If 2020 hadn’t been apocalyptic enough, Utahns looking forward to a snowy new year got drought in January — raking leaves instead of shoveling walks, skiing on artificial powder and wondering when things might resemble normal again. For Todd Adams, Director of The Utah Division of Water Resources, the dry climate is all the more reason water managers need to carefully … [Read more...]
Construction of Northern Corridor Highway Threatens to Decimate Iconic Mojave Desert Tortoises
The desert possesses a special beauty. In these harsh environs, life must fight to persevere, and the desert deserves special protection. In 1995, 4,500 acres in Washington County were set apart as the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. To the north is Pine Mountain and Dixie National Forest. Surrounding the area are the communities of Ivins, Saint George, Washington, and … [Read more...]
Big Dreams for Tiny Houses by Architectural Nexus in Salt Lake City
On a brisk fall day in October, employees of Architectural Nexus in Salt Lake City gathered for a farewell party. They were not bidding goodbye and good luck to a coworker, but to the tiny house in their parking lot, a house they had designed and built together over the past year that would now be shipped to Seattle, placed on the property of a “host home”, and become a … [Read more...]
Legal Battle Over Utah Wilderness
Conservation groups are fighting to preserve 175,500 acres of public lands in Utah that the Bureau of Land Management has plans to lease for 130 oil and gas developments—a move that would be extremely detrimental for the wilderness areas, wildlife inhabitants, and the fight against climate change as a whole, says the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. On Sept. 12, the Center … [Read more...]
Letter from the Editor – December
We find ourselves in the best of times and the worst of times in Utah. Droves of people are moving here and want to experience the same quality of life we have enjoyed here for decades: mountain access, diverse ecosystems still intact, and peace and tranquility with many access points to direct connections with nature. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible. For every measure … [Read more...]
Moab—500 Tourists for Every Resident
Moab's Tourists Moab, UT—Back in February, Moab’s City Council imposed a moratorium on new construction of overnight rentals. Despite room rates fetching upwards of $300 per night, the town that is home to Canyonlands and Arches National Parks wants to attempt to put the brakes on the growth they have experienced hosting nearly 3 million tourists in the town of around 5,500 … [Read more...]
Utah’s Unaffordable Housing
Welcome to Utah Housing Utah’s real estate market has softened. Average house prices aren’t increasing in urban areas. Bidding wars are decreasing; the amount of time homes are on the market is increasing; and by all measures, our real estate market is still booming. Vineyard, in Utah County, is the city with the most growth. In the past four years, the population has seen … [Read more...]
The future of farming in Utah: an interview with Jack Wilbur, a hybrid farmer
The future starts now The future of farming will look very different than it does today, just like the farming of today looks drastically different than it did 20, 30 years ago. However, the basic structure of the image of what future farming will be is being sketched and worked through right now. And it's a good thing too because, let's face it, Salt Lake City and its … [Read more...]
Fertile soil, the Soil Food Web, and High Desert Soilworks
The science of soil management Fertile soil is imperative for any successful farmer or grower. The Soil Food Web is the colony of organisms living in the soil. The food web is a complex living system that interacts with the environment, plants, and animals. When an agricultural town with a population of less than 300 turns out in high numbers for a workshop on soil … [Read more...]
Think Globally, Act Locally: Local Garbage Has Global Implications
Photo by Boyce Duprey. Think globally, act locally—local garbage has Global implications Think globally, act locally, presses people to take into account the health and well-being of the entire planet and for each to do their part in their own communities and cities. Recycling reusable waste is good for the planet, right? It’s something we can all do as a … [Read more...]