More good news for Moab's motorized trails. The Moab Times Independent reports Grand County will receive a state grant to help keep its OHV trail coordinator in place for 2027 and 2028.

What the coordinator does

  • Joe Nielson holds the position now. His job is to bring land managers, recreation groups and trail crews together to plan and complete motorized trail maintenance
  • He works with the Grand County Motorized Trail Committee to find and prioritize maintenance needs, and sets up site visits for tougher projects
  • The paper ran a photo of state trail crew members and Steward Moab assessing a problem on the Poison Spider trail during one of those visits
  • The state trail crew handles most of the projects under a county contract

The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation announced the award on October 22 as part of 24 projects statewide. The paper notes the state's OHV Recreation Grant program is funded by OHV registration fees.

Our take

Between the new motorized trail crew and a coordinator to keep projects lined up, Moab's Jeep trails are getting more attention than they have in a while. That means better lines, fewer washouts and trails that stay open. We will take it.