5 Southern Utah counties among those to receive ‘Go Utah’ recreation grants

Phase II of the Pine Valley Ranger District Spring Hollow trail network will be financed in part by funding from the Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant Program, May 16, 2022 | Photo by Patrick Morrison, Utah Outdoor Recreation Grant Program, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY Washington, Iron, Beaver, Garfield and Kane counties will receive approximately $1.95 million to fund 14 projects as part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) Outdoor Recreation Grant program.

The office is awarding $11 million in matching grants to 85 outdoor recreation infrastructure projects across Utah, totaling more than $90 million in project value — a 9:1 investment of state dollars, according to a news release from the Office of Economic Opportunity. The grants are funded by the state transient room tax, and in 2022, the Utah Legislature supplemented the grant fund with an additional $5 million in one-time funding.

Click here for a full list of grant recipients. Listed below are Southern Utah projects that will be funded by this program.

Washington County

Trails Utah, Spring Hollow Phase II: $500,000
Total project value: $2,400,000
Phase II of the Spring Hollow project is part of the larger Pine Valley Ranger District Trails Network undertaking.

Trails Utah, Paiute Trail, Phase II: $75,000
Total project value: $150,000
Phase II of Nung’wu Poa, as it is called, translated as “the Paiute Trail,” will create a new, approximately 2-mile long trail that leaves from Springdale’s George A. Barker River Park and climbs up onto a hill or low mesa just west of Zion Canyon and Zion National Park.

Iron County

Cedar Mountain Winter Recreation Project: $200,000
Total project value: $1,746,707
This project will enhance winter recreation opportunities for both motorized and non-motorized uses on Cedar Mountain located off Scenic Highway 14.

Cedar City Rotary Club: $145,750
Total project value: $537,573.44
Canyon Water Park project will include recreation features for those with all abilities and feature the heritage and history of water use in the valley, including that of the local indigenous peoples, the Cedar Band of Paiutes.

Iron Trailcraft Inc.: $60,000
Total project value: $130,000
Iron TrailCraft and the BLM Cedar City Field Office are partnering to construct approximately 3.6 miles of quality, purpose-built mountain biking, running and hiking trails establishing a new trail system in Enoch.

Brian Head Town: $191,640.62
Total project value: $425,281.25
Construction of an extension of the existing Brian Head Town Trail to create a loop running along the east side of the valley floor in Brian Head.

Utah’s Patchwork Parkway Committee: $792.67
Total project value: $1,733.77
The priority project for this summer is making emergency repairs to the Hidden Haven Waterfall Trail, including removing fallen boulders and trees on the trail to make it accessible.

Beaver County

Beaver Bench Mountain Bike Trail: $200,000
Total project value: $414,248
Phase 4 of the Beaver Bench mountain bike trail will add an additional 4 miles of single track to the existing trail 2 and create an NICA-compliant course adjacent to the Beaver Bench Mountain Bike trail that will be used for high school mountain biking events.

Minersville Lake Campground Phase 2: $150,000
Total project value: $307,400
This project is the second of a multiple-phase project of upgrading existing, dilapidated buildings and expanding the facilities to meet the growing demand for use.

Garfield County

Red Canyon Recreation and Trails Improvement: $60,000
Total project value: $145,500
This project will replace three stick build toilets with new CXT vault toilets, repair four major trails and replace signage throughout the entire trail area.

Kane County

Zion National Park Forever Project: $132,000
Total project value: $289,400
On Aug. 24, 2019, a massive rockfall caused the closure of Weeping Rock, Hidden Canyon, East Rim Trail and Observation Point. Through the East Mesa Project, visitors will have the infrastructure to aid recreation and guidance to stay within park boundaries.

Kanab City Connector Trail Trailhead: $50,000
Total project value: $135,355
This project will construct a trailhead at the recently completed paved connector trail covering the distance from Terrell Drive in Kanab City, all the way to Jackson Flat Reservoir.

Kane County Water Conservancy District: $150,000
Total project value: $360,000
Phase IV Jackson Flat Reservoir Recreation, Kane County — the first project is a ropes course system to complement the bouldering rock system already installed.

Tread Lightly!: $33,969.60
Total project value: $81,768.20
These funds will be used to purchase and install a composting toilet on Sand Mountain in the Sand Hollow Off-Highway Vehicle Area.

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