Environment

Rep. Brad Wilson, Speaker of the Utah House of Representatives, is convening a Great Salt Lake Summit, and ahead of that summit we’ll be talking to Lynne De Freitas, Executive Director of Friends of the Great Salt Lake; Wayne Wurtsbaugh, USU Emeritus Professor of Watershed Sciences; and Marcelle Shoop, Director of the National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Program.

Nearly 5,000 deer were killed on Utah roads last year according to the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and that’s just the start of wildlife migration problems.

Trucks move a lot of products and materials into Logan each day, but some shipments coming in on tankers this month might be a first: sewage.

The Bureau of Land Management Price Field Office will be updating their management plans for several areas. The BLM is accepting public commentary on these changes through January 7.

Many people believe feeding wildlife particularly in winter will help local wildlife during tough periods. But there are compelling arguments against feeding wildlife, including building dependencies, habituating animals to humans, increased aggression of animals, higher road mortality and higher window mortality.

In 2021, most of Utah was experiencing extreme or exceptional drought conditions. In addition, the current snow-water equivalents for the 2021-2022 winter season are lower than normal throughout much of the state as of mid-December, a worrying sign of what may be in store in 2022.

Oil and gas production in the Uinta Basin has slowed down over the past five years, but harmful natural gas leaks into the atmosphere remain high. Researchers have been measuring emissions in the Uinta Basin since 2015.

USU’s newly established Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water and Air has released their inaugural report.

In his last monthly news conference of 2021, Governor Cox addressed water infrastructure improvements, school violence intervention and urged Utahns to get vaccinated before the holidays.

The Logan City Council meeting saw a heated debate over the ongoing issue of the city’s plastic bag ban Tuesday night.