The two latest bedfellows in the quest to riddle the Wasatch Mountains with SkiLink, Interconnect, or One Wasatch— view their master plan in this interconnect map.
Get Your Hands Off Our Headwaters
Save Our Canyons is dedicated to protecting the beauty and wildness of the Wasatch Mountains, canyons, and foothills.
This is a quarterly publication provided by Citizens’ Committee to Save Our Canyons CONTENTS:
The Real Radicals…………..........P2-P3 Volunteering Can Move Mountains.................P4 Will Transportation Decisions Help ........P5 Roadless Rule Recap………...........…P6 For the Community — by the Community….....P7 #KeepGrizzlyWild and #UpholdRoadless….....P7 Wilderness Stewardship and Education Plan Back For Another Year.....P8-P9 17th Annual Lone Peak Celebration…...P10-11 Welcome Logan Hastings…..…..........P12 More Than Just Grizzly Gulch...........P13-p15 Good, Bad and Ugly…….......P16-17 New Save Our Canyons Board Members.....P18-P19
Spring 2019 Newsletter 824 S 400 W B115 Salt Lake City, UT 84101 (801) 363-7283 https://saveourcanyons.org ALEXIS KELNER Editor Emeritus
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The Real Radicals Written by Our Executive Director Carl Fisher
It has been a wild ride the past several months. The Wasatch has been hammered by storm after storm this past winter — a drought busting El Niño year. When the Wasatch is filled with snow it, now more than ever, is filled with those seeking to enjoy Ullr’s offerings. Of course, for all of us locally, we will get to enjoy this bounty for months to come, as these snows give way to fields of wildflowers, torrents of waters cascading down canyon into our taps, and foliage that provides habitat for our feathered and furred friends, turning vibrant red and gold come autumn. These storms too, did us another great service this year. The perpetual storm cycle kept the grey goo (locally known as air) from building to toxic levels. All is well when it snows, unless of course you are one of the thousands frenetically driving solo vying for that first chair on a powder day, choking out the capacity of our roads. While Nathan Rafferty of Ski Utah was recently quoted as comparing these conditions to that of a “third world country” (https://www.sltrib.com/ news/environment/2019/03/31/ikon-epic-ski-passesmay/), we think this is the epitome of a first world problem. People in a third world country however, (although the term is outdated or further culturally insensitive), I would imagine, don’t have the free time or financial means to spend $1,000 on a ski pass and even more on the latest geometry of skis, boots, and apparel, to arrive at a mountain chalet with the finest gallery of oriental rugs, lavish accommodations, and zagat rated cuisine. I’ll only briefly mention the notion of a heated-chairlift. I’d gander to say that the value of items in a person’s car for any ski day, might be worth more than what a person makes in the developing world on an annual basis. A very not woke assessment of our first world struggles. Regardless, of your assessment of the severity of our recreational congestion, I’m reminded of a generational sentiment stating our mighty Wasatch Canyons are not, and perhaps should not become equipped to handle all the skier days we can throw at them. We are living the future we cautioned against nearly 50 years ago when Save Our Canyons was founded, stating the Wasatch www.saveourcanyons.org
cannot handle the crushing pressures of so many ski areas. Frenzied, powder hungry skiers rush our canyons with the same consumptive mentality found only at a door buster’s Black Friday sale. It also seems that regardless of the overnight totals, or the fact that you are headed into the mountains in the dead of winter, the road conditions must be free of any hazard. We are literally at war with the geologic forces that shaped the canyons we seek to enjoy. This past winter, I had the opportunity to join UDOT on a ride along as they cleared the highway for a storm that produced about 16” of new snow. It is amazing to me the resources required to open up the highway. I’d guess most of these worker’s days start at about 3am. By 4am we were driving up the canyon and a little before 9am the road is opened. For those 5 hours between, nearly every piece of heavy machinery is used. The dark of night is interrupted by blasts and booms from avalanche control devices and the inspiring morning alpenglow is augmented by the concussion blast of howitzers’ Carl Fisher, Executive Director munitions whistling from canyon wall to canyon wall. Is this activity representative of the value we hold for these canyons? Should they be open all the time to ensure they are at the ready to entertain our recreational pursuits? This past December a panel of legislators called us environmental extremists and radicals for urging the protection of these canyons. They blame protective designations, such as wilderness, roadless areas or conservation areas as the catalyst for destructive wildfires, despite their own state agencies analysis showing these lands being the most resistant to fire. In fact, over 90% of the acreage burned in the past 15 years was ignited within ¼ of a mile from a road and the source of the fire was humans. This trend suggests that it is our land use ordinances, failing to prohibit developments that is actually leading to the wildfire epidemic we are seeing. This growth not only puts our forests and watersheds at risk, but the fire fighters who risk their lives to defend communities. We don’t build in a rivers flood plains (mainly because you can’t get insurance, not for lack of trying), why are we allowing development to intensify in areas where fires are part of the ecosystem, then asking to cut down all the trees so they don’t burn? Our human world continues trying to figure out what we should build to make the Wasatch better. This is a fool’s errand. The pressure to put more lanes for cars, more parking spaces, more hotel rooms, more roads to chop down our trees to make room for more homes, is continual. It won’t stop until we put policies in place that make it harder