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BLM seeks state backing for Moab pathway, Bears Ears trailhead, campgrounds and trail systems
Summary
The Bureau of Land Management told the commission it has five priority recreation projects across Utah — a missing 0.6‑mile segment of the Moab Colorado River Pathway, Bears Ears House on Fire trailhead relocation, McCoy Flats campground, Calf Creek improvements and Iron County mountain‑bike expansions — and asked for state assistance to move each to construction.
Evan Glenn, who oversees recreation for BLM Utah, presented five priority projects for possible commission funding and partnership. Glenn said outreach to field offices produced a short list of 45 projects and about $44,000,000 in unmet needs; he asked the commission to consider direct state assistance to help obligate contracts and to leverage federal funds.
Among the projects Glenn highlighted:
- Colorado River Pathway (Moab): Two and a half miles of paved pathway exist, but a middle 0.6‑mile segment is incomplete and requires complex cantilevered engineering. Glenn said that half‑mile would cost roughly $5,000,000 and the full system could reach ~$15,000,000 by completion. "This half mile is gonna cost $5,000,000... it's the reason that it was left to last because it's the engineering needs," he said.
- House on Fire (Bears Ears, San Juan County): The trailhead sits in a wilderness study area and must be relocated to provide an actual parking lot (about 30 spaces), an access route and better EMS access. Glenn said NEPA should be complete soon; total project cost was estimated at ~$330,000 with a BLM request of ~$230,000 for materials.
- McCoy Flats (Vernal): A congressionally designated trail system with increasing visitation; BLM proposed building one or more formal campgrounds (NEPA underway) with an estimated $1.5 million project cost and roughly $1,000,000 requested for materials to get construction started.
- Calf Creek (Grand Staircase‑Escalante): An iconic site with constrained parking and serious traffic issues on Highway 12; Glenn said phase‑2 improvements (parking reconfiguration, paving, low water crossing) are estimated at ~$5.5 million, with a state request of ~$3.3 million and remaining funds from federal sources including the Great American Outdoors Act.
- Iron County / Cedar City mountain bike trails: Community‑built, nationally recognized trails that can expand by 10–20 miles; Glenn said projects are shovel‑ready, NEPA complete, and BLM seeks roughly $500,000 to leverage existing funds and contracts.
Commissioners asked about user counts, fee retention and grant match sources. Glenn said BLM collects site fees that are typically used near the collecting site but that larger projects rely on multiple partners and grants (including GOA and state grants). For projects with mixed funding, Glenn committed to follow up with precise federal/state funding breakdowns where requested.
Next steps: commissioners will receive project packets ahead of the January meeting and decide funding recommendations; BLM said they can phase components to fit available funds.
