Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund board opens 2026 grant cycle with $13M in account

CHEYENNE — The Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Trust Fund board briefed the House TRW Committee on its rules, guidelines and an imminent grant application launch.

Jeremiah Reaman, board chair, told lawmakers the board has finalized rules and applications and expects to open the 2026 application window for roughly 40–45 days. He said the trust currently has about $13 million and anticipates roughly $2 million will be available for awards during this biennium; larger projects will follow a formal application and site‑visit process and may require Select Natural Resource Funding Committee review.

Reaman described priority categories for funding, including camping, fishing, trails, adaptive recreation, off‑road motorized opportunities, mountain activities and shooting and snow sports. The board adopted suggested county‑level matching guidelines (ranging from about 25–50 percent) with the option to waive matches for demonstrated need, including projects on reservations.

Mark Tesoro, manager of the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation and the board’s secretary, confirmed the application portal on wyorec.com is ready and that grants under $200,000 may be approved by the nine‑member board. Chris Floyd, deputy director of State Parks and Cultural Resources, echoed readiness and noted communities have long awaited this type of flexible outdoor recreation funding. Bob Budd of the Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust discussed large recent expenditures and cautioned that demand will exceed available funds.

Next steps: The board will accept applications when the portal opens, complete site visits and consider awards at an April board meeting in Saratoga and a July meeting in Evanston. The board expects to present to the Select Natural Resource Funding Committee in August and make initial awards later this year.