Uintah Basin Revitalization Fund

Overview

The Uintah Basin Revitalization Fund was created to maximize the long-term benefit of oil and gas severance taxes derived from lands held in trust by the federal government for the Ute Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation. It is intended to promote cooperation and coordination between the state, its political subdivisions and the tribe.

Statutory Authority

The Uintah Basin Revitalization Fund (UBRF) is a program of the State of Utah authorized in Section 35A-8-1601, et seq. The goal of the UBRF is to provide grants and loans (primarily grants) to agencies of county and tribal government in the Uintah Basin, which are impacted by the development of oil and gas interests held in trust for the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation and its members.

Board Membership

The UBRF is controlled by a five-member board comprised of a governor’s designee, a Duchesne County Commissioner, a Uintah County Commissioner and two representatives of the Ute Indian Tribe’s Business Committee.

The Housing and Community Development Division, within the Utah Department of Workforce Services, provides administrative and operational support to the UBRF. Department staff administer the applications, contracting, financial processes and all day-to-day operations of the fund.

Board Meetings

Visit our internal public notice page or the Utah Public Notice Website for upcoming agendas, past minutes and audio.

For the upcoming meeting agenda and packet, visit the Granicus UBRF meeting portal.

Upcoming Meetings (FY2023-2024)

Eligible Applicants

The UBRF Board may authorize grants and loans (historically all grants) to agencies of Duchesne County, Uintah County or the Ute Indian Tribe that are or may be socially or economically impacted, directly or indirectly, by development of oil and gas interests held in trust for the Ute Indian Tribe.

Formal applications for UBRF grants are submitted by the respective county commissions or the tribal business committee to Utah's Housing and Community Development Division. Division staff prepare the meeting agendas and arrange all meetings. The Uintah Basin Revitalization Fund Board reviews all completed applications; all funding decisions are made by the board and require four affirmative votes.

Priority Projects

• Capital projects, including subsidized and low-income housing and other one-time need projects and programs.
• Projects and programs associated with the geographic area where the oil and gas are produced.

Prohibited Activities

• Start-up or operational costs of private business ventures.
• General operating budgets of Duchesne County, Uintah County or the Ute Indian Tribe.

Funding Process

The UBRF reviews applications and authorizes funding assistance on a periodic basis. Meetings are generally held quarterly. Applications are submitted to the Housing and Community Development Division, which prepares the board agenda, including financial statements and minutes.

Funding Guidelines

Each year, generally at the October meeting, the UBRF allocates its annual revenue between the three eligible entities based on a statutory formula that allocates an equal amount to Duchesne and Uintah County and a higher amount to the Tribe. In 2016 the fund was statutorily capped at $6,620,210.

Approved Projects FY2023

* Annual revenue may exceed annual allocation due to reallocated funds and reduced projects.

Funding Decisions

The UBRF Board will continue to review completed applications of eligible requests from the eligible entities and make funding decisions using the available funds.

UBRF Board Members

(as of 2/1/2024)

Member

• Evan Curtis, Chairman - Governor’s Representative
• Emmett Duncan - Ute Tribe Business Committee
• Mike Natchess - Ute Tribe Business Committee
• Commissioner John Laursen - Uintah County
• Commissioner Greg Miles - Duchesne County