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Volunteers and agencies set spring trail work, Mecca bike festival moves forward
Summary
Volunteer trail workdays are planned across Emery County, including an April 10 hand-work project and May festival-related trail maintenance. BLM and local groups said equipment and ranger support will be limited this season due to hiring freezes, increasing reliance on volunteers.
Volunteers, local recreation groups and federal land staff outlined a spring calendar of trail maintenance and festival support at an Emery County travel-and-trails meeting. Organizers set an April 10 volunteer workday on Ascot Side, asking participants to meet at 9:30 a.m. at the Johansen Corral and to bring gloves and hand tools, and they confirmed a May 2 workday tied to the Mecca bike festival.
“I'm Brett White. I run the small engine shop here in town,” said Brett White while introducing himself and explaining he will represent dirt‑bike and aviation trail interests. Organizers said the April 10 project will be done by hand (no heavy equipment), with shovels, rakes and Pulaskis recommended.
BLM staff signaled volunteers will be more important this year. “However, we do have the hiring freeze, which is impacting us pretty heavily,” said Jayden, a BLM staff member who delivered the office update. Jayden said several seasonal and maintenance positions remain vacant and that river and recreation programs will run with fewer staff than in past years.
Speakers also described recent completed projects to illustrate expected work: a Buckmaster trail project highlighted rocks and boulder removal to reopen a long-closed route, and the Price River Road culvert replacement and dozer repairs were noted as recently completed. Volunteers recounted a hand-repair of the Mexican Mountain Airstrip, carried out with shovels, rakes and tampers after washout, with several people hiking in to complete the work.
Organizers warned they will need RSVPs for some events because of volunteer meal planning and limited staffing. For the Mecca festival and its associated trail work, volunteers will meet at Cup of Joe's at 10 a.m., with festival registration slated to open at 1 p.m.
The meeting closed with reminders about upcoming field days and offers to share photos and mapping links from recent projects. The committee also confirmed the approved minutes from the Feb. 4 meeting and formally adjourned at the end of the session.
