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Emery County Travel Board approves leadership, schedule and multiple local tourism funding items
Summary
At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Emery County Travel Board elected its 2026 leaders, moved monthly meetings to 1 p.m., and approved several funding and grant actions — including I‑70 signage, a Green River veterans memorial supplement, SLOREX booth fees, and applications to fund trails signage crews and equipment.
The Emery County Travel Board on Feb. 6 elected its 2026 leaders, approved a new monthly schedule and ratified a series of funding and grant applications intended to support local tourism and trail maintenance.
Keven Jensen nominated Danny VanWagner as chair; the board approved the nomination. VanWagner then nominated Travis Bacon as vice chair, and that nomination also passed. AnnDee Mead had explained that the board votes annually for chair and vice chair.
Members voted to move regular meetings to 1:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of each month, with the board planning to skip the August meeting and the December meeting unless needed. Keven Jensen made the motion to adopt the schedule; Lacy Hardman seconded and the measure passed.
The board ratified $900 for booth and advertising space at SLOREX, a tourism tradeshow that representatives from Big Mountain Lodge and The Swell Retreat will attend (motion by Travis Bacon, seconded by Keven Jensen).
Several local project payments and allocations were approved. Lacy Hardman moved and Larry Johansen seconded approval of $2,345.28 to support new signage on I‑70 exits for the Wild Horse Station and other participating businesses; the motion passed. The board also approved a $3,500 supplement to help replace the Green River Veterans Memorial sign after the museum reported the project’s replacement cost had been quoted at $13,000 (originally quoted at $6,200); the motion was made by Larry Johansen and seconded by Judy Bishop.
On grants, the travel office was authorized to apply for an OHV‑R grant to fund a seasonal trails signage crew to update outdated forest signs and provide seasonal jobs for youth. Board members discussed partner commitments: Sanpete County pledged $8,000; OnX and the U.S. Forest Service offered in‑kind collaboration; staff time and a leased truck were listed as local matching contributions. The project’s total value was estimated at about $100,000, and the board approved moving ahead with the application (motion by Lacy Hardman, seconded by Travis Bacon). Members noted that hiring may begin before a final grant award to meet seasonal timelines.
The board also approved pursuing a Recreation Trails Program (RTP) grant for equipment — specifically a side‑by‑side vehicle and trailer that would be county‑owned and used by the proposed sign crew — allowing the office to stack RTP funding with the OHV‑R application (motion by Keven Jensen, seconded by Larry Johansen).
Finally, the board confirmed administration of the 2026 Emery County Trails Grant with $30,000 allocated (applicants may request up to $15,000). The motion to approve the $30,000 budgeted last fall was made by Travis Bacon and seconded by Judy Bishop.
The meeting packet and staff reports reflected that roughly $100,000 in surplus/special‑project funds were available for allocation or planned budgeting for the year. The board did not take any controversial or contested votes during the session; each listed motion passed by voice vote.
What happens next: staff will proceed with the authorized grant applications and contract ratifications, develop 2026 event and promotional plans, and begin logistics for any seasonal hiring tied to the OHV‑R application. The board’s next regular meeting will follow the newly approved schedule.
