SALT LAKE CITY — The Salt Lake County Council passed a resolution supporting efforts to protect Great Salt Lake wetlands.
The bipartisan resolution, pushed by Council Chair Dea Theodore and Council member Natalie Pinkney, was in response to a visit they paid to the area. Chair Theodore said she was struck by how much development was taking place near the wetlands, which are home to millions of migratory birds.
"We just want everyone to be mindful of the nature of what’s going on out there," she said Tuesday.
Advocates for the lake praised the resolution.
"This legacy of really natural preservation in Salt Lake County can be there for future generations or it can be gone," said Jack Ray, the president of the Utah Waterfowl Association.
Lynn de Freitas, the executive director of Friends of Great Salt Lake, said she was "delighted" to speak in support of the council's resolution. She said it is a demonstration by Salt Lake County "that the lake does matter."
The resolution calls for efforts to:
- Prioritize water conservation policies and practices that safeguard inflows to the Great Salt Lake and its wetlands;
- Protect existing Salt Lake County wetlands, Migratory Bird Production Areas, and waterfowl management areas from encroachment and degradation due to urban growth and development;
- Support restoration and mitigation projects that enhance and protect wetland ecosystems and improve habitat quality for migratory birds and other wildlife;
- Engage in cooperative planning and development and decision-making that balances economic development with long-term ecological sustainability of the Great Salt Lake region;
- Promote public awareness and education regarding the ecological, cultural, and economic importance of the Great Salt Lake wetlands and bird habitats
A resolution is a statement by a legislative body and not legally binding. Some who spoke about the resolution on Tuesday urged action to back it up.
"This is important not just for our city and the environment, but really for the nation and the world," Council member Pinkney said.
Council member Laurie Stringham asked if they could look at purchasing property around the Great Salt Lake to protect it. Mayor Jenny Wilson said there was an effort to look at it in the past, but "the price tag went up."
Also on Tuesday, an environmental group gave notice it intended to sue the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service over an endangered species designation for a bird on the Great Salt Lake. The agency had let a deadline pass on deciding whether the Wilson's phalarope qualified for such a designation, so the Center for Biological Diversity sent a notice of intent to sue.
A copy of the letter was shared with FOX 13 News. The group planned a rally on Wednesday on the shores of the Great Salt Lake to outline their pending litigation and call for more action to save the lake.
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lake—and what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Read all of our stories at greatsaltlakenews.org.
