Latest news with #Utahns'
Axios
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Axios
When conservationists chose Dinosaur National Monument over Glen Canyon
In the 1950s, conservationists rejoiced in their successful campaign to stop the federal government from flooding swaths of Dinosaur National Monument with a dam on the Green River. The intrigue: It turned out to be a pyrrhic victory — one that environmentalists would be ambivalent about for decades. This is Old News, our weekly float down the currents of Utah history. What drove the news: In the Saturday Evening Post 75 years ago this week, celebrated journalist Bernard DeVoto called the nation's attention to a plan to erect dams that would replace Dinosaur's wild Lodore and Whirlpool canyons with reservoirs. Behind the scenes: The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation quietly developed the plan over several years — without consulting the National Park Service, which manages the canyons. NPS officials were infuriated by their exclusion. Zoom out: If Congress were to allow construction in Dinosaur, it would shift the balance of priorities throughout the nation's protected lands, favoring growth and development over preservation, DeVoto cautioned. He cited similar canceled plans that would have flooded parts of Mammoth Cave, Glacier and Grand Canyon national parks — some of which had been repeatedly revived. "Even when controversies have been formally settled and projects abandoned apparently for good, the park system and the public trust is always under … threat," he warned. What happened: DeVoto's warnings worked; the so-called Echo Park and Split Canyon dams in Dinosaur became conservationists' cause célèbre and letters opposing the dams " poured into Washington" that summer, historian Glenn Sandiford wrote. Federal officials eventually called off the project. Why it mattered: By treating the dams as a point of national interest, DeVoto turned the campaign against them into the catalyzing force behind the modern conservation movement. That unity produced landmark policies like the 1964 Wilderness Act, Sandiford argued. Yes, but: DeVoto had argued the Bureau and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers won Utahns' support by falsely claiming that no other site could facilitate the hydropower and irrigation the region needed. It turned out another site was being considered — and because it wasn't part of the NPS, it got far less attention than Dinosaur did. Friction point: The Sierra Club — the driving force of the newly strengthened conservation movement — was focused on protecting existing parks and didn't initially raise much fuss over plans to build a dam in Glen Canyon. Its director, David Brower, even suggested making that dam taller to replace some of the water storage that was lost to the defeated Dinosaur dams. The bottom line: When conservationists turned their attention to Glen Canyon — a remote area that few outside the Four Corners region had seen — the dam there became widely considered one of the movement's biggest losses of the 20th century.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Utah Attorney General joins 23andMe lawsuit objecting sale of private genetic data
Related video: 'Utah experts weigh in on sensitivity of DNA data after 23andMe files for bankruptcy' SALT LAKE CITY () — The Utah Attorney General has joined other states in filing a lawsuit that could prevent 23andMe from selling their genetic data following bankruptcy earlier this year. Utah Attorney General Derek Brown has joined a 'bipartisan coalition' of 27 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against 23andMe, according to a press release from the Utah Attorney General's Office. According to the lawsuit, the company has collected Genotype Data from roughly 15 million people. Earlier this year, in March, , and their CEO stepped down. The company went up for sale, causing many about private data that was maintained by the genetic profiling company. The Utah Attorney General's Office recommended that Utahns before the sale. It reminded Utahns of their rights under the Utah Consumer Privacy and the Genetic Information Privacy Acts. How to protect (and delete) your DNA data after 23andMe bankruptcy filing The goal of this lawsuit is to 'prevent the company from selling Utahns' private genetic information to another company without their express consent,' the press release states. The company is reportedly planning to sell the genetic information it gathered through home DNA collection kits. 'Utahns entrusted 23andMe with their most personal genetic information, under the promise of privacy and protection. The company's intent to sell this data to the highest bidder is an egregious betrayal of that trust and will not be tolerated,' Katie Hass, Director of the Utah Division of Consumer Protection, is quoted in the release. 'Every consumer should have the right to decide how this intimate, personal, and unique data is handled going forward.' The lawsuit argues that genetic information is 'immutable,' meaning that if it is 'stolen or misused, it cannot be replaced.' Consumers who have their genetic data used by a company they do not trust have no way to protect themselves or change that information. 'The States respectfully request that the Court (a) enter a declaratory judgment as to the issues set forth… prior to any sale; (b) and enter any further relief to which the Court finds is just,' the lawsuit concludes. The other attorneys general joining the lawsuit are from the following states: Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Farmington Bay volunteer honored with 'Birder of the Year' nomination after more than 20 years of service Utah Attorney General joins 23andMe lawsuit objecting sale of private genetic data Mountain View Corridor closing to all pass-through traffic for five weeks BMW's new flagship SUV to debut in US Los Angeles-area mayors demand that Trump administration stop stepped-up immigration raids Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: Upgrading Utah's power grid will help us achieve energy abundance
