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Utah OHV advisory council favors regional heavy-equipment crew model, asks for more detail on funding and accountability
Summary
At its July 14 meeting the Utah OHV Advisory Council reviewed a plan to deliver heavy-equipment trail maintenance through regionally based crews rather than a single Richfield-based crew, citing expected gains in capacity and retention; members asked for clearer funding breakdowns and safeguards to ensure motorized funds pay for motorized projects.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah OHV Advisory Council on July 14 reviewed a Department of Natural Resources proposal to expand heavy-equipment capacity for off-highway vehicle (OHV) trail maintenance by training and elevating regional crew supervisors to operate machines, rather than relying on a single centralized crew based in Richfield.
Council chair Jason Blanknagle convened the discussion after division staff presented a high-level plan describing how supervisors would be trained as operators and how some seasonal roles could be converted to year-round positions to support heavy-equipment work. "We would just get machines to them," operations coordinator Mike Innes said, arguing the regional approach would reduce travel time, lower per diem costs and "drastically" increase the number of projects delivered statewide.
The proposal would not necessarily add four entirely new full-time hires, staff clarified. "We're not creating four new positions. We're still creating two," said Jason Green, division director, explaining the intent is to increase four seasonal positions by half to achieve roughly two full-time-equivalent (FTE) positions.
Why it matters: council members said the decision affects how quickly the state can repair wildfire damage, how taxpayer funds are tracked and how the division retains staff. The division said the regional model could double the number of projects completed by reducing travel burdens and allowing supervisors to operate equipment close to their home regions.
Several council members pressed for clear accounting where funds originate. "It just seems like it complicates something that might be easier to separate," said Mike Cook, the council's safety representative, expressing concern about mixing motorized and nonmotorized projects when funding comes from different accounts. Division staff and program managers responded that the program already tracks crew hours and that motorized work would be the predominant use of this appropriation.
Funding and timing: Jason Green told the council the legislature appropriated the funding and that it includes amounts from both the Outdoor Adventure Fund and an OHV-restricted account. During the meeting staff quoted figures (for example, "80,000 from the outdoor fund" and an additional smaller amount from the OHV account), but numeric phrasing in the transcript was inconsistent; staff committed to providing a clearer, itemized funding breakdown at a future update.
Training and certification: staff said they are preparing training next month and will use existing Forest Service certification programs (Grant Julander at Fish Lake National Forest) and Weaver Basin heavy-equipment training opportunities to certify operators. Mike Thomas, program superintendent, said the division will prioritize training during the off-season and then continue heavy-equipment projects through the year in southern regions where demand is greater.
Interagency coordination and equipment staging: council members asked whether state crews could coordinate with counties and federal agencies that already own heavy equipment. Staff noted examples of county-owned equipment being used in Iron County and said the division will pursue partnerships and contract language that encourage local cooperation and equipment sharing. The division also plans to stage equipment in locations with sustained demand — Moab was specifically mentioned as a likely staging site.
Pilot and oversight: several members recommended treating the regional approach as a pilot and evaluating it after a year or two. "Be willing to ... if after a year or two, you're finding that it's just really not working, be open to the idea of a centralized crew," Brody Johnson said. Staff agreed to return with updates to the council.
Votes at a glance: the council approved the June 17 meeting minutes as amended (motion by Brody Johnson; second by Scott Wheeler) and later voted to adjourn (motion by Brody Johnson; second by Mike Cook).
What’s next: staff said they will provide follow-up materials with a clearer funding breakdown, return with training and staging plans at a future meeting, and share grant application information (Outdoor Recreation Mitigation Grant and Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Grant) that open the following day.
Attributions: Quotes and specific claims in this article come from council members and staff who spoke at the July 14 meeting: Chair Jason Blanknagle; division director Jason Green; operations coordinator Mike Innes; program superintendent Mike Thomas; OHV program manager Wade Allison; council members Scott Wheeler, Mike Cook and Brody Johnson; and staff Rachel Stoker and Carley Lance.
