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Commission backs tourism co-op application and letter for Blanding; commits to matching funds if awarded
Summary
The commission approved a letter committing the county to match a Utah Office of Tourism co-op marketing grant (county requests up to $215,000 from the tourism office) and separately approved a letter supporting the City of Blanding's $13,000 Tier 2 marketing grant application.
San Juan County commissioners approved June 2 two letters of support tied to Utah Office of Tourism co-op grants: one committing county matching funds for the county's annual co-op application and one supporting the City of Blanding's Tier 2 application.
Allison (tourism staff) explained the county grant strategy: the office applies annually for a one-to-one matching marketing grant to amplify the county's basic marketing program and occasionally fund a larger project. For 2026–27 the county requested the full matching amount of $215,000 from the Utah Office of Tourism to promote longer visitor stays (not increased visitor volume), target shoulder seasons, and roll out campaigns such as a 'Milky Way Highway' dark-sky collaboration with Grand County. Commissioners asked about budget and deliverables; Allison said the county will use the funds primarily for marketing assets already produced from last year's survey and new promotional videos and will apply matching dollars from the tourism budget in 2027 if the grant is awarded.
The commission also approved a letter of support for the City of Blanding's $13,000 Tier 2 application, which funds city-level marketing and events such as the Bears Ears Marathon. Both motions passed unanimously.
Next steps: tourism staff will submit the county's application and use commission-approved matching funds from the county tourism budget if the grant award is received.