to develop something than it does to protect the place. There is no administrative option to afford protections to lands in the Wasatch, yet administrations perpetually accommodate the permanence of developments. The path we are on is not sustainable and we need to change both our policies and our behaviors quickly before more harm is done to this region. The real radicals and extremists are those who want to take from the future the opportunity to experience a wild landscape, who pass on the costs of repairing a degraded watershed to future generations, who fight against the realization of protections in pursuit of more contraptions that make these mountains safer and more comfortable. Many of the projects and campaigns we are engaged with are working toward not repeating these past mistakes. Failure to act upon these changes and attainment of actual solutions for this area are simply a perpetuation of the past: another cut among the prior thousands and the generational loss of experiences and values that cannot be built, only protected against. www.saveourcanyons.org
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Volunteering Can Move Mountains Written By Our Campaigns Coordinator Alex Schmidt
I have been involved with Save Our Canyons for a good stretch at this point. Relative to the geologic timeline that measures the formation of the Limestone and Granite walls of the Wasatch canyons, it may be insignificant. But for me, the nearly 10 years since I first volunteered with Save Our Canyons feels substantial. A favorite quote of mine, that pops into my head often while admiring the diversity of geologic wonders around us is, “Geologic time includes now” ( Gerry Roach). If you’ve been feeling like a granite boulder, teetering on the edge of the volunteering cliff, there is no time like the present to get involved and become a part of Save Our Canyons through volunteering. The hundreds of volunteers who have helped shape this organization are akin to the powerful forces that have carved and transformed this landscape. Save Our Canyons is the sum of all the work that has been put into this organization by our members, your volunteer hours, passion and sweat continue to mold SOC’s community and stewardship. And so, like every summer since I joined SOC as a volunteer, we’re in the market for a significant number of Wasatch advocates to help with our Wilderness Stewardship Project and Wilderness portal sign replacement (funded by National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance), Big Cottonwood Highway Clean ups and summer community outreach events. Become a part of our organization by committing some time to give back to a place that provides clean water, year-round recreation, and a home too many, many intriguing and iconic animals and plants. As you read through this newsletter, you’ll find more details and ways you can apply your unique skills to donate a few hours to help Save Our Canyons. Invite a friend and maybe make a new hiking partner. Learn about why others, like you, care about nature and our planet. Research has shown that being social and volunteering are likely to significantly increase the quality and longevity of one’s life. We welcome individuals, large groups and everyone in between to join us at any event. As a small organization up against big threats to this finite Wasatch Range, you certainly will have an impact. For more details or to RSVP for volunteering please contact alex@saveourcanyons.org!
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www.saveourcanyons.org
Will Transportation Decisions Help or Hinder Conservation of the Wasatch? Written By Our Campaigns Coordinator Alex Schmidt
As Utah’s population and the popularity of outdoor activities in the Central Wasatch continues to increase at steady rates, will transportation decisions assist in conservation or degrade these majestic canyons? Currently, there are two efforts being undertaken that need your input about access and traffic congestion. Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is seeking your perspectives and ideas on a draft scoping Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for transportation issues between Wasatch Boulevard and Little Cottonwood Canyon. In addition, to UDOT’s scoping process, the Central Wasatch Commission (CWC), has outlined goals for their Cottonwood Canyons (LCC and BCC) Transportation Action Plan (CCTAP) which in summary is to ensure a safe, reliable transportation experience that supports the natural and intrinsic values of the Central Wasatch Mountains. As we have seen in recent years, transportation, management, and safety in these canyons have come to a head. Winter, powder day traffic congestion is not sustainable, but there also exists heavy use year round. Save Our Canyons, with a partners from Sierra Club, Friends of Alta, Wasatch Backcountry Alliance and League of Women Voters have outlined the following points that we see at the necessary guiding principles as this process moves forward to focus on collective community values we hold for this area, and implement solutions that realize a healthy future for our population and the Wasatch Mountains. Protect our watershed by: • Undertaking a carrying capacity study: Just how many people can these canyon ecosystems handle before not only user experience is diminished but water quality, ecosystem health and habitat begin to fail? • Implementing “Intelligent Transportation System” bus operation: Call them Wasatch Shuttles, Further 2.0, Ubertopia Canyon Lyfties, or UTA Canyon Transport; the idea is “greatly improves routing and scheduling because of the valuable data generated on ridership and it’s route efficiency.” A dependable year round, reliable bus system using this ITS model would take thousands of cars out of the canyon, address UTA avalanche control and safety issues and protect our air and water. • Developing valley parking infrastructure to support bus transit: The main question SOC is seeking to have answered is whether we have a goal of accommodating cars or accommodating public transit? Ample parking areas around the