas.

Next steps: Commissioners Martinez and Hedeen will participate in the interagency meeting on Dec. 1; the county’s submission will be part of the record to inform public outreach and NEPA work the park service undertakes.