Office of Outdoor Recreation Awards $4 Million for Local Recreation Projects

Pete CodellaNews

The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation (OOR) has awarded more than $4 million in grant funding for more than 58 projects through its competitive grant program. The funds will create an estimated impact of $32.7 million statewide including grants, matching funds and private investment.

“The Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant supports vital outdoor recreation projects in the state of Utah,” said Val Hale, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. “As more Utahns enjoy the state’s natural assets, it has become more important to support our local communities. We are proud to be a catalyst for these outdoor improvements.”

The Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant (UORG) helps Utahns live active and healthy lifestyles by investing in trails, campgrounds, waterways and more. The 2018 awards include more than $4,282,700 in grant funding for 58 projects statewide. Sixty-five percent of the approved funds will support projects in rural counties.

“With support of Utah Legislators, hoteliers, and community stakeholders, the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant has become an important resource in developing new recreational assets statewide,” said Tom Adams, director of the Office of Outdoor Recreation. “The 2018 Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant has inspired change and improvement across Utah, significantly impacting our local communities. The grants help address growth while maintaining our outstanding quality of life.”

Twenty-one of the 24 countries that applied received funding for one or more outdoor recreation infrastructure projects. Four of those, as designated by an asterisk, received a UORG award for the first time.

Beaver County
Box Elder County
Cache County
Carbon County
Davis County
Duchesne County*
Emery County
Garfield County*
Grand County
Iron County
Kane County
Salt Lake County
Sanpete County*
Sevier County
Summit County
Tooele County*
Uintah County
Utah County
Wasatch County
Washington County
Weber County

The Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation received 84 complete applications this funding cycle. The 14-member Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant advisory committee reviewed the submissions and granted awards to 58 projects. Amounts awarded ranged from $3,000 to $150,000 per project. Applicants have two years to complete the projects.

For a full list of 2018 grant recipients, click here.