valley removes the bottleneck at canyon mouths and removes impacts from private vehicle traffic from daily visitors. • Implement a fee for day user not using bus public transit: Incentivizing use of public transit and creates revenue that could be used for canyon upkeep e.g toilets, trails, and transportation. • We are asking: Each of the 17 municipalities, with a priority placed on those represented on the Central Wasatch Commission to sign a resolution in support of these four directives. There are many ideas floating around and we need you to provide feedback so that whatever project gets OK’d through these processes doesn’t forever alter the Wasatch. Clearly, our choices in the past, be them conscious decisions or deciding to just see what happens— have led to the conditions vexing us all and challenging our values today. Save Our Canyons stands by the need to have a transportation shift that protects our water and land with an emphasis on balancing use and limiting impacts as visitation continues to soar. The capacity of the Central Wasatch Canyons may have already exceeded a sustainable level; now we should focus on collective community values we hold for this area, and implement solutions that realize a healthy future for our population and the Wasatch Mountains. www.saveourcanyons.org
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Roadless Rule Recap Written By Our Roadless Rule Campaign Organizer Logan Hastings
Since May 2018, when Governor Herbert expressed his intent to create a state-specific Roadless Rule, Save Our Canyons has been fighting to keep protections for Utah’s 4 million acres of roadless areas. Without sufficient public input or scientific support, The Governor and his Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office (PLPCO) submitted a critically flawed petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), who oversees the U.S. Forest Service, on February 28th. 2019 for a Utah-specific rule . Now, there’s a long road ahead for the rulemaking process now, and that’s why we need your help.
What you need to do:
What you need to know:
• Hopefully, there will be public meetings hosted locally- if PLPCO doesn’t give Salt Lake Valley the run-around again. We’ll keep you posted on these dates so you can make sure to attend the meeting closest to you and carpool with your friends who also care about the Wasatch!
• The alleged motivation behind this proposal is wildfire management. However, the science and logic behind this claim do not add up. Over 80% of all fires are caused by humans, and the majority of Utah’s fires are started outside of roadless areas where people have easier access. Since this is the case, fire mitigation efforts should be focused where humans are interacting with wildlands, and where these wildlands pose an immediate and proximate threat to Utah communities. • The Governor also claims the current Roadless Rule restricts the restoration of forests and calls for more “flexibility” in his proposal. That doesn’t explain the 100% approval rate for recent exceptions to the rule. With a backlog of 1.3 million acres of shovel-ready projects, the Forest Service does not even have the funding to do their jobs with the flexibility they already have, and a lengthy, expensive policy change will certainly not make the job easier. • Colorado and Idaho have been the only states to complete this process before, requiring up to 7 years to submit a petition. Utah started this process less than a year ago, and they initially wanted the petition finished by the end of 2018. Because of this rushed scramble, the petition was delayed until February 28th, as if their disappointing efforts are beginning to catch up to them.
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• Sign our online petition to the USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue, and request that he immediately reject Utah’s misguided petition before Utah begins to waste taxpayer dollars on this unnecessary attack on our forests. • If the petition gets approved, the USDA will begin a scoping period around May. This scoping period will allow for more public comments, which you can submit directly to the agency through our comment portal online.
• Get out and enjoy your Roadless Areas! This convoluted designation tends to overshadow the actual areas in the Wasatch we value and visit the most like Mt. Aire, Grandeur Peak, White Pine, Coldwater Canyon, and Rock Canyon. When it comes down to it, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Rather than creating a tedious policy change that consumes taxpayers dollars, Utah needs to assess and restore forest health by looking at forests holistically, rather than just focusing on roadless areas. Wildfire is something we all need to take seriously living in Utah, and it seems like the State of Utah has missed that memo by hurrying a petition to fragment forest management and ignore the most important aspects of restoring healthy forests and protecting Utahns from wildfire.
www.saveourcanyons.org
For the Community — by the Community Written By Our Development Director Grace Tyler
With your help over the last several years we are positioned to be the generation that implements lasting conservation on the Wasatch Range. In January we had the opportunity to meet with a company called Midwest Floor Coverings after they donated $10,000 to Save Our Canyons. It was powerful and inspiring to meet with the President, Chief Financial Officer, and Vice President Countertops, Cabinets, and Millworks of Midwest Floor Coverings to hear why they are passionate about protecting the Wasatch Mountains. We all have the option to pick from a variety of business to support. When looking for new countertops and cabinets, outdoor gear, a nice Alta, Utah LCC; Photographer Marie Kay; Instagram: @kayblujay place to eat, refreshing beverages, and more; please remember to support the protection of the Wasatch Mountains, canyons, and foothills. We are always looking for sponsors that want to help protect the Wasatch Mountains — if you or your company are interest please contact grace@saveourcanyons.org.
