That includes almost 660 leisure and hospitality employees at national parks and recreation areas and more than 600 people at the Federal Aviation Association.
National Park Service jobs in Utah grew 8% from 2005 to 2024, while national park visitation increased 100% during that same period.
The report explains the economic relationship between Utah and the federal government, stating it is vital in the state’s travel and tourism industry.
In 2023, Kem C. Gardner reported the federal government allocated almost $50 million in ongoing funds to Utah's federal parks.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported in 2023 it cost Utah more than $7,600 a day to run Arches National Park, one of the state’s most visited national sites. That’s almost $2.8 million a year for one park.
Utah’s federally-funded parks comprise 5.6 million acres of state land.
In 2024, the U.S. Department of Transportation allocated over $50 million through its Airport Improvement Program grant fund to the Salt Lake City International Airport and six regional and 11 municipal airports.
Utah’s public transportation systems, including airports, roads, bridges, mass transit and electric vehicle charging stations, have received hundreds of millions of additional federal grant dollars in recent years.