They say the best time to plant a tree is yesterday. The best time for transmission buildout was 20 years ago. Transmission buildout is not optional. It is a necessary next step in achieving affordable, clean energy access for all Utahns and updating our power grid. To move energy across the state from city centers in Salt Lake City to more rural areas like Cache Valley or Tooele County, updating our aging infrastructure is a necessity. This necessity is growing daily, as is the need for modernization and build-out in order to meet the Beehive State's rapidly growing energy demand. Once we're done playing catch-up, Utah is uniquely positioned to get ahead of the curve and become a national leader in this new frontier of energy abundance. Many Utahns are well aware of this fact, and Governor Cox is no exception. He has championed Operation Gigawatt, Utah's new plan for powering its energy future, over the past year. Even if Utah produces all the energy in the world, however, it won't matter without the means to transport it across the state. Fortunately, the plan has stated 'increasing transmission capacity' as one of the four key areas of the initiative. At a time when energy demand is skyrocketing, Operation Gigawatt could not have come along sooner. With 70% of U.S. transmission lines over 25 years old and nearing the end of their useful life, our nation faces an undeniable need for infrastructure improvement. The time for transmission buildout is now. As one of the fastest-growing states in both economy and population, Utah must keep up with the ever-growing need for power. Our population is spreading out across the state due to city centers filling up fast, and the energy needs follow. While the need to produce more clean, sustainable energy will come, the production is not the only problem. The U.S. has nearly 2,600 gigawatts of energy generation trapped in the queue waiting to be connected to the grid and reach Utahns who need it most. This is enough energy to power 2,277,600 homes on average a year, and it is simply not being used. If we focus more effort on transmission buildout, we can utilize the energy that is just sitting there and be prepared to transport newly produced energy more effectively in the future. This means transmission buildout should be at the top of our priority list. Yet another benefit to building out our transmission is that Utahns' existing monthly bills will go down, and the ability for local economies to grow will skyrocket. Transmission buildout projects such as the Cross-Tie transmission line — a 214-mile line connecting Utah and Nevada, expected to be in service by 2028 — not only aid us in our effort toward energy dominance, but also provide a wide range of jobs to local communities with otherwise very little economic stimulation. These projects could help small businesses in these rural communities simply by bringing the power and more people into town. The bottom line is that right now is the time for transmission buildout in Utah, and it should be at the forefront of the conversation surrounding energy grid development. Expanding the grid will benefit all Utahns across the board by lowering monthly bills and reducing reliance on high-cost power sources. Along with cheaper energy, providing more renewable energy access means less price volatility for Utah, and modernizing the grid also creates jobs and economic growth in local communities. We should have planted our tree 20 years ago, but there is no better time than the present to put transmission buildout at the top of our priority list and begin achieving energy abundance for Utah.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The shape of Utah's water supply heading into the summer months
Utah's snowpack, which reached its peak late in March, suffered rapid depletion in April in most basins in the state to well-below normal precipitation. This culminates in a spring runoff that does not spin a good outcome. 'Resultingly, the water supply forecasts issued in this report predict substantially lower runoff volumes than those from last month,' according to the latest Utah Water Supply Outlook report issued this week by the Utah Snow Survey of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. The report said as of May 1, Utah's statewide snow water equivalent (SWE) was 64% of normal (39% lower than last year's May 1 value, and a 28% drop from last month) Utah's fickle weather has many residents concerned. A poll released earlier this year said slightly less than half of Utahns seem to believe the state has enough water to meet our needs today, but 57% doubt that we will have enough water 20 years from now, according to a new study of Utahns' perceptions and priorities regarding water. The study released in April and was conducted by Envision Utah in partnership with Utah Water Ways, the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Office of the Great Salt Lake Commissioner. Interestingly, 9 out of 10 respondents believe that they use less water than the average household, but 41% feel guilty for the amount of water they use on their landscaping. They also erroneously believed that more water is used statewide on indoor uses (like showering or washing dishes) than on outdoor irrigation and landscaping. At the time, Jason Brown, executive vice president of communications and education at Envision Utah, said a surprise takeaway from the survey is the worry by Utah residents that there will not be enough water to meet demand 20 years from now. 