County approves $98,000 OHV education grant, commits county match for trail coordinator

Grand County commissioners voted Jan. 6 to execute a $98,000 Off‑Highway Vehicle Recreation (OHVR) education grant that funds a new OHV trail coordinator position and associated education work.

Maddie Logowitz, presenting for county recreation staff, said the award is about $98,000, with roughly $63,000 earmarked for a coordinator's salary and about $35,000 for a nonprofit partner to run education programs. She told the commission the county's cash match is approximately $27,000 to cover benefits that the grant will not fund, and the county will record about $11,665 in in‑kind match (staff time and volunteer hours). Logowitz said partner cash and in‑kind contributions total roughly $14,000 and include material support from the Bureau of Land Management.

The commission asked staff to clarify budget subtotals and where the match is shown in the packet. Logowitz identified the in‑kind subtotal for the county as about $11,665 and explained it reflects county staff time already budgeted and volunteer labor. Commissioner Heather moved to execute the grant contract; Commissioner Martinez seconded. The commission approved the contract execution unanimously.

Why it matters: the award funds a full‑time OHV coordinator position and an education program the county expects to use for trail stewardship, search‑and‑rescue support and visitor education. The county match covers salary benefits that the grant does not allow, and staff said they will track and report partner contributions in the grant closeout paperwork.

What comes next: staff will finalize and sign the grant contract, hire or assign the OHV trail coordinator, and return regular grant‑reporting updates to the commission as required by the OHVR program.