Recent Environmental News

I just went through a couple of weeks of the Headwaters news here are some of the recent Utah environmental news items.

Three Utah riverways get federal protection
Denver Post; Sept. 12

Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced Saturday that more than 200 miles of riverways in southeastern Utah will be protected from mining exploration for the next 20 years.

Report: Utah park turns 40 in failing health
Deseret Morning News; Sept. 10

Canyonlands National Park in Utah has $36 million in backlogged maintenance projects, is under siege by invasive weed species and counts three of every five historic structures as needing repair, according to a National Parks Conservation Association report.

Drilling, development taking the wild out of the West
Christian Science Monitor; Sept. 9

The Bureau of Land Management's largest auction of oil and gas exploration leases, covering more than 360,000 acres of rugged back country in Utah, means diesel engines and drilling rigs may reign over solitude and wildlife.

Explosive growth challenges Utah County
Salt Lake Tribune; Sept. 7

In less than 10 years, Eagle Mountain and Sarasota Springs, Utah, have seen their populations grow from 250 residents to 9,584 and 6,377 respectively, overwhelming Utah County's transportation system and school districts.

Utah public lands leased at record rates
Salt Lake Tribune; 08/31/2004

Federal officials sold oil and gas leases on 281,000 acres of public land in Utah in June, a record likely to be broken by the next auction in September.

Report: Utah county residents want tougher OHV rules
Salt Lake Tribune; 08/30/2004

A local environmental group said a new federal report showed Grand County residents overwhelmingly support more restrictions on off-highway vehicle users.