Utah Outdoor Partners

UTAH OUTDOOR PARTNERS ("UOP") FURTHERED THE ADVANCEMENT OF A CULTURAL CENTER FOR BEARS EARS NATIONAL MONUMENT, INCLUDING BY MEETING WITH THE BEARS EARS INTERTRIBAL COALITION TWICE IN 2023, FIRST IN FEBRUARY AT THE UTAH CAPITOL (A MEETING ATTENDED BY UTAH'S LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS), AND AGAIN IN SEPTEMBER IN ALBUQUERQUE, WHERE UOP'S PRESIDENT WAS ACCOMPANIED BY LARRY ECHO HAWK, SPECIAL COUNSEL TO THE GOVERNOR OF UTAH ON NATIVE AMERICAN AFFAIRS. FOR THE SEPTEMBER MEETING, THE INTERTRIBAL COALITION INVITED PROFESSOR JORDAN SMITH OF UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY, TO PRESENT HIS RESEARCH ON TRAVEL PATTERNS AND RELATED CRITERIA FOR SITING THE CULTURAL CENTER (RESEARCH FUNDED BY UOP). ALSO IN 2023, PROFESSOR SMITH COMPLETED HIS STUDY ON THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT A CULTURAL CENTER COULD HAVE. UOP FUNDED THIS STUDY FOR THE PURPOSE OF BUILDING SUPPORT FOR THE CENTER. UOP ASSEMBLED MATERIALS SUPPORTING THE CULTURAL CENTER IDEA INTO A SUBSTANTIAL BOOKLET THAT WAS CIRCULATED AT THE SEPTEMBER MEETING AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO UTAH POLICY LEADERS. IN NOVEMBER 2023, WE RECEIVED WORD THAT THE INTERTRIBAL COALITION HAD DECIDED TO PROCEED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PLANS FOR A CULTURAL CENTER. THIS DECISION REPRESENTED THE FRUIT OF A LOT OF EFFORT BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS OVER THE PRIOR SEVERAL YEARS. ADDITIONAL DISCUSSIONS (SOMETIMES INVOLVING TRAVEL BY UOP'S PRESIDENT) WITH THE INTERTRIBAL COALITION AND INDIVIDUAL TRIBAL LEADERS CONTINUED IN 2023 REGARDING NEXT STEPS TO FURTHER THE CREATION OF THE CULTURAL CENTER. UOP COMMISSIONED ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS FOR THE BEARS EARS CULTURAL CENTER. THE RENDERINGS WERE COMPLETED IN EARLY 2023 AND PROVED USEFUL IN THE AFOREMENTIONED 2023 MEETINGS TO BUILD INTEREST IN PLANNING THE CENTER. UOP'S OTHER PRIORITY CONSISTS OF ENLISTING PARTICIPANTS IN UTAH'S FAST- GROWING TECHNOLOGY SECTOR TO ADVOCATE FOR ADDITIONAL OUTDOOR RECREATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENHANCED CONSERVATION OF PUBLIC LANDS. UOP MET WITH UTAH TECH LEADS AND SEVERAL OTHER LEADERS IN THE TECH INDUSTRY TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, DEVELOP STRATEGY, AND TO ENLIST SUPPORT FOR EDUCATIONAL EFFORTS DIRECTED AT UTAH POLICY LEADERS.