#KeepGrizzlyWild and #UpholdRoadless Written By Our Development Director Grace Tyler
We at Save Our Canyons have a lot of different talents, but drawing is not one of them! Thank you Stacy Messerschmidt from Catchafire.org for helping us with these amazing campaign illustrations. She volunteered her time to help with this project — and it never would have been done without her. If you are on Instagram make sure to follow her today, @stacymesserschmidt, and if you’re looking for an illustrator visit her website today: www.stacymesserschmidt.com. What will we do with these illustrations? Follow us on Instagram to find out. www.saveourcanyons.org
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Wilderness Stewardship and Education Plan Back For Another Year Written By Our Education and Stewardship Coordinator Luke Golden
The Wilderness Stewardship Project and Wilderness Education Plan are coming back for 2019. Last year we kicked off these two projects to improve the environment and educate the visitors about wilderness areas. It is important that we encourage every individual in the valley to take the time to learn and care about these areas and hopefully to improve them through volunteering and stewardship. We realize that a large segment of the population of the valley uses the mountains in various ways, but many lack a functional understanding of the mountains, their importance, and ways in which to preserve their environment. Last year the Stewardship Project focused on Twin Peaks Wilderness. We conducted four volunteer hikes in which we cleared 14 illegal fire pits from Lake Blanche, 15 water features on the Broads Fork Trail, and lopped over-hanging brush that was starting to obstruct the trail. This year we will be focusing our efforts on Lone Peak Wilderness. We will be in close contact with the Forest Service to identify which aspects of this wilderness area need to be improved. This project is scheduled to be on the third weekend of every month from June through September. Most of our volunteer events will start in the morning and finish mid afternoon. 2018 Wilderness Stewardship Project; Twin Peaks Without the help of our dedicated and caring volunteers, Save Our Canyons would not have been able to complete the first year of this project. Last year we were thankful to have twenty volunteers come out to help throughout the four volunteer days.
Our goal this year is to double the number of dedicated volunteers so that we can get even more done. There are multiple ways to get involved and all are equally important. In order to stay up to date about the project and volunteer opportunities, volunteers can check our social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for posts about upcoming Wilderness Stewardship Events. To assist the Wilderness Stewardship Project, SOC has taken on the responsibility of compiling education plans for wilderness areas in the Wasatch, in conjunction with the USFS. These plans are designed to educate people in the valley about designated Wilderness Areas and also stewardship. The education plan consists of a website, brochure, plant identification cards, presentations, displays and talking points for rangers.
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www.saveourcanyons.org
The Twin Peaks Wilderness website can be found on the Save Our Canyons Website. Each year we will add a new Wilderness Area to the website to inform the public. The Twin Peak Wilderness Brochure will be used to inform people about these beautiful areas as well as teach them how to be properly used and maintained. These brochures will be available at RoHa Brewing, Fisher Brewing, 2nd Tracks, REI, IME, Patagonia, Cotopaxi, Black Diamond, Momentum Climbing Gym, Wasatch Touring, and the Salt Lake City Ranger Station. Those interested in volunteering can also check the Wilderness Stewardship Page on our website, sign up to be on our email list ,and can contact our Education and Stewardship Coordinator, Luke Golden at luke@saveourcanyons.org. 2018 Wilderness Stewardship Project; Twin Peaks
We would like to give a big thank you to Third Sun Productions for helping us during our branding refresh, we could not have done this without you. www.saveourcanyons.org
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17th Annual Lone Peak Celebration Written By Our Development Director Grace Tyler
With dramatic peaks rising nearly seven thousand feet above the Salt Lake Valley, the Wasatch Mountains are unique in providing access to exceptional high quality backcountry and pristine wild lands within miles of a vibrant metropolitan area. The Wasatch is the cornerstone of Utah’s outdoors lifestyle, a primary motivator behind business relocation and population retention. More than just being important to human inhabitants, the Wasatch are critical habitat for over 1200 species of flora and Executive Director Carl Fisher chatting about the Wasatch; Photograph by Nick Uthe! fauna and are also part of the western wildlife corridor. In the past year the Wasatch, which act as the watershed for the million plus residents living nearby, saw nearly six million user visits. That’s roughly equivalent to the combined visitation numbers for all five of Utah’s National Parks, but in an area one fifth the size. Save Our Canyons was founded in 1972 in response to the threat of urbanization of the Wasatch Mountains. We have had important successes in our 45-year history. Through years of hard work and perseverance, the Save Our Canyons community successfully organized for three wilderness designations areas within the Wasatch: Lone Peak, Twin Peaks, and Mt. Olympus wilderness — this caused the formation of our Annual Lone Peak Celebration. This celebration gave people the opportunity to mix and mingle with others working to protect the Wasatch Mountains while knowing their ticket price went towards different campaigns. We would like to thank everyone that attended our 17th Annual Lone Peak Celebration and helping us raise over $25,000. We could not have held with event without our amazing sponsors: Official Photographer: Nick Uthe
