Process for Creating the Vision

To create a vision for the future of outdoor recreation in Utah, a team of experts gathered over a two-year period to share knowledge and extensively research and discuss options. Members of the Agriculture, Public Lands, and Recreation Action Team were selected by Governor Gary Herbert and Envision Utah to represent a spectrum of professional experience and political affiliations. Team members included recreation experts, legislators, county commissioners, city planners, federal and state officials, and others from across the state. From 2013 to 2015, the action team met to identify Utahns’ choices related to recreation, create scenarios for public input, and synthesize a vision for the future. The process of creating this vision also included the following components:

The action team used this information to create four different scenarios for the future of outdoor recreation in Utah. The four scenarios differed in the amount of investment put into recreational facilities and the extent to which Utah continues to promote tourism outside of the state. These scenarios were presented to the public in the Your Utah, Your Future survey in spring 2015, and 52,845 Utahns weighed in.

After receiving public input on the four recreation scenarios, the action team met to frame a vision, including goals and strategies, to achieve what Utahns said they wanted for outdoor recreation in 2050.

Recreation Action Team

Co-chairs

Members

• Alma Adams
  Commissioner, Iron County
• Bruce Adams
  San Juan County Council
• LuAnn Adams
  Commissioner, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food
• Brandie Balken
  Equality Utah
• Brad Barber
  Barber Consulting
• Roger Barrus
  Utah House of Representatives
• Mallory Bateman
  Utah Foundation
• John Bennett
  Utah Quality Growth Commission
• Scott Chew
  Cattle and Sheep Rancher, Utah House of Representatives
• Gene Ciarus
  Grand County Council
• Mark Clemens
  Utah Chapter, Sierra Club
• Mark Compton
  President, Utah Mining Association
• Larry Crist
  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
• Jim Dabakis
  Utah Senate
• LaNiece Davenport
  Wasatch Front Regional Council
• Joan Degiorgio
  Utah Nature Conservancy
• Jack Draxler
  Utah House of Representatives
• Hans Ehrbar
  University of Utah Department of Economics
• John Evans
  Petzl Climbing Equipment
• John Fairchild
  Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
• David Garbett
  Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance
• Julia Geisler
  Executive Director, Salt Lake Climbers Alliance
• Kerry Gibson
  Commissioner, Weber County
• Laura Hanson
  Executive Director, Jordan River Commission
• Jon Hardman
  Natural Resource Conservation Service
• David Hinkins
  Utah Senate
• Sarah Hinners
  University of Utah Metropolitan Research Center
• Lynn Jackson
  Grand County Council
• Laynee Jones
  Mountain Accord
• Peter Knudson
  Utah Senate
• Mike Kohler
  Wasatch County Council
• Ashley Korenblat
  Public Land Solutions
• David Livermore
  Utah State Director, Nature Conservancy
• John Mathis
  Utah House of Representatives
• Chris McCandless
  Sandy City Council
• Kay McIff
  Utah House of Representatives
• Tara McKee
  Utah Office of Outdoor Recreation
• Michael Merrill
  Salt Lake Chamber
• Thayne Mickelson
  Utah Conservation Commission
• Wayne Niederhauser
  Utah Senate
• Mike Noel
  Utah House of Representatives
• Ralph Okerlund
  Utah Senate
• Juan Palma
  State Director, U.S. Bureau of Land Management
• Randy Parker
  Utah Farm Bureau
• Ashley Patterson
  Wasatch Community Gardens
• Kent Peatross
  Commissioner, Duchesne County
• Julie Peck-Dabling
  Salt Lake County Open Space and Urban Farming
• Warren Peterson
  Vice President, Farmland Reserve
• Nathan Rafferty
  President, Ski Utah
• Curtis Rowley
  Cherry Hill Farms
• Dustin Rowley
  Utah Association of Conservation Districts
• Eric Sadler
  Wasatch Mountain Club
• Douglas Sagers
  Utah House of Representatives
• Selma Sierra
  Director of Energy and Environmental Policy, Energy Dynamics Laboratory
• George Sommer
  Chair, Blue Ribbon Fisheries Commission
• Mike Styler
  Utah Department of Natural Resources
• Ed Sunderland
  Sanpete County Farmer
• Brent Tanner
  Executive Vice President, Utah Cattlemen's Association
• Gordon Topham
  Commissioner, Sevier County
• Elizabeth Tubbs
  Grand County Council
• David Ure
  Summit County Council
• Ron Vance
  Recreational and Resource Manager, U.S. Forest Service
• Vicki Varela
  Managing Director, Utah Office of Tourism
• Evan Vickers
  Utah Senate
• Logan Wilde
  Morgan County Council