| OUTDOOR RECREATION OFFICE NEWSThe Outdoor Recreation Office has been working on a couple new initiatives. The first of those is per the directive of HB 133, which asked the office to establish priorities for opening and maintaining national parks, national monuments, national forests and national recreation areas in the state during a fiscal emergency. Our office has made the list of priorities in a tiered system based on seasonality and the economic effects of such closures on gateway communities. The second initiative would result in new legislation that would establish a new program to help fund back country rescues of outdoor recreationists. It would establish a secondary source of funding for the existing search and rescue financial assistance program with a voluntary search & rescue card that could be purchased by individuals or families. Some counties in Utah have borne a heavy financial burden with search and rescue (SAR) costs and a couple counties have decided to back bill rescued victims to recoup costs. The card not only reimburses Utah SAR groups for costs incurred, but provides an insurance of sorts, as SAR card holders would not be liable for costs incurred with their rescue within the state. (This would be similar to SAR cards in Colorado & New Hampshire) OUTDOOR RECREATION COMMUNITY NEWS | Envision Utah Seeks Input for 2050 Plans Envision Utah, a nonprofit nonpartisan group, is seeking the input of state residents in the state and recently announced on Tuesday a series of games that will help protect Utah's future through Governor Herbert's "Your Utah, Your Future" initiative. Through the games, such as Build Your 2050, found on their website, Utahns can see how actions today may impact results in the state by 2050. It also provides an opportunity to prioritize 11 areas of concern including air quality, natural lands, recreation, water, energy, housing and cost of living, jobs and economy, etc. |
| Mountain Accord Needs Your Input Mountain Accord is an initiative that seeks to make critical decisions regarding the future of the central Wasatch Mountains. Your input is crucial to the process. Please visit their website between now and October 16th and respond to a brief questionnaire about the ideal scenarios for transportation, environment, recreation and economy. | | Utah's National Parks Considering Fee Hikes The National Park Service is considering hiking fees such as admission rates and special recreation permits which would allow the agency to pay for improvements in time for the National Park Service's centennial anniversary in 2016. Utah's local park superintendents will begin soliciting input in advance of the March 2nd deadline on the fee increases and will identify how each park could use the additional revenue to enhance the visitor's experience. | | BLM Opens New Trail Near MoabThe Bureau of Land Management has completed the Dinosaur Stomping Grounds Trail near Moab. Volunteers from Grand County Trail Mix, Gastonia (a paleontology chapter) and Sierra Club hikers helped to complete the project on National Public Lands Day on September 27th. Over the winter the BLM will put together a leaflet for visitors and update their website for this 3 mile round-trip trail that takes visitors to an area reported to have thousands of dinosaur tracks. |
OUTDOOR INDUSTRY NEWS & ACCOLADES Outdoor Industry Association Leader Frank Hugelmeyer Resigns Frank Hugelmeyer recently resigned as president and chief executive officer of the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), a position he had held since 2000. The OIA is the major industry group representing outdoor gear makers, and the OIA's Outdoor Retailer trade shows are held in Salt Lake City twice a year. Frank Hugelmeyer was also a keynote speaker at our first annual Outdoor Recreation Summit last May. See more here. CompanyWeek Partners With UMA for Utah Business Focused Publication CompanyWeek is partnering with the Utah Manufacturers Association in a first-ever, sustained media effort to shine a light on the people and companies shaping Utah’s manufacturing sector. Over the past few months, CompanyWeek has been profiling Utah businesses such as ENVE, Altra as well as Ogden's cycling epicenter. CompanyWeek has begun its Utah-focused editions. You can easily sign up for CompanyWeek's free weekly e-mailed newsletters. Jaybird Launches New Fitness Product Jaybird's just launched its newest product, Reign, a fitness tracking device. The company is hoping to make a big impact in the growing fitness tech sector with the wristband device which monitor's the body's motion, heart rate and other factors. The device can be synced with a smart phone app to analyze and provide users with information to guide workouts and sleep patterns. The device will be available October 26, 2014. See more information here. (Photo:Steve Wilson)Utah High School Mountain Biking League Having Another Record-Breaking SeasonThe Utah High School Mountain Biking League, has continued its fast growth into its third season. The Utah league has 54 teams representing 89 high schools. The Junior Development teams made their debut and held two races, at Soldier Hollow and at Round Valley. The high school races have typically had 166 kids racing at each of the competitions. The Utah league has set records for growth during each of its three years in the state. The next race will be held October 11 at Snowbasin and the state championships will be held in St. George on October 25. Ten Utah Companies Given Bike Friendly Business AwardThe League of American Bicyclists recognized ten Utah businesses as Bicycle Friendly Businesses, joining eight other previously awarded companies. Among the 10 BFB recognized businesses were T.D. Williamson, Inc., Utah Transit Authority, Utah Department of Health, SL Bicycle Collective and Blue Monkey Bicycles. Phil Sarnoff, executive director of Bike Utah noted, "With this announcement, we have more than doubled the number of Bicycle Friendly Businesses in Utah, This is a strong indicator of the cultural change related to bicycling taking place across the entire state. Bike Utah is pleased to have worked with many of this year's award winners." See more Deer Valley Resort Purchases SolitudeDeer Valley entered into an agreement to purchase Solitude