Cedar City Summit Tackles Balancing Development With Southern Utah’s Recreation Future

As Southern Utah continues to grow, one question becomes increasingly important: How do you build for more people without losing the outdoor experiences that attracted them here in the first place?

That question will be part of the conversation next week when the Utah Outdoor Recreation Summit comes to Cedar City. The September 8 and 9 event, hosted by the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation, will bring recreation professionals, land managers, community leaders and others together under the theme “Built Here. For Tomorrow.”

Two hikers with backpacks walking along a trail toward snow-capped mountains

The first day will give summit participants an opportunity to experience some of what Southern Utah has to offer, with activities including mountain biking and hiking in the Iron Hills Trail System, an OHV ride near Duck Creek, a tour of the Three Peaks Special Recreation Management Area, the Kanarraville Falls hike and other outdoor activities.

Recreation Opportunities Balance With Land Responsibility

Those activities also demonstrate the variety of demands being placed on Southern Utah's recreational lands. Three Peaks, for example, accommodates mountain bikers, OHV users, RC enthusiasts, paintball players and others, making it an example of the challenge involved in providing recreation opportunities for a growing population while managing the land responsibly.

The Iron Hills Trail System provides another example. The interconnected trail network on Bureau of Land Management property has grown to more than 30 miles and carries National Recreation Trail designation. The summit will use the area as an opportunity to examine how trails are planned and built and how partnerships can turn recreation ideas into permanent community assets.

Two people paddling a small boat on a calm lake

The discussion extends beyond trails and tourism. Speakers during the conference will address subjects ranging from sustainable tourism and public-land management to adaptive recreation, youth programs and the connection between access to nature and personal wellbeing.

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There is also a significant economic component. Outdoor recreation contributes more than $9.5 billion annually to Utah's economy and supports approximately 72,000 jobs.

But perhaps the most important issue is what comes next.

two people in kayaks paddling on the water

Southern Utah is becoming increasingly popular precisely because of its open spaces, trails, mountains and public lands. The challenge is to make sure that growth doesn't diminish those resources.

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The Outdoor Recreation Summit offers an opportunity to consider how Southern Utah can continue building recreation opportunities today while making sure there is still something worth protecting tomorrow.