Duchesne, Utah • A state park in east-central Utah has been renamed in honor of a former director of the Division of Parks and Recreation.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held Tuesday at Fred Hayes State Park at Starvation, formerly Starvation State Park.
After beginning his career with Parks and Recreation in 1982 as a seasonal ranger, Hayes rose through the ranks and served as division director from 2012 until 2018, the year he died.
The park is located in Duchesne (doo-shayne) and named after 3,495-acre Starvation Reservoir.
According to the park’s website, the origin of the previous name has been attributed to various legends, two involving a food cache stolen either by mountain men or American Indians and another about livestock that perished due to hunger.