Music By: Smokin’ Blues Band
Food Provided by: Mazza
Drinks Provided by: Red Rock Brewing Montucky Cold Snacks Beehive Distilling Dented Brick Distillery
Tom Stillinger; Bass Len Eldridge; Guitar and Vocals Phil Triolo; Clarinets and Saxes
Desserts Provided by: Bohemian Baklava City Cakes
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www.saveourcanyons.org
One of the best parts about this events (other than you our members) is our silent auction. We had some incredible items this year and we cannot say thank you enough for everyone that made an in-kind donation: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Chris Monte Photography Voile Backcountry Manufacturing CoreLife Eatery KUHL Patagonia Outlet Salt Lake City Freshies Lobster Park City Culinary Institute Social Axe Throwing Red Butte Garden Lucy Golden Jewelry The Coyote Shuttle Black Diamond Jan Baker Kennington Chocolate Conspiracy Kingsbury Hall The Living Planet Aquarium Wasatch Touring Great Basin Chiropractic 2nd Tracks Jonathan Frioux Kathy Schmidt Howie Garber Goal Zero The Front Climbing Gym Salt Cycles Gregory Brooks and Patty Tyler
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Keen Fred Staff The State Room Utah Hogle Zoo The Leonardo Nick Uthe Photography Suunto- (AmerSports) Hale Centre Theatre Porcupine Pub & Grille Osprey Sam Werstak Photography Spa Moab Ascension Sales Group Utah Shakespeare Festival Xmission Loksak Ruth’s Chris Steak House Karen Millar Kendall Art Jena Schmidt Clay by Gus Fisher Brewery Jill Schwartz Tracy Aviary Utah Symphony I Utah Opera The Natural Histroy Museum Loom and Kiln
Music by Smokin’ Blues Band; Photograph by Nick Uthe! www.saveourcanyons.org
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Planned Giving and Stock Donation to benefit Save Our Canyons
Logan Hastings Roadless Rule Campaign Organizer
Welcome Logan Hastings Despite being a Idaho native, Logan Hastings quickly found her home in Salt Lake since moving here in 2016. After growing up in the outdoors, Logan was drawn to the University of Utah for its unparalleled access to outdoor recreation. Soon after moving to Utah, she began interning with Save Our Canyons, and has stayed involved since. She is now studying Geography and Environmental Studies, but in her free time, you can find her skiing, climbing, hiking, and camping throughout Utah, but primarily in her beloved Wasatch.
As a small, grassroots organization, Save Our Canyons depends on generous support from our members to achieve substantial victories in our fight to protect the beauty of the Wasatch Mountains, canyons and foothills. If you’re interested in leaving a legacy of support for the continued preservation of this amazing range and the communities it supports please contact SOC Office Administrator Sarah Sleater at 801-363-7283 or Sarah@saveourcanyons.org
Logan will be working on grassroots organizing for our campaign to uphold the federal Roadless Area Conservation Rule, against the Governor’s petition for a state-specific rule. From her short time in Utah, she has grown to love the Wasatch and recognizes the urgent need to fight for it. Logan has always had a deep appreciation for the natural world, but the rising pressures on the Wasatch and the recent threat to its numerous roadless areas have driven her to take on this position. She is looking forward to keeping engaged with the SOC community, and she is honored to be a part of the fight again.
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www.saveourcanyons.org
More Than Just Grizzly Gulch Written by Our Executive Director Carl Fisher
Any environmental accolades, of which Mike Maughan — Alta’s General Manager, will proudly inform you of, are being cashed in as if they’ve been saving them for this moment in time. I, for one, have always thought their promotion of such was a bit overplayed as their environmental prowess dabbles more in the realm of mitigation of impacts from the legacy they inherited and against the one they leave for the future. It is reminiscent of a coal company touting “clean coal” to earn environmental bonus points, when we all know that the most meaningful action of coal companies is to let go of their dying, planet killing form of energy, and to proactively work toward a legacy of clean energy. So, goes Alta, doubling down on a destructive and unsustainable set of practices that will not only harm the headwaters of Little Cottonwood Canyon, but is also killing a once in a generational opportunity to protect the Wasatch as identified in the Mountain Accord. So, what is going on? Early in 2018, Alta Ski Area’s new General Managers let it be known they would no longer allow Grizzly Gulch to be protected as part of a land exchange between resorts and the USFS. However, Alta Ski Area, divorcing themselves from an accord, didn’t want to offer anything or have their Ski Area boundaries tied down by proposed legislation, however, wanting to trade lands that are already part of their ski area to help consolidate land ownership in Grizzly to aid in their expansion. Basically, they wanted the parts of the agreement that benefited them, but without the other side of the equation that benefited the public and gave a bit of certainty to the future impact of development in the Wasatch. More Than Just Grizzly Gulch Now, the impact of Alta’s advocacy