Division to prioritize wildfire-affected counties in trail mitigation grants after recent fires

Director Jason Curry told the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation's advisory council on July 14 that the agency will add a prioritization metric in grant applications to favor projects submitted by counties affected by recent wildfires.

Curry said the full extent of trail stabilization needs from recent fires will not be completely clear until the following year and that staff are considering holding back some fiscal funds for subsequent wildfire rehabilitation. He cited economic impacts in hard-hit areas such as Beaver County as a motivation for prioritizing those applicants.

Council members and staff discussed the timing of repairs and how wildfire damage may take multiple seasons to stabilize. Nicole Nielson noted that wildfire impacts will take a couple of years to stabilize, giving staff time to plan rehabilitation projects and coordinate equipment and crews.

The division did not commit to a specific dollar amount to hold in reserve at the meeting; staff said they will incorporate the prioritization metric into grant scoring for the upcoming grant cycles and return with implementation specifics.