MOAB, Utah — A popular event that attracted hundreds of visitors will not take place in 2021.
The Red Rock Four Wheelers announced their annual Easter Jeep Safari is canceled.
In a statement on its website, the group cited crowd restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for the cancellation.
“In a meeting with the Grand County administrator and Grand County Attorney to review the ordinance, it was determined that there was no wiggle room to the limits,” the statement reads.
Currently, Grand County is in the high-risk level for COVID-19 transmission.
According to a county health order, special events are limited to 250 participants when the risk level is high.
But the county maintains it tried to compromise with the event organizers.
“I offered to them to draft an amendment to the ordinance to change the 250 per person, per day limit from total dispersed participants to just by discreet location,” said Chris Baird, Grand County Commission administrator. “I can’t waive our ordinance because its law. I offered to amend it to make their event work and they declined that offer.”
If organizers agreed to the amendment, it would have gone in front of the entire commission for approval.
“I would have lobbied all the commissioners to encourage them to support it,” said Mary McGann, the chair of the Grand County Commission. “I think its sad Moab is not going to have the Jeep Safari.”
