Proposed Utah Lake Authority passes out of committee, but faces fierce public criticism

Given the suffocating influence that real estate developers have over the legislature, we are not surprised that the Utah Lake Fantasy Island bill, HB 232, passed out of house committee yesterday.  But the battle is not over. Please send a letter or call your legislators now that the bill will move to the full House.

The real estate developers pushing this have repeatedly claimed  their real priority is to “restore the lake.” If the priority here was really “environmental restoration” this proposal would have come from scientists, ecologists, and conservationists.  When supposed “science” is pushed only by self-serving developers, you know what their priorities really are, and how legitimate their “science” is.

The creation of a Utah Lake Authority is a transparent attempt to curb public input, and prioritize private companies over popular restoration initiatives. The Authority would be run by appointed officials, who are not accountable to the public. Although they take public comment, they have loopholes that shut the public out of the decision making process. If the Utah Lake proposal is really a restoration effort as it’s proponents claim, why shut the public out? The proponents’ lawsuit against a BYU assistant professor, heavily involved in ongoing Lake restoration efforts, proves they have no interest in the legitimate science behind restoration.

The last thing we need is 500,000 people crammed on to 34 fake islands in the middle of Utah Lake connected by a dizzying network of asphalt.  Tell your legislators NO! to this tax payer boondoggle, environmental nightmare, and greedy real estate scheme.

Here’s an easy way to contact your legislators.

Don’t Pave Utah Lake!