This fall, the University of Utah is extending its campus to a restored ghost town in southern Montana. Mary Tull, Director of the U’s Environmental Humanities Education Center, says the school is partnering with the nonprofit International Center for Earth Concerns to offer four short programs there, each with an in-depth environmental focus.
The question of how accessible Utah’s rivers and streams should be remains in the hands of a judge. Monday, a fourth district judge ruled that while the waters are public, he wants more information on the matter before he can determine whether a law limiting access to them is unconstitutional. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on one group’s mission to reclaim access to Utah waters.
Utah Congressmen Jim Matheson and Jason Chaffetz were among House lawmakers voting this morning in favor of a motion to move the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline forward as part of a transportation bill. Speaking on the house floor last night, Matheson said contrary to what many believe, this product is already being transported to the United States.
A thumbs up by the Salt Lake County Planning Commission Wednesday means plans to develop a mountain coaster at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort are in full swing. One environmental group is already speaking out, but as KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports, it isn’t the resort they are angry with.
A conservation group is appealing the Utah Division of Water Quality’s preliminary approval of a permit for a tar sands project at a two-day hearing in Salt Lake City. Rob Dubuc, an attorney for Moab-based Living Rivers, made the case against granting a groundwater discharge permit for the PR Springs project in Uintah County this morning.
Law enforcement officers are getting more serious about enforcing the rules at Parley’s Historic Nature Park. Beginning Monday, Salt Lake County Councilman Steve DeBry, who is also a Unified Police Department Deputy Chief, says the UPD will begin writing tickets to visitors who don’t follow regulations, rather than just issuing a warning.
Weather experts are warning Utahns of a dry, hot summer, and with that comes an increased risk of fires. Randy Julander, Snow Survey Supervisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, says the state is a month to six weeks ahead of where it should be for melted snowpack, and in many areas of the state there is no snowpack left.
The Sugar House streetcar line stretching from the heart of the Salt Lake City neighborhood to the TRAX station on 2100 South will be lined with green space, thanks to a vote of the city council Tuesday night. Council Chair Soren Simonsen, who represents the neighborhood, says the nearly $7 million dollars in funding will contribute to a grand vision.
Salt Lake County is asking for the public’s advice on transportation issues in Mill Creek Canyon at an open house today. Transportation engineer Andrea Pullos says they’ve got a lot of ideas to share on how to manage parking in the canyon, whether it’s a paid parking system or signs that direct users to different trailheads when the lots are full to disperse traffic.
Federal lands, water and energy are all concerns that not only affect Utah, but the entire Rocky Mountain region. That’s why Utah Governor Gary Herbert invited several of his Western colleagues to the Governor’s Mansion on Friday, hoping to come up with solutions in an effort to move forward. KCPW’s Jessica Gail reports on why the event drew protesters outside the mansion.
