- A legislative audit highlights poor communication and expense tracking within Utah's off-highway vehicle program.
- The report says that led to confusion about how grant funds were being spent.
- Utah's Division of Outdoor Recreation says it's taking steps to address the findings.
SALT LAKE CITY — A lack of good communication and expense tracking within Utah's Department of Natural Resources has led to concerns about how money for the state's off-highway vehicle program is being spent, according to a new legislative audit.
The report, presented to a committee of lawmakers Tuesday, notes that some who oversee off-highway vehicle grants have grown concerned that higher law enforcement costs for off-highway vehicles, or OHVs, have "come at the expense" of paying for trail maintenance and other improvements.
While the audit found that trail maintenance costs have been steady for several years, it said a lack of communication between the Division of Outdoor Recreation and the advisory council overseeing grants led to fears about how money is spent.
"The (Off-Highway Vehicle Advisory Council) doesn't feel communication concerning law enforcement costs has been adequate," the report states. "We found these costs have not been tracked or communicated well."
The audit also found that some law enforcement costs are not being adequately categorized, giving state agencies an incomplete picture of how grant money is being spent on off-highway vehicle programs.
For example, auditors noted that in 2025, off-highway vehicle funds and boating funds were used to cover vehicle maintenance costs for the Division of Outdoor Recreation. But more than 80% of the work classified as shop costs for the division was actually repairing boats and off-highway vehicles meant for law enforcement, according to the audit.
"This means that (Department of Outdoor Recreation) does not properly account for roughly $800,000 in additional law enforcement costs, with half of that coming from OHV funds," the audit states. "By miscategorizing law enforcement maintenance costs as shop costs, the division is transferring funds to law enforcement that the Legislature did not approve."
Auditors found that fees from snowmobile registrations only cover about 30% of the costs of grooming and winter off-highway vehicle law enforcement. That raised concerns about funds from other vehicle registration fees being used to cover snowmobile expenses.
Utah has a lower resident fee for snowmobile registration compared to Colorado and Idaho, according to the report. Auditors recommend that lawmakers either increase registration fees or ask state agencies to reduce trail grooming or find other ways to decrease those costs.
In response, Division of Outdoor Recreation Director Jason Curry wrote that the agency would "await legislative action" to allow fees to be raised from $26 to $35, and would work in the meantime to find "cost-effective improvements" to grooming snowmobile trails.
The director also agreed with the audit's recommendations to improve communication and expense tracking and said the department was already working to follow the recommendations.