'To be honest, from a water conservation perspective, we were a little bit relieved that there's that much concern about the future because our water does sort of cycle from year to year, where one year we have a really dry year, we don't have a ton of snowpack, and then, you know, the next year we might have a lot more. It's easy to maybe get dismissive and say, 'You know what? It's going to be just fine.'' The latest numbers released in the NRCS report this week underscore the disparities that happen in how Mother Nature treats Utah when it comes to water. It shows: Extremely poor snowmelt runoff is forecasted for southern Utah, while northern Utah forecasts are more optimistic. Values range from 7% to 35% of average for the Southeastern Utah, Escalante-Paria, and Southwestern Utah regions, with the Upper Sevier only slightly better. Farther north, the Price-San Rafael and Duchesne basins have snowmelt runoff predictions in the 50% to 82% of average. Closer to the Wasatch Front, the forecast numbers vary widely; from as low as 28% of average for West Canyon Creek near Cedar Fort to as high as 93% of average for the Provo River at Woodland. Second only to Oregon, Utah is in the best overall condition for reservoir storage in the West, sitting at 83% of average, down only 4% from last year. While intermittent rainstorms this month have helped to delay the need for irrigation, the NRCS and other water watchers stress that conservation is vital to keep reservoir storage as stable as possible so there is enough carryover for next year. Michael Sanchez, spokesman for the Utah Division of Water Resources, said it is important for people to be vigilant. 'Conservation will be key as we move into summer. We do have a strong reservoir storage kind of throughout the state, but southern Utah is still struggling,' he said. Sanchez mentioned the drought declaration Utah Gov. Spencer Cox issued last month for 17 counties, stressing the need for conservation and the wise use of water. 'We just want to make sure everyone is still taking that conservation mindset to heart and still still using water as wisely as they can,' Sanchez said. The division has a useful tool on its website advising residents of the amount of water they for landscaping given a specific area's condition. .
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These new Utah laws take effect Wednesday
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways Two months after this year's general legislative session ended, many new laws are taking effect. The laws will impact Utahns' lives on a variety of issues, from health and safety to how much we pay in taxes to housing. Here's a look at what's changing starting Wednesday. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks in Salt Lake City on April 7. Rep. Stephanie Gricius, R-Eagle Mountain, HB81 bill sponsor, and House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper, listen. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Health The Capitol is pictured in Salt Lake City, on Feb. 8, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Business and taxes Fatal doses of heroin and fentanyl are on are display at the Drug Enforcement Administration Salt Lake City District Office in Salt Lake City on July 25, 2024. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News Crime and policing Signage from Oak Ridge National Labratory is displayed during The Advanced Reactors Summit XII and Technology Trailblazers Showcase held by the U.S. Nuclear Industry Council in Salt Lake City on Feb. 18. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Transportation, energy and environment Nuclear energy : Utah is pushing to go nuclear. HB249, which takes effect Wednesday, is designed to lay the groundwork for bringing nuclear power to the state. It creates the Nuclear Energy Consortium to advise on nuclear development in Utah and recommend appropriate regulations for it, among other things. Water conservation: Municipalities in Utah now have to factor in water conservation when setting water rates under HB274. Road safety projects: SB195's one-year moratorium on road safety projects in Salt Lake City begins Wednesday, as the Department of Transportation studies the impacts of such projects. A voter drops their ballot in a drop box at the Utah County Health and Justice Building in Provo on Oct. 30, 2024. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News Elections, transparency and governance Protesters unfurl a 200-foot transgender flag during the start of a march down State Street starting at the Capitol for Transgender Day of Visibility in Salt Lake City on March 29. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Social issues and education Flag ban: One of the most closely watched bills of the recent session, HB77, takes effect Wednesday, barring gay pride and 'Make America Great Again' flags from being flown in public school classrooms or at government buildings. Gender Inmates won't be able to initiate gender-related surgeries or hormone treatment while in prison. HB252 also requires inmates be housed in facilities matching their biological sex. It also prohibits staff in juvenile detention centers from engaging in sexual relationships with inmates in custody up to the age of 25. Hands-on education: Aimed at getting more high school students into career and technical education programs, HB447 will support 'catalyst centers' across the state. The new law championed by Utah's House speaker allocates $65 million to create or expand those centers in the next fiscal year, with an ongoing cost of $150,000 to manage the program. Isa Empey, left, and Haley Kline, center, both hold vigil candles during the annual Homeless Persons' Memorial Vigil in Pioneer Park in Salt Lake City on Dec. 19, 2024. | Brice Tucker, Deseret News Housing and homelessness
