Hello all! It’s been an interesting winter! We are grateful that Rep. Keven Stratton sponsored and worked diligently to get H.B. 240 passed in the legislative session. This bill amends H.B. 272 from 2018. There was constant monitoring, meeting with policy makers, listening, additional changes and waiting (so much waiting!) as we watched it move through the process. We are grateful we were heard and that much needed transparency and tighter guidelines are now in place. 

We are grateful to all who attended the rally at the capitol in February, wrote legislators and continue to be a voice for the lake. There is still much to do!

We thank those who have signed the Don’t Pave Utah Lake petition thus far. We were able to give the legislators the petition with more than 9100 signatures!

The petition will remain in place but with a few updates. We wanted to let people know that H.B. 240 is helpful but the lake is still in danger. Because of that, we need people to continue to sign the petition.

If you have signed it already, you do not need to sign this revised petition. Your signature on the earlier version still stands.

Please continue to educate others, to point them toward truthful, valid data and information about the lake. We appreciate you and your efforts!!

A BIG ASK: Please send this link dontpaveutahlake.org to 15 people today!

The new petition language reads:

Despite its environmental, cultural, and economic importance, our lake is in grave danger because of a law passed in 2018. The “Utah Lake Amendments” (H.B. 272) created a loophole that allowed the lakebed to be given to commercial developers. Right now, an LLC called “Lake Restoration Solutions” is preparing to build 20,000 acres of dredged islands and house up to 500,000 people on them. The state legislature gave this company a $10 million loan guarantee in 2021 to subsidize their fundraising and permitting efforts (coverage here).

State resources and taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize a real estate venture that claims to have billions lined up from foreign investors. H.B. 240 was passed in the 2022 legislative session which provides needed guardrails and requires more steps for transparency. Yet, working to repeal H.B. 272 in the future will restore Utah Lake’s constitutional protection, ensuring Utah Lake is held in “public trust” in perpetuity for all Utahns, present and future. 

Many healthy restoration efforts have been taking place over the past decades and are bringing the lake back to a natural healthy state. Efforts like the Walkara Way project, removal of carp and phragmites, the Provo River Delta Restoration Project and the Hobble Creek Restoration Project are helping the lake heal. 

We call on Utahns from all political backgrounds to stand together to oppose this waste of taxpayer dollars that threatens our valley. Repealing H.B. 272 in a future legislative session will ensure that Utah Lake is managed responsibly for the people of Utah.