has not only impacted the accord, but transformed consensus legislation into legislation that omits some key areas of public land, once critical for our support. Basically, all the public lands on Alta’s eastern periphery are being excluded from comprehensive protections because Alta maintains they should have the opportunity to expand into the public areas of Patsey Marley, Mt. Wolverine, and Catherine Pass — in addition to their private land on the Emma Ridge and in Grizzly Gulch. “No public backcountry lands are accessible from the Town of Alta without crossing private property or lands under special use permit with the US Forest Service. Over 90% land [sic] on the North side of Little Cottonwood Canyon that is used by backcountry users is private land” (Mike Maughan, 2019). Never mind that Alta gets access from the public to have access to their property, but as mentioned before, Alta enjoys a parasitic relationship with the public. Further, in early April 2019, Alta Ski Area closed public access to public lands. The Forest Service did nothing. This illegal closure of public lands, is another bully tactic Alta is employing to intimidate others from enjoying their public lands. I’m not sure what is more disturbing, that Alta has resorted (ha!) to this or that the USFS won’t do anything to defend the public they serve. Of Petulance and Parking A recent scare tactic of Alta Ski Area has not only been the random closure of Grizzly Gulch and surrounding public land in Patsey Marley, has also been to accuse the general public of taking parking that belongs to the ski area. It should be noted that parking in the canyons, on public land, does not belong to Alta Ski Area exclusively. They have permission to maintain and use parking, but any parking at the resort is not exclusively for resort patrons. This term, resort patrons, is both the Achelis Heal and focus of this entire charade. For instance, if you have a season pass to Alta, but go on a backcountry tour for the first part of the day and then make a run or two inbounds, are you a resort patron? Alta’s singular and stated goal is to accommodate as many people as possible while maintaining current (or perhaps 20 years ago’s) skier densities. It should be noted that the current 2003 Revise Forest Plan states that parking levels should not exceed that which existed in the year 2000. It... www.saveourcanyons.org
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does go on to say we should invest in mass transit, but it does strongly suggest we should not convert more land to parking lots. Earlier this winter, Mike Maughan told members of the Central Wasatch Commission that Alta skiers don’t take transit, so they needed more parking and that their current parking has been taken over by backcountry skiers. Of course, this comes out after $66 million has been allocated in Little Cottonwood Canyon to improve transportation in the canyons. With many folks rallying around the idea of increasing mass transit in the canyon, we can expect Alta’s anti-transit rhetoric to change the conversation away from sustainable transit solutions toward more paving and parking in the canyons. We fear spending that amount of Patsey Marley — the next target for Alta Ski Area! money on making life easier for the car as opposed to leading us toward more sustainable transit centric options, where we don’t need parking lots or more pavement in the canyons, will lead us down a more ruinous path. (An aside, people try and assure us that $66 million is not that much money — I’ll take it if it is so insignificant). Alternatively, just down the canyon at Snowbird, they’ve launched their R.I.D.E app, which incentivizes people to earn rewards by carpooling and taking transit. If you are looking for a carpool, it helps you coordinate with others planning to go up. With average vehicular occupancy in Little Cottonwood currently sitting at just over one person per car, every person that either carpools or takes the bus takes one car off the road. While the self-proclaimed environmental champion of Little Cottonwood advocates for more parking lots, and fights his own patrons (many of whom have told me they are former patrons because Alta’s management has lost its marbles), Snowbird is making real positive impact in the canyon leading behavioral changes (and rewarding them) to help improve the conditions in the canyon. Intensifying Interconnect As if the prior efforts weren’t damaging enough, and remember, it was SkiLink and One Wasatch that lead to the formation and signing of Mountain Accord, Alta is all in on Interconnect (see cover photo of Mike Maughan with Ski Utah’s Nathan Rafferty, scheming at a recent open house). One of the resort’s most favorite chairlift confessional’s, is that one day Mike Maughan talked to six people who were staying in Park City. This lead the resort to start asking cars where they came from. The trouble with this logic, of which there is a lot of troubling logic spewing from Alta of late, is it is the same failed logic as the whole SkiLink debacle. It turns Park City into the parking lot for the Cottonwoods, and last time I checked Park City’s parking is seeing about the same issues as the Cottonwood Canyons. Of course, this is just one of many issues with the concept. We are not just fighting interconnect, we are fighting for the Wasatch. “On March 1, 2019 Alta ski Area conducted a survey of cars coming into the Albion Parking Lot between 8:30 am and 10:15 am. We found that 30% of the cars had come from the Park City area and 31% of the cars were rental cars. Further study of where vehicles are coming from should be completed before deciding transportation solutions” (Alta Letter to CWC, 3/4/2019).
