Strategies for
Recreation

Key Strategies

  • Create and invest in a comprehensive statewide plan for recreation.
  • Establish a connected network of trails, parks, and bike lanes throughout urban areas.
  • Develop additional recreational facilities to accommodate increasing demand and to avoid overcrowding.
  • Continue to promote Utah’s outdoor recreation outside the state to draw tourists to Utah.
  • Continue to grow the outdoor recreation economy by attracting tourism-based businesses and equipment manufacturers to the state.

This vision, created by Utahns, for Utahns, establishes a clear context, framework, and direction for policy discussions and actions to achieve the future Utahns want. Although government will play an important role, Utahns recognize that achieving the vision will also require a concerted, cooperative effort by individuals, families, businesses, and other organizations in the private sector.

Strategies

1. Create and invest in a comprehensive statewide recreation plan.

  1. Establish a long-term plan that provides for additional facilities to meet growing demand, improves outdoor access for residents, limits crowding, promotes tourism, and addresses other needs.
  2. Provide a full range of recreational opportunities, while minimizing the potential for conflicts between user groups (e.g., hikers and mountain bikers).

2. Develop additional recreational facilities to accommodate increasing demand and to avoid overcrowded facilities.

  1. Develop recreational facilities in mountain ranges on the west sides of Wasatch Front counties to meet the demand of the growing population and to ease the burden on Wasatch Mountain facilities.
  2. Ensure new recreational facilities don’t unduly affect ecosystems, watersheds, or the natural experience.

3. Continue to promote Utah’s outdoor recreation outside the state to draw tourists to Utah.

  1. Consider designating another state or national park in Utah, while not adding any significant land-use restrictions to the area.
  2. Encourage and work with communities to invest in their recreational opportunities in order to attract more visitors and benefit the economy.

4. Mitigate the negative effects of tourism.

  1. Work with communities that are heavily affected by tourism to alleviate impacts on housing, wages, crowding, and other issues related to quality of life.
  2. Meet recreational needs more effectively and with minimum expense, for example, by promoting lesser-used recreational areas as alternatives to more popular areas and by promoting visitation during non-peak times.
  3. Consider pricing and other options to prioritize local resident access to in-demand recreational areas.

5. Establish an interconnected network of trails, parks, and bike lanes throughout urban areas.

  1. Create and implement regional plans to build and maintain interconnected networks of parks and active recreational facilities.
  2. Work with federal, state, and local entities to provide mechanisms to fund the building and maintenance of parks, bike lanes, paths, and trails.

6. Maximize the economic benefit of outdoor recreation.

  1. Use the quality of life offered by outdoor recreation to attract and retain employers and high-quality employees.
  2. Foster recreation-related industries and businesses, such as equipment manufacturing, outdoor equipment sales, tour companies, etc.