Division outlines SCORP, LWCF mechanics and a tight timeline for grant administration

Carly Lanch, a recreation planner with the Division of Outdoor Recreation, told the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission the SCORP (Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan) is a federally required plan used to administer Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars and guide where those federal funds are invested.

Lanch outlined the SCORP team and timeline, said the state must submit the plan to the National Park Service to continue administering LWCF dollars and asked commissioners to consider participating on a technical committee and broader stakeholder meetings. She described a small outreach one-pager and a QR code for email updates, and said the Division will be "bothering you all" for help in the technical committee and that kickoff for the technical committee is planned for July.

Commissioners asked several practical questions about LWCF mechanics. Staff said Utah saw $8.2 million this cycle (attributed partly to carryover), but typical annual formula allocations are nearer $2–3 million; LWCF requires a 50/50 local match and federal regulations (including labor standards such as Davis-Bacon) and environmental clearances apply when federal funds are used. Staff and commissioners discussed project types that are attractive for LWCF funding: large-scale, perpetual recreation uses (for example, the "Raging Waters" site was cited as a scalable community recreation hub) are easier to justify and administer, while small equipment replacement projects may be less appealing given federal compliance burdens.

Staff advised that projects previously submitted under other programs (one speaker said an applicant had tailored demographic data to fit a program) may need to reapply under the correct program; staff said applicants can contact Division staff (including Evan, Patrick, Tara) for help. Lanch said the Division posts strategy documents and final reports on the Division of Outdoor Recreation website under the Outdoor Adventure Commission tab and will be sharing a one-page summary and follow-up email to commissioners.

The item was informational; staff will continue refining SCORP and the related grant administration materials and bring the final workshop synthesis and demand analysis back to the commission at a future meeting.