Watershed Symposium 2024

Exploring challenges and gaps with implementing conservation and protection best practices for sensitive lands around Great Salt Lake and the Jordan River. A critical and often overlooked component of a healthy watershed.

Full Abstract:
While communities are putting greater focus on increasing density and redeveloping urban spaces, critical natural lands and agricultural areas at the edges of our cities continue to be a target for new development. But at what cost? Many city general plans include general guiding principles and goals oriented toward preservation of critical lands, but the tools to actualize these goals often lag far behind development pressures. Our decentralized local land use policies can be a patchwork of strengths and weaknesses, and on a regional issues like preserving sensitive lands around Great Salt Lake, how do you coordinate efforts for the best outcomes. Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County offer a useful and ongoing case study. Both have adopted plans with aspirations to “expand natural lands and watershed protection,” and specific goals to “over the next 25 years, …protect and restore critical wildlife habitat, sensitive natural lands, and open space.” There have been some important wins: setting aside a natural buffer area between the Inland Port in Salt Lake City and wetlands of Great Salt Lake, establishing the Legacy Nature Preserve along the northern extent of the Jordan River in North Salt Lake, and other significant greenways and riparian restoration projects across the Jordan River. But is the rate of suburban, light industrial development outpacing conservation of remaining critical natural areas, particularly integral upland areas that are part of the Great Salt Lake Shorelands ecosystem? Have we done enough? This presentation explores some of the gaps and challenges reconciling broad preservation and restoration goals associated with general plans, and the deficit of codified land use tools encoded in local laws and ordinances. With a very decentralized local government land use structures, lack of coordinated regional frameworks and cooperation around sensitive lands, and often conflicting development pressures, real estate development is often outpacing preservation and restoration of critical lands adjacent to our waterways and Great Salt Lake, putting the capacity for improving water quality, conserving water, sustaining habitat resources of migratory pathways to Global Important Bird Areas and other wildlife at high risk. We present the need for establishing a Shoreline Heritage Area around Great Salt Lake and coordinated efforts to protect and conserve riparian and other natural lands around the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake for both human and wildlife welfare. We’ll present brief case studies with some hits and missed opportunities, as we continue ways to increase coordination and cooperation around our shared conservation efforts.

This panel presentation will explore how stakeholders are working together to safeguard the watershed, wildlife habitat, and ecosystems in the Wasatch Mountains from the threat of wildfires. Interagency panelists will present collaborative programs designed to reduce wildfire hazards through targeted fuel treatments in high-risk areas.

Full Abstract:
The Wasatch Mountains, an iconic landscape beloved for recreation and home to diverse ecosystems, face increasing wildfire risks. In response, several entities, including Save Our Canyons, Salt Lake City Public Utilities, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and the United States Forest Service, are collaborating on wildfire mitigation strategies through Utah's Watershed Restoration Initiative in the Wasatch Mountains. This panel will explore how these stakeholders are working together to safeguard the watershed, wildlife habitat, and recreational areas from the growing threat of wildfires. Panelists will present collaborative programs designed to reduce wildfire hazards through targeted fuel treatments in high-risk areas, protecting both natural and human communities. Key learning objectives of this presentation include building trust among community leaders and residents by enhancing public engagement, communicating critical project milestones, and improving the transparency of fuel treatment efforts. Attendees will learn how these collaborative efforts prioritize effective, sustainable fuel management strategies while considering community input. Panelists will provide detailed insights on how treatment areas are expected to look before, during, and after fuel treatments, managing expectations and ensuring that the public understands the necessity and benefits of these actions. The panel will also highlight the importance of gaining broad support for additional funding and programs from land managers, policymakers, and the public. By discussing methodologies used to prioritize fuel treatment projects in the canyon, panelists will demonstrate how data-driven decisions are being applied to reduce wildfire risks in critical zones, balancing both conservation and public safety. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how cross-agency partnerships can effectively address fire hazards in the Wasatch Mountains and the critical role that community engagement plays in sustaining wildfire mitigation efforts. Through collaborative fire mitigation strategies, we can protect the Central Wasatch’s unique landscapes and the communities that depend on them. Learning Objectives: Build Trust Through Public Engagement: Improve community support for wildfire mitigation efforts by fostering ongoing dialogue, communicating critical project milestones, and enhancing the transparency of fire mitigation efforts. Public Awareness of Fuel Treatments: Ensure that the recreating public is informed about fuel treatment timing and scope in popular recreational areas and trailheads. Manage Public Expectations: Communicate what to expect before, during, and after fuel treatment implementation to gain public understanding and support. Build Support for Funding: Garner community and legislative backing for continued and expanded fire mitigation funding. Prioritization of Projects: Share methodologies used to prioritize fuel treatment projects in high-risk areas, ensuring that resources are used effectively to mitigate wildfire threats. By working together, these agencies are making strides in mitigating wildfire risks while maintaining the integrity and natural beauty of the Wasatch Mountains for generations to come.