Utah needs good PR from its pristine environment
Utah real estate developers are pressing hard to build a bridge over Utah Lake. The environmental public relations whiplash from this proposed plan is just starting. I wrote the following letter to the editor of the Daily Herald in response to a biased article supporting bridge building. I still need more information to form a firm opinion, but we should take the environmental impact into account on this one.
Recently, I stood at the summit of Mt Baldy above Lindon/Pleasant Grove west of Mount Timpanogos – a beautiful view of Utah Lake without a bridge in sight. This view does rival Lake Tahoe from that vantage point counter to the premise of your article. The man-made problems resulting from non-native carp introduction in Utah Lake is no basis for further poor planning. The history of Utah Lake is full of mis-steps and pollution for which most of us wish we could have a ‘do-over’. We must grow as an economy but plan carefully – just like Tahoe in your article. Consider a scenic highway just north of Utah Lake. An aerial view shows few houses. Run the numbers and see if the cost would be less than a bridge. The environmental cost may also be lower.
This issues around the bridge/causeway over Utah Lake are economic. asthetic and environmental. The environmental concerns are valid if you take the Great Salt Lake causeway as a case study. Utah Valley is ranked by many experts as one of the best places to live and work. Our valley have good PR. Let’s keep it that way by improving our track record on protecting our pristine environment. We must pay attention to more than just economic expansion. Look at the triple bottom line: people, planet, and profit. We can make these work in harmony.
Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve
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