A state task force charged, in part, with assessing Utah's outdoor tourism assets is quickly finding its hands full.

Michael Deaver, chairman of the Outdoor Recreation Economic Ecosystem Task Force, said the group's first phase of work — creating an inventory of those assets — is a challenge.

"It's been a very daunting task of just compiling the information of what these assets and gems are. We're still in that mode," Deaver told the Utah Legislature's Tourism Task Force on Monday.

Deaver's task force, created by executive order, will identify those gems and later propose strategies to promote, protect and maintain them.

The inventory phase could be completed as early as the fourth quarter of this year. The final phase, calling for management plans, could be ready in early 2007.

"When we say 'gems,' we're talking about everything from the national parks to the ski resorts to the local fishing hole. We want to know everything, by county, that county officials would want us to know about our sector to better come up with strategies to maintain. When we say 'promote' . . . from a state perspective of how do we go out and better promote the state of Utah, we want to really take an inventory of everything the state has to offer from a tourism perspective," Deaver said.

"When we say 'protect,' that doesn't necessarily mean 'prohibit,' but it means, 'How do we mitigate tourism in particular areas?' And in some places it may mean, 'How do we stop?' Because there may not be the infrastructure in certain areas (to handle strong tourism)."

Deaver noted that an overriding issue will be how to balance the commercial aspects of the environment with being stewards of that environment.

A few Tourism Task Force members noted that several legislative groups and others have been working on tourism issues and need to be brought into discussions so there is efficient use of activities and, if possible, little duplication of efforts.

"It's so easy to miss some data that's been collected by somebody else without being aware that it's there," said Rep. Peggy Wallace, R-West Jordan, who proposed a summit for various stakeholders.

Rep. Sheryl Allen, R-Bountiful, said she also wants the group to collect statistics on how much outdoor tourists spend in Utah.

Deaver's task force is enlisting the help of county commissioners, municipalities, private industry, academic groups, the state Office of Tourism, national and federal agencies and legislators.

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E-mail: bwallace@desnews.com