SALT LAKE CITY (July 14, 2025) – The Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation (DOR) has awarded $1.5 million to support 21 outdoor recreation planning projects across 13 counties as part of the 2025 Outdoor Recreation Planning Assistance (ORPA) grant program.
Funded through a one-time allocation from the Utah Outdoor Adventure Commission, the ORPA grant program was relaunched this year to provide direct financial support for planning efforts, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
“This first cycle of ORPA funding was an incredible success,” said Emily Meadows, statewide recreation planning coordinator for the Division. “We received 41 eligible applications requesting more than $5.5 million, clearly demonstrating a strong demand for local recreation planning across Utah.”
The selected projects represent a wide range of planning efforts, including:
- Recreation master plans
- Feasibility studies
- Community engagement and needs assessments
- Impact fee studies
- Conceptual site designs
The ORPA program is designed to build local capacity for outdoor recreation development and ensure communities are equipped to manage and invest in sustainable, well-planned recreation infrastructure.
“One of our key goals was to make this opportunity accessible to all, especially smaller and rural communities, by removing financial match requirements,” said Meadows. “Good planning is foundational, and we want every community to have the chance to create a thoughtful vision for outdoor recreation.”
The full list of awarded projects can be viewed here recreation.utah.gov/grants/planning-assistance/. For more information on the Division of Outdoor Recreation and its Outdoor Recreation Planning Assistance Program, visit recreation.utah.gov.