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www.saveourcanyons.org
Of course, I suppose it is important to understand where people are coming from. That said it is critically more important to understand how many people these canyons can accommodate! Should Zion (4.3 million) or Arches (1.6 million), who have a combined visitation we enjoy in the Central Wasatch (6 million), give deferential access to those in a certain zip code? Seems trivial in the face of crushing visitation from all zip codes. We need to be decisive about the environmental conditions we desire, how to get to a place that is 20 minutes from an International Airport is less important than managing them to protect the values of this place Bonus Olympics Threat While this didn’t make the cut for the title, there is often reward in reading to the end. One more reason Alta doesn’t want the Wasatch protected is because the federal legislation would hinder what development options might exist in hosting a future Winter Olympic Games. “Salt Lake City’s Olympic bid configuration and needs have not been be [sic] determined and agreed upon. A new federal designation should support and assist the Olympic bid not restrict or curtail it.” - Alta Letter to CWC 3/4/2019. If we are awarded any future Olympics, we should absolutely make 100% certain that we do not allow venues or events in the Cottonwood Canyons. It is fortunate that we have a Salt Lake County Mayor who not only agrees, but has committed publicly to keep the games out of the canyons. What Can You Do? Some of you will probably think I’ve been too hard on Alta, here. There’s a lot here and if you are interested I’m happy to go into it, preferably over food and drinks. We love Alta, both the geography and the resort. Our members love Alta, I think more of our members once associated with Alta than any other resort. We don’t however, think that their management is equipped to deal with the many challenges that are facing the region. What Alta wants to do today, has much broader impacts on the region and aggressively hedges toward an industrialized recreation complex in our watershed, and many other community values, including but not limited to water quality and backcountry access, stand to be lost because of their inability to plan. Here are a few things you can do to help (in no particular order): • If you are an Alta pass-holder and are concerned about what is going on consider informing their GM about your feelings. If you don’t feel like you are getting a good reception, consider looking at other ski pass options for 2019. • .Mike Maughan, General Manger, Alta Ski Area - mikem@alta.com • Write the Central Wasatch Commission (comments@cwc.utah.gov) and Town of Alta (ask that the public lands within the Town of Alta be protected as part of the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act proposal). • Host a party and we can get into the nitty-gritty of the details to make sure you and your friends are in the know about what is going on. • Submit a letter to the editor talking about the importance of mass transit in the canyons and the importance of protecting what’s left in the Wasatch. • Stay informed, follow Save Our Canyons on Facebook and InstaGram, make sure to sign up for our email alerts. • Start figuring out how to carpool and help get year-round mass transit in the canyon. Changing our behavior in use is the single biggest benefit everyone can do for our canyons. • Volunteer with or donate to Save Our Canyons so we can continue working to protect the Wasatch. Help us generate campaign materials and draw awareness to the issues confronting the Wasatch. There are several values at stake that transcend those who just ski or snowboard. This is your watershed, these are your public lands, and our community values for the Wasatch are at risk of being lost... forever. If you don’t use your voice and share your ideas, well, we have seen how this will go — Carl Fisher
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Good, Bad and Ugly Good: Nick Uthe Lone Peak Photographer Like a knight in shining armor — professional photographer Nick Uthe swooped in to save the day at our Lone Peak Celebration. Nick was our official photographer for this event, and guess what? He did it all as a donation! If you are in the market for a photographer — look no further because you should hire Nick: https:// www.nickuthe.com. We cannot say thank you enough Nick for everything you did for the Wasatch.
One of Nick’s many amazing photos of the Wasatch!
GOOD: Community Science and the Wildlife of the Wasatch: We often cringe over the lack of current wildlife and habitat data that is available when land use and management decisions are made. You may recall, this was exactly the catalyst for the “Environmental Dashboard” data collection emphasis through the Mountain Accord. Now, thanks to a partnership between Wild Utah Project, the University of Utah and others a “long-term mammalian camera-trapping study in the Central Wasatch Mountain Range” was launched in 2018 and has already gathered over 50,000 images including Mountain Lions, Moose and even a Northern Flying Squirrel. BAD: More Lands Doesn’t Equal Less Traffic and Congestion:We don’t think advocates for roads truly understand the implications, be it a improving the Burr trail, adding lanes to Little Cottonwood or fragmenting intact ecosystems like roadless areas with more roads, undermining their inherent ecological characteristics and values. We only have to look at the Wasatch Front, or some of the national parks to see how these so called infrastructure improvements, lead to ruinous conditions, and build economies that don’t protect the goose that lays the golden egg. Historical photo from 1984 of people waiting for the road to open going towards Brighton.
