Council adopts new grant policy requiring letters of support; members discuss defining eligible local nonprofits

OHV Recreation Grant Administrator Rachel Toker presented changes to the Division’s grant policies for the FY26 cycle, including a new requirement that each grant application include a letter of support from an established OHV organization or club. Council members questioned how to define a qualifying "local nonprofit" and whether board composition or bylaws would suffice to demonstrate eligibility.

Scott Wheeler voiced concern about ensuring applicants have legitimate ties to the OHV community. Counsel Nicole Hanna and Rachel Toker advised that applicants’ state-filed bylaws and articles of incorporation must explicitly prioritize the promotion of motorized recreation to meet statutory definitions. The Division and Council agreed to compile a pre-approved list of eligible clubs before July 15 to ease future application processing.