The future of Cedar City’s Thunderbird Gardens is uncertain, as the organizations tasked with maintaining the park step back to reassess their roles regarding the park’s upkeep.
The announcement was made on Monday, Oct. 13. According to reports, there have been issues with tree cutting, trash dumping and other forms of vandalism throughout the park in the past, prompting the organizations involved to determine what can best be done to clean and preserve the park.
The park’s upkeep has been maintained by Cedar City, the Bureau of Land Management and Southern Utah University for many years, with the most recent addition to the area being a disc golf course that was established in 2019. This partnership was maintained through an agreement called a Memorandum of Understanding.
According to BLM Field Office Manager Jacqueline Russell, that agreement has since been disbanded.
“The Government Accountability Office has clarified that appropriated funds cannot be used to make improvements on non-federal lands. In light of that clarification and in the interest of fiscal responsibility, the Cedar City Field Office had to formally terminate the MOU. Although the MOU allowed for amendments to reflect changing conditions, the agreement was not modified,” she told Cedar City News.
This has the potential to impact numerous individuals, from the people in charge of maintaining Thunderbird Gardens, to the students who go there to engage in recreational activities. The termination of this agreement means that the organizations that have decided to upkeep the park are no longer in partnership, and the BLM is now searching for new groups to partner up with.
This also has the potential to impact the disc golf course, which is currently being maintained by SUU. The outdoor space sees over 82,000 annual visitors, and is currently maintained by volunteer groups. However, the rising popularity of the course will prompt additional infrastructure and maintenance.
Nikki Koontz, assistant vice president of marketing communication at SUU, wrote that the university “remains committed to working with Cedar City and community partners to ensure Thunderbird Gardens remains a safe, inclusive and sustainable recreation area. We look forward to exploring future opportunities for collaboration and investment.”
Despite the uncertainty of the future of Thunderbird Gardens, the park remains a favorite spot for residents of Cedar City.
Author: Conner Dean
Photo: Courtesy of Visit Cedar City
Editor: Briar Adams
outdoors@suunews.net