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Trail Ambassador program shifts to nonprofit Steward Moab with county seed funding
Summary
Guest speaker Anna Sprout said the Trail Ambassador program is now a nonprofit (Steward Moab); the county transferred assets and provided $150,000 in startup funding plus an earlier $16,000 bridge grant; the nonprofit will focus on hiking and OHV education in 2026 and will pursue multiple grants for 2027.
The Trail Ambassador program has been spun out of county operations into a newly formed nonprofit called Steward Moab, the programleader told the stewardship committee on Dec. 11. "I'm now the executive director," the presenter said, describing a small staff and a plan to prioritize hiking routes and three high-volume motorized routes in 2026 while building a sustainable fundraising program.
The county transferred program assets and provided initial funding to support the transition: a $16,000 early transfer and a larger $150,000 allocation to cover startup overhead and initial staffing. The presenter said the nonprofit will receive an upfront $50,000 and then quarterly payments of $25,000 from the county under the transition contract while it establishes independent grants and partnerships.
Steward Moab will run education and light trail maintenance (raking, signage, small repairs), maintain patrol logs shared with county staff, and operate a modest fleet of four vehicles including a donated Honda. The presenter said the nonprofit is building organizational systems (QuickBooks, accounts for donations) and will write at least four grant applications by March to secure funding for 2027.
Committee members asked about the nonprofit's board makeup, benefits and whether county-paid benefits remain part of the transition; the presenter said benefits for one position remain supported via county funding and that an independent board now governs Steward Moab. Committee members praised the transition as it will allow sponsorships and brand partnerships that were previously restricted under county administration.
