Utah legislation addressed the creation of Utahraptor State Park and Lost Creek State Park. The bill authorized the Division of Parks and Recreation to use portions of the Dalton Wells area for Utahraptor State Park and to enter into an agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation to use Lost Creek Reservoir as a state park.
The legislation provided for Utahraptor State Park to be included within the state park system. The Division of Parks and Recreation was authorized to receive land or facility donations, engage in land transfers, or purchase land or facilities in the Dalton Wells area for the park. The division was prohibited from opening Utahraptor State Park to the public until sufficient funding was received from the General Fund or the State Building Board for land acquisitions and capital improvements. Ongoing operations for Utahraptor State Park were to be funded through the restricted fees account of the Division of Parks and Recreation, with land acquisitions and capital investments intended to keep the park financially self-sustaining.
Regarding Lost Creek State Park, the division was authorized to enter into an agreement with the United States Bureau of Reclamation to manage recreational operations at Lost Creek Reservoir. Once an agreement was entered, the Lost Creek area would be included in the state park system. The bill specified that hunting in Lost Creek State Park is limited to waterfowl only.
The bill included a one-time appropriation of $36,500,000 from the General Fund, One-time, to the Department of Natural Resources for the Division of Parks Capital for renovation and development. This appropriation was intended for fiscal year 2022. The legislature intended for up to $7,500,000 of those funds to be used to acquire land in the Dalton Wells area for Utahraptor State Park.
