Despite the lessened rhetoric online right now, our public lands are still very much under attack from the current administration. Senator Mike, my senator from Utah, still hates that we have access to public lands. The Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum is still doing his damndest to sell them all off. Budget cuts, personnel cuts, and massive riffs have decimated those working within the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
The latter of which is set to be run by another Captain Planet villain, r.e, Steve Pearce, who was just nominated to the position and who's hated by just about everyone who loves public land. Basically, the fight ain't over, though I'd very much like it to be.
But within those cuts, something I've spoken about before, was funding cuts that'd affect avalanche forecasting and mitigation across the West. And at the time, I wrote that those cuts would likely get folks killed or seriously injured, as snowmobile season, along with backcountry snowsports like skiing and snowboarding, was just around the corner.
Thankfully, some things are being done to help fund part of the gap from the Feds turning tail on its own citizens through Polaris' awesome Trail Grants program.
The award comes on the back half of the company's biannual Trail Grants program, and was part of a funding package that included a number of other programs and grants that went to improve access, protect lands, and generally help the off-roading community. But the one I want to highlight is the grant that went to the Friends of Utah Avalanche Forecast Center Inc.
According to the group, "The nonprofit Utah Avalanche Center (UAC) partners with the US Forest Service Utah Avalanche Center to provide avalanche forecasting, education, and awareness in Utah. The Friends of the Utah Avalanche Center (FUAC) was formed in 1990 to help bridge the gap between the available funding and actual expenses of operating an avalanche center and to protect the program from year-to-year Forest Service funding fluctuation. Today, the UAC is responsible for all avalanche awareness and education in Utah, as well as funding and strategic management of the partnership. About 2/3 of the total program funding is raised through the non-profit UAC, with the remainder coming from the Forest Service, State of Utah, and Salt Lake County directly to pay Forest Service partner expenses."
Now, that funding portion is why I wanted to highlight this specific grant from Polaris, as that money from the Forest Service just likely isn't coming this year thanks to the Trump administration's cuts. Whether it was through DOGE's takeover, or through Secretary Burgum's appointment and subsequent internal cuts himself, the Forest Service is working with a skeleton staff and little to no funding. If you haven't been paying attention, the goal is to prove the Forest Service and BLM don't work, as outlined in Project 2025, so they can then make the case we need to sell them all off to private businesses and individuals.
Make it not work to hoodwink the populace is the play. Too bad nearly every American approves of public lands. That hasn't stopped the attacks, though. But Polaris' Trails Grant stepped in, after receiving a request, to grant the avalanche program a cool $10,000 toward ensuring we all don't die this year in the backcountry.
"We’re incredibly grateful to Polaris for their generous support of avalanche safety in the motorized community in Utah. This grant helps us expand our education and awareness programs for the motorized community, one of the groups most at risk in avalanche terrain," said Kate Waller, development director, Utah Avalanche Center, adding, "As more riders explore the backcountry, we must continue to provide accessible, relevant avalanche forecasting and safety information, as well as training."
Polaris' Reid Wilson added, "Local riding clubs and organizations are the backbone of the off-road community, dedicating countless hours to maintaining trails, promoting safe riding practices, and building community. These grassroots organizations bring so much energy to the sport and our TRAILS GRANTS program is one of our ways to say thank you. We’re proud to help them keep the ride going."
