Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- A Utah representative proposes that Utah fund federal land maintenance projects.
- The resolution seeks joint agreements with federal agencies to address a backlog that has reached at least $387 million in Utah.
- Funding could involve legislative or public-private partnerships.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah could overtake major deferred maintenance projects at federal recreation spots across the state under a new resolution set to be introduced in this year's legislative session.
Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, filed a bill request on Friday to create a pair of resolutions, including one to work with the federal government to take control of a growing backlog of projects on lands managed by the National Park Service and other federal agencies. The resolution would call on Utah's congressional delegation to work with the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Forest Service to allow states — such as Utah — to enter into joint management agreements so the states could make sure the needed improvements are addressed.
Deferred maintenance of buildings, campgrounds, trails, wastewater systems and other infrastructure at over a dozen National Park Service parks in Utah has already climbed to $387 million, the agency estimated in 2023. It was a portion of a countrywide backlog that had soared to over $23 billion.
Eliason, toting a red hat with a paper strip reading "Make National Parks Great Again" pasted on top, said it could ultimately threaten each park's appeal in the future — and the quality of life in the state. While the Great American Outdoors Act helped chip away at backlogs, what he's proposing is that the state could partner with the federal government and fund the needed projects to be completed at national parks or other outdoor recreation hubs managed by the Bureau of Land Management or U.S. Forest Service.
"We know that the federal government has serious financial issues and budgets are now being cut," he said. "Utah has demonstrated that we'll step and help make these properties much better under a joint management agreement."
The representative announced his intentions during an event celebrating Utah's outdoors and how it has influenced tech growth in the state. He told KSL.com afterward that he's heard positive feedback from colleagues since proposing the legislation, as well as from Rep. Blake Moore.
Some of what he's proposing has already started. The Utah Division of State Parks has overtaken some projects on Bureau of Reclamation land through its partnerships at reservoir-based state parks. Jason Curry, director of the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, said the division was recently able to strike a deal with the National Park Service to handle a temporary boat ramp by Cataract Canyon at Lake Powell.
Utah has funded national park operations during recent government shutdowns, as well.
The state would ultimately have to look at ways to generate the funds, which could come from legislative funding or public-private funding partnerships. While it's a tall order, Eliason points out that the process of creating the 988 national suicide hotline started with a similar legislative process in Utah.
"We've had experience doing this before," he said. "It'll still have to go through committees and floor hearings, but today the journey begins."
