The Utah Outdoor Recreation Commission received a briefing on the commission’s regional councils and the Outdoor Recreation Initiative (ORI) process, which will bring regional funding recommendations to the commission for final awards on Nov. 3, 2025.

The program’s recreation director, Patrick Morrison, told commissioners the regional councils were formed to implement the Utah Outdoor Recreation Strategic Plan with stronger local input. Morrison said the councils produced 51 project submissions this year totaling about $55,000,000 in requests; historically the program has awarded roughly $20,000,000 annually.

Morrison described the council structure and timeline: councils solicited project interest forms, vetted project presentations during May–September, then used a prioritization matrix to score and rank projects. He noted staff have prepared a master spreadsheet and hyperlinked project folders with full applications, budgets and supporting documents so commissioners can review materials before the Nov. 3 meeting.

Morrison said the program aims to fund regionally significant projects and that the council process is intended to build relationships among counties, Association of Governments staff, and federal land managers so proposed projects have local buy-in before they reach the commission. “We'd like you to have the opportunity to spend more time and get a little bit more into the weeds,” Morrison said.

Why it matters: the ORI is intended to fill gaps other grant programs do not address and to distribute state recreation funds more strategically across Utah’s regions. With $55 million in requests and limited annual award capacity, the commission will weigh geography, project readiness and strategic fit when it considers the councils’ recommendations on Nov. 3.

The briefing included a snapshot of past awards: in 2023 the program awarded about $24,000,000 to 12 projects; in 2024 the first year with regional councils the program awarded just over $20,000,000 against a $40,000,000 total project cost pool. Staff said typical guidance is roughly $4–5 million per region but final allocations remain at the commission’s discretion.

Staff asked commissioners to review the hyperlinked project folders (applications, letters of support, budgets, design plans and appraisals where applicable) before the Nov. 3 award meeting. Morrison said staff will circulate ranking results from regional councils on Oct. 30.

Commissioners did not take action on the briefing. The Nov. 3 meeting will include final awards and will be the next formal decision point for the 2025 ORI funding round.