A public presenter who filed GRAMA requests urged the OHP Advisory Council on April 23 to scrutinize recent and historic uses of the OHP restricted account, pressing officials on spending for law enforcement rangers, a proposed maintenance facility and expenditures on snowmobile programs.

Brett Stewart, speaking during the public‑comment portion of the meeting, told the council he and others had used GRAMA to examine line‑item expenditures and expressed concern that a large portion of restricted‑account funds have gone to law‑enforcement positions and equipment rather than to trail maintenance and grants. Stewart said the documents prompted questions about whether the division’s spending matched the statutory and policy intent of the restricted account.

Division staff response: Division director Jason Curry and law‑enforcement managers responded at the meeting. Curry said the division has repeatedly requested general‑fund support for law enforcement and that the legislature previously provided little or no general‑fund support for those positions; as a result, the division has used restricted accounts to maintain patrols and enforcement in high‑use recreation areas. Major Steve Wallock and other division law‑enforcement staff described the work rangers do across state parks, on water and on trails and said the division’s enforcement role historically combined park, boating and OHV responsibilities.

Accounting and transparency: Council members and staff clarified that the OHP restricted account receives registration fees, nonresident permit fees and other dedicated receipts. Staff said some recent years had unusually high award totals because of previous underutilization and rollovers from earlier appropriations; staff also said some public confusion arises from different budget lines or how state payroll compensation is displayed in publicly searchable databases.

What the council requested: Members asked staff to continue providing clearer budget breakdowns and to follow up with GRAMA‑requested details where the public and council needed more explanation. Division staff agreed to bring additional documentation and to schedule detailed follow‑up briefings so the council can review allocations by category (grants, law enforcement, capital and operations).

Why it matters: The discussion shows public scrutiny of how the restricted account’s revenues are spent — a matter that affects priorities for grants, enforcement and capital projects and that can influence future legislative requests.

Speakers: Brett Stewart (public commenter/advocate), Jason Curry (Division director), Steve Wallock (Division of Law Enforcement) and other DOR staff answered questions and promised follow up.