Daily news: Two new laws could affect outdoor recreators in Utah

This is your daily news rundown for Tuesday, April 1. In this edition:

• Part of Jordan River Parkway Trail will temporarily close for environmental and safety concerns
• Two new laws could affect outdoor recreators in Utah

Part of the Jordan River Parkway Trail in Salt Lake City is being closed for several months while officials address environmental and safety concerns.

During the closure, which stretches from Cottonwood Park to 700 North, officials will remove overgrown vegetation, install improved lighting, restore damaged riverbanks, and relocate part of the trail to the other side of the river for improved sight lines.

In an announcement of the closure on Monday, the office of Mayor Erin Mendenhall said the area had also seen an increase in criminal behavior in recent months, and that the Salt Lake City Police Department has increased its presence there as part of the mayor’s 2025 public safety plan.

During the closure, there will be a marked detour in place for recreators.

Among the hundreds of bills passed during Utah’s 2025 legislative session were several related to wildlife management which may affect Utah recreators.

Senate Bill 8 allows the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources to increase nonresident license fees in order to purchase land for hunting and fishing. Those increases, which average about $20 and don’t affect residents, will go into effect July 1.

A full list of fee increases can be found on the division’s website.

House Bill 309, Wildlife Amendments, had a number of changes for both wildlife officials and recreators.

Under the law, adults must now possess a hunting, fishing, or combination license to access wildlife management areas and waterfowl management areas in Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber counties.

Other changes include clarified language for when someone can engage in night hunting for nonprotected wildlife and an updated definition of a wildlife management area.