Division director outlines bills, budget shifts and funding requests for OHV programs

Division Director Jason Curry briefed the OHV Advisory Council on legislative and budget developments affecting the Division. He said General Fund reductions were finalized at $20,000 — down from an initially proposed $80,000 cut — and that the Division assumed operation and maintenance costs of $80,000 per year for a maintenance shop building. Curry listed budget expansion requests in the Governor’s and subcommittee budgets to fund a mechanized trail crew, a project manager position and a $2.5 million appropriation for the OHV recreation grant.

Curry also summarized three bills relevant to the Division’s work: HB 375, which enables the Outdoor Adventure Fund to cover administrative and public-relations costs; HB 444, which updates sand-dune riding regulations to a broader "high-visibility" standard for flags; and HB 381, which would establish definitions and training-age certification for high-powered electric vehicles used on city streets. Curry framed these items as important to stabilizing registration revenue and clarifying operational rules for emerging vehicle types.