Youth activists are demanding more from the Great Salt Lake 2034 Charter. The plan, recently approved by the Utah Legislature, aims to restore the lake to healthier levels by the time the Olympic Games return to the state.
But many feel that the charter doesn't do enough to hold the Utah government responsible for lake restoration.
Autumn Featherstone, an organizer for Utah Youth Environmental Solutions, was one of many demonstrators gathered at the capital on Nov. 19, demanding immediate action to restore the Great Salt Lake.
“The Utah Legislature has shown us time and time again where their priorities lay," Featherstone said in a speech at the demonstration, "and we need to hold them accountable to protect our lake and protect our futures.”
Niahm Chamberlain was another demonstrator with the youth group who addressed the crowd.
“GSL 2034 is a step in the right direction, but it fails to outline concrete action steps or commit government funds to GSL conservation," Chamberlain said.
She added that the recently signed restoration effort doesn’t go far enough towards protecting vulnerable communities from the harmful effects of the lake drying up.
“Underneath our lakebed are toxic metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury," Chamberlain said. "Without legislative action, our lake will dry, bringing poison into our lungs.”
Chamberlain listed a few demands the youth group has for Utah’s legislature.
“Currently we need at least $200 million to match recent donations, no new diversions that harm the lake, and policies that contribute 1-million-acre feet to the lake annually,” Chamberlain said.
She expressed gratitude for recent private contributions to lake preservation, but said that much more commitment is needed from the government.
“At the governor’s press conference, the philanthropic community pledged $200 million, undeniably an important contribution," Chamberlain said, "but this leaves $4.8 billion to protect our future."
Chamberlain and the other demonstrators presented a medical bill for 4.8 billion dollars to the Utah legislature.
She explained that the symbolic purpose of the bill was to tell the legislature that "the public health crisis threatened by the lake drying is their responsibility.”
Featherstone added that all Utahns need to keep in mind the real reasons that preserving the Great Salt Lake is so important.
“We need to protect the lake for the people and the ecosystems that depend on it," Featherstone said, "not because of the Olympics.”
This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative supported by the College of Humanities at the University of Utah. See all of our stories about how Utahns are impacted by the Great Salt Lake at greatsaltlakenews.org