Mountain Resort and will begin operating the resort on May 1, 2015. Deer Valley plans to continue allowing snowboarding at Solitude and keep the Brighton connection in place. Reciprocal arrangements of skiing benefits have been made for season pass holders at the two resorts. More information here. Salt Lake City Marketing Itself as "Ski City" USA Salt Lake City, a major metropolitan city with four nearby world-class ski areas is laying claim to the title "Ski City." Ski City USA is a fantastic alternative to the traditional ski or snowboard experience where visitors are restricted by the limited offerings of a small resort town," said Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams at a press event in September. A promotional video for Ski City emphasizes the sheer number of restaurants (and seven breweries) to choose from in the county. Other northern Utah resorts feel that the marketing campaign will bring more tourists to the state, which will benefit them all. Steamboat Springs, which dubbed itself "Ski Town USA" recently filed a lawsuit claiming infringement on their trademark moniker. Vail Resorts Acquires Park City Mountain Resort Vail Resort purchased Park City Mountain Resort for $182.5 million. The purchase came after three years of litigation between PCMR and its landlord, Talisker, that also leases Canyon Resort to Vail. The sale has provided more certainty for Park City and sets the stage for what could become the largest ski resort in the country when PCMR is connected with the Canyons next summer. New Company Avatech Introduces Avalanche Safety System Park City-based recently unveiled brand new products: the SP1 and AvaNet Cloud Platform. The SP1 is a collapsible lightweight 150 cm probe that analyzes snow-pack structure, slope angle and aspect direction, then geo-tags the data and uploads it to the AvaNet Cloud Platform so the data can be shared with others (including back-country skiers) around the world in real time. The pro version of the SP1 is now available, a consumer version (with a different software interface) will be available in fall 2015. See Outside magazine's article on AvaTech or watch their video here. Lizard Skins Sees Success in Sports Industry Orem-based Lizard Skins, a long-time maker of bicycle accessories, launched a new product line in the baseball industry in 2012. Its innovative bat wrap soon became a Major League favorite. On October 1st, Lizard Skins announced an exclusive collaboration with Louisville Sluggers to produce new pre-wrapped bats with Lizard Skins grips. More info. Brag and Boast! Submit accolades, rankings and company milestones to tmckee@utah.gov | Upcoming EventsOctober 14: Outdoor Industry Women's Coalition networking night at Amer Sports in Ogden. For more information or to register see OIWC site. October 23:9th Annual PTAC Procurement Symposium at South Towne Center. For more information on registration, etc. October 23-26: Moab Ho-Down Mountain Bike & Film Festival in Moab with mountain bike racing, riding, fund-raising, movies, Women's skills camp, etc. October 25: Utah High School Mountain Biking League State Championship Races in St. George. See website for more info. October 25: East Canyon State Park's Scary Fun Run October 25, 26 & Nov 1 : 6th Annual Moab River Rendezvous An educational & social gathering that celebrates river running, area history & outdoor films. November 4: Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee meeting. Held at GOED office from 2-4 pm. November 7-8: Adventure + Gear Expo, South Towne Expo Center, Sandy November 11: Free National Park Entrance Day (Veteran's Day) January 21-24, 2015: Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Salt Lake City, Utah. March 3: Outdoor Recreation Summit, Salt Palace Submit future events to tmckee@utah.gov
Programs for UtahBusinesses Matching Funds Available to Help Boost Your Global Sales with Utah’s State Trade and Export Promotion The State of Utah will have an exhibitor booth at the OutDoor show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Click here to learn more about STEP matching grant opportunities to exhibit your product in the Utah booth. Small businesses can use STEP grants to offset expenses related to exhibiting at international events or participating with trade mission delegations, and receiving Gold Key U.S. Commercial Service in countries identified to increase your global market. Learn more about the STEP Program and find out if your company qualifies. Health Insurance Plans for Utah's Small Businesses Avenue H is an insurance marketplace created by the State of Utah to meet the new Affordable Care Act standards. The site allows small Utah companies with one to 50 employees to purchase health insurance from Utah-based insurance companies. BUSINESS PARTNER PROGRAMSProcurement Technical Assistance Centers Utah outdoor businesses can find government contracts with the aid of the state's Procurement Technical Assistance Centers (PTAC), which provide one-on-one counseling, workshop training and a Bid-Match program to help small businesses expand their marketing success by identifying government contracting opportunities. These services are available at no cost to Utah businesses. For help in getting in touch with one of the seven PTAC locations in the state and for additional information go to the GOED Utah Procurement Technical Assistance website or call Myrna Hill at (801) 538-8775.
Rural Enterprise Zones for Businesses Eligible businesses locating or expanding in designated enterprise zones may be eligible for tax credits that can be claimed on Utah's state income tax forms. Tax credits can be used for job creation for full-time employees, investments in a plant, equipment or other depreciable properties and more. Non-refundable tax credits are available to eligible businesses in the designated enterprise zones in rural areas from the start of the tax year in which the designation is made. Learn more here. Grants for Small Businesses Through New Air Assist Program UCAIR, DEQ, and the Utah Department of Workforce Services have partnered to provide grants for small businesses with fewer than 100 employees. The grants assist companies in making upgrades to their current equipment to reduce emissions and improve air quality. See UCAIR website |