Powerful voices speak out against a Port near the Bird Refuge
The Utah Inland Port is once again being called out for an unacceptable proposal that threatens environmental health and quality of life for Utah residents. This time, their site is dangerously close to the beloved Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge.
The Stop the Polluting Port Coalition hosted an inspiring rally last Thursday at the State Capital, where residents and activists raised concerns. UPHE’s Dr. Brian Moench spoke at the rally. A Fox13 piece quoted his speech, “Every time state leaders realize the inland port isn’t working they try and reinvent the whole idea. They replace it with yet another scheme that doesn’t make business sense, squanders the taxpayers’ money, subsidizes corporate developers, will degrade our quality of life and increase the air pollution most of our residents consider to be our greatest problem.”
Watch the recording on Facebook here.
We brought a petition with over 1,200 signatures to the legislature, opposing the proposal.
A Salt Lake Tribune article points out that wetlands seem to be a theme for proposed port sites, “But like most of the port projects proposed to date, the site is adjacent to some of the state’s few remaining wetlands, which have rapidly disappeared across the West as they get paved over for development.”
Deeda Seed, our partner on the Coalition, was quoted in the Tribune article, saying “The main port project in Salt Lake City’s northwest quadrant contains some of Salt Lake County’s few remaining Great Salt Lake wetlands. A port proposed in Tooele County has Great Salt Lake wetlands as well. In Box Elder County, an approved port complex lies half a mile from the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. And a port site near the Brigham City airport is “basically all wetlands.”
Shauna Hart, a renowned wildlife photographer and naturalist, also spoke at the rally. She spoke on the importance of the Bird Refuge, both personally and worldwide.
“It’s actually a worldwide-known location because of the species that come from South America. I have learned how to photograph birds out there, I’ve learned about the light at sunrise and sunset,” Cache Valley Daily News quoted.
UPHE in the news:
Find the Fox13 coverage here.
Find the KSL coverage here.
Find the Standard Examiner’s coverage here.
Additional coverage:
Find the Salt Lake Tribune article here.
Cache Valley Daily’s coverage of Shauna Hart.