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Good: Welcome To The Wasatch Senator Elizabeth Warren: In April, we had the opportunity to take United States Senator Elizabeth Warren on a hike in the Wasatch Mountains. In our discussion with Senator Warren, we talked about how dearly American’s treasure their national forests and their public lands, however, this overwhelming public value is not reflected in governments budget. Senator Warren said, “I think it’s very important that we have a lot of local consultation and that decisions are made as much as possible with everybody who’s in the area,” she said. “I understand that there are people who support expansion and people who don’t. Ultimately, we have to think about what is best for the national forests. They belong to all of us. They are a treasure for all of us.” We need bold policy changes to help ensure our treasured landscapes get the tender love and care they deserve. Good: The San Juan County Switcheroo on Roadless Rule recommendations: On April 16th, the newly-elected San Juan County Commissioners passed a resolution that rescinded their original recommendations to participate in making a Utah Roadless Rule, and expressed their support for the Campaigns Coordinator Alex Schmidt, Senator Elizabeth Warren, greater protections of the federal rule. While the county and Executive Director Carl Fisher is far from the Wasatch, it’s good to know there are advocates for roadless areas all over Utah. Southern Utah and the 130,000 acres of roadless areas in San Juan County also provide a contrast with the Wasatch that defines Utah through its beautifully diverse landscapes. Ugly: The Grinch Who Stole Grizzly: In December, about one week before Christmas, Alta Ski Area enlisted the support of legislators who worked to reduce the monuments like Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante, demanding the collaborative Central Wasatch National Conservation & Recreation Area Legislation (NCRA) to help them in expanding up Grizzly Gulch and Patsey Marley! Now, please don’t ask why, no one quite knows the reason, but many now think that he’s guilty of treason. It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on just right. Or maybe, perhaps, that his ski boots were too tight. We hope that the Grinch will come to his senses, this NCRA legislation is about mending fences! To read our entire “Grinch Who Stole Grizzly” visit our blog today: https://saveourcanyons.org/thelatest/save-our-canyons-blog! Every Utahn down in the valley loved the Wasatch a lot... www.saveourcanyons.org
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New Save Our Canyons Board Members Todd Anderson is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Wealth Planning Advisor with Sagemark Consulting Private Wealth Services. Todd started his career after earning a Business Finance Degree from Weber State University. He has over 32 years of experience in holistic/ comprehensive wealth planning disciplines through managing financial planning Firms, or personally advising clients. Todd grew up in Ogden and from the time he could walk his Father was having him tag along in the Outdoors. All the way through High School Todd’s Father never asked him about his grades, but he always asked, “how many more days can you miss this term and not flunk”? Those days missed at school were always spent in the outdoors skiing, fly fishing, hiking or hunting. Today Todd is passionate about spending time in the outdoors and encouraging others to do the same, while protecting it for future generations. Several days a week he is likely up one of our canyons resort skiing, backcountry skiing, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing or fly fishing.
Todd Anderson; Save Our Canyons Board Member
Todd and his wife Jill have one son, Jay T, who recently graduated from the University of Utah, with an Honors Business Finance degree, and is now working for Microsoft as a Financial Analyst in Seattle. Jayme Blakesley grew up in Millcreek with Mt. Olympus as the backdrop of his youth. After completing a degree in Philosophy at Brigham Young University, falling in love, and graduating law school at the University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law, Jayme traded his beloved mountains for a bicycle commute among the rivers, trees, and monuments of Washington, DC, where he spent a decade working for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration.
Jayme Blakesley; Save Our Canyons Board Member
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With two children starting school and one more on the way, Jayme’s family felt the pull of the West and moved to Portland, Oregon. The Pacific Northwest was a revelation to Jayme as he learned the “Oregon Story,” experienced the majesty of tall trees, and again had a mountain view to the east. He spent every free moment hiking, biking, paddling, and skiing. www.saveourcanyons.org
Jayme returned to Utah in 2015 as General Counsel of the Utah Transit Authority, where his office helped draft the Mountain Accord. He became acquainted with Save Our Canyons when he testified before the U.S. Congress alongside Carl Fisher in support of the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act. In 2018, Jayme joined the law firm of Hayes Godfrey Bell, P.C., where he focuses in transportation, local government, and real estate law. Jayme lives in Holladay with his wife Katie and their three children. When he isn’t working, you can find him on skis, or with a ball, or book in hand. Andy Breifer: I grew up outside of Boston, Massachusetts and discovered my love for the outdoors in my teens backpacking, biking, fishing skiing and mountaineering in the mountains of Northern New England. When it came time for college, I headed west to Boulder Colorado, where I continued my outdoor recreation and got a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. After college, I worked for 15 years in environmental consulting and engineering, working to help industries with contaminated soil and groundwater meet regulatory and legal requirements in Colorado and California while weekending in the mountains. I returned to graduate school to study counseling psychology and now work as a marriage and family therapist. Having lived and adventured in some of the most popular public lands in the country, I have seen firsthand the impacts of human use and development can have on the landscape, environment, wildlife and user experience. My goal with Save Our Canyons is to help our community to find a path that allows this increasingly pressured resource of the Wasatch Mountains to be available for wildlife, watershed and future generations.
Andrew Briefer; Save Our Canyons Board Member
Calf and Cow moose — Photographer Howie Garber www.saveourcanyons.org
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Citizens’ Committee to Save Our Canyons 824 So. 400 West St. Suite B-115 Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
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Photo by: Howie Garber
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As a community driven organization, our members guide and direct our work. Join us! Annual memberships are $35 and allow us to continue to advocate loudly for our water, land, recreational access and quality of life that result from a connected and protected Wasatch Mountains, canyons and foothills. It's easy, we've included a donation envelope in this newsletter or donate via saveourcanyons.org.