Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Consultants outline statewide recreation participation study and five pilot sites
Summary
Consultants for the Outdoor Adventure Commission described a statewide recreation participation trend study that will standardize measurements across agencies, test five pilot sites from late May through fall 2026, and pair counts, mobile location data and on‑site surveys to inform planning and funding decisions.
Consultants Jeremy Sage and Jake Jorgensen told the Outdoor Adventure Commission that a new statewide recreation participation study will produce standardized measures to compare activity, seasonality and volume of use across Utah.
The study aims to integrate existing administrative counts (trail counters, parking counts, boat ramp counters), observational data and pilot collection methods to fill current measurement gaps, Sage said. "We are charged with trying to understand, and the goal was to really understand how vital outdoor recreation is to the Utah economy," he added.
Why it matters: Division staff and land managers use inconsistent counting methods, making cross‑agency comparisons difficult. The consultants said a central Utah recreation data repository and consistent definitions will let decision‑makers compare ‘apples to apples’ across national parks, Forest Service, BLM, state parks and local systems and better target funding and operations.
What they will do: The consultants described a multi‑method pilot approach. Mobile location data (anonymous cell‑phone traces) will show where visitors come from and where congestion occurs; intercept on‑site surveys (roughly 10 days per site) will capture what visitors do and how they experience a site; and existing counters and permit data will provide historical and administrative context. The team will also run a panel online survey of Utah residents and recent visitors to capture broader behavioral patterns.
Pilot sites and timing: The team identified five pilot sites to test methods across a range of settings: Valley of the Gods (motorized, remote), Sand Hollow Reservoir (high‑demand water use), Holden Rock Road (mixed use), Provence Trail System (non‑motorized destination biking) and the Guards and Pass Recreation Area (Central Wasatch, high demand). Field work begins in late May and continues through fall 2026.
Commission questions: Commissioners asked whether the dataset can support forecasting and how the team will measure spillover when a site is crowded. Jorgensen said the standardized, reproducible framework is intended to enable forward‑looking analysis and to quantify displacement and spillover to neighboring sites. Commissioner Taylor asked about Hole In The Rock Road data collection; Jorgensen described on‑site surveyors using tablets, roaming teams at congregation points and QR codes for remote visitors, with cell‑phone data filling seasonal gaps.
Next steps: The consultants will run the five pilots this summer and fall, analyze how to align disparate administrative datasets, and report back to the commission with recommendations for a statewide measurement framework.
