WASHINGTON鈥擫ast night, Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act passed the Senate after passing the House last week. This 探花精选-backed legislation will establish a scientific monitoring and assessment program to help save the Great Salt Lake and other saline lakes in the West. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and Sen Merkley (D-OR) and Sen. Romney (R-UT) led this bipartisan legislation. The bill now heads to the White House to be signed into law by President Biden.
鈥淚 am so appreciative of Governor Cox, Speaker Wilson, Joel Ferry, and the state legislature for their consistent support of and collaboration on this critical legislation,鈥 said Congressman Blake Moore. 鈥淚 was grateful to use my role in Congress to play a part in this solutions-oriented approach to one of our region鈥檚 greatest challenges. Over the last two years, I have worked with Senator Romney and the Utah delegation to bring awareness and solutions to the challenges that threaten the Great Salt Lake and our neighboring saline lakes. I am thrilled this bill has received the support necessary to head to the president鈥檚 desk, and I thank all who have worked on this legislation to get it to the finish line.鈥
"This is a superb bill for the future of the Great Salt Lake and the animals and people who rely on it,鈥 said Governor Spencer Cox. 鈥淚t would address the economic value associated with the lake and the importance of migratory birds, help fill gaps in science around hydrology, integrate existing work being done on water quality, and assess future water needs. This legislation could be a key to ensuring the viability of the Great Salt Lake far into the future."
鈥淭he Great Salt Lake continuing to shrink will result in lasting negative consequences to Utah鈥檚 ecosystem, economy and quality of life,鈥 said Utah Senate President J. Stuart Adams. 鈥淭he Utah Legislature鈥檚 efforts, combined with those in Congress, will have significant and positive impacts. I appreciate Congressman Moore鈥檚 work and leadership on this issue at the federal level and look forward to reviewing and utilizing the findings to further our efforts to protect the Great Salt Lake.鈥
鈥淪aving the Great Salt Lake and protecting our available water sources is no small task and will require significant efforts from all Utahns 鈥 government, organizations, businesses, and individuals,鈥 said Speaker Brad Wilson. 鈥淚 appreciate Congressman Moore鈥檚 efforts to bring attention to and funding for the Great Salt Lake from a national level. As Utah鈥檚 leaders, we are doing everything we can to ensure Utah has enough water to meet our current needs and continue to support a growing and thriving population.鈥
鈥淥ur lands and waters鈥攊ncluding saline lakes in Oregon like Lake Abert and Goose Lake鈥攁re integral to the survival of countless animals and migratory birds,鈥 said Senator Merkley. 鈥淭hese ecosystems must be protected, but we can鈥檛 do that without sufficient data. With the passage of this bipartisan bill, we are one step closer to securing the studies and science needed to put long-term plans into action to ensure our saline lakes ecosystems can thrive for generations to come.鈥
鈥淲ith the Great Salt Lake currently at the lowest levels ever recorded, we must do whatever is necessary to save it,鈥 said Senator Romney. 鈥淚 was proud to lead this legislation with Senator Merkley and Congressman Moore, which will establish a scientific foundation and ongoing monitoring system to inform coordinated management and conservation actions for threatened Great Basin saline lake ecosystems and the communities who depend on them. This legislation will complement and help elevate the work already being done by the State of Utah to understand this key resource and the role it plays as part of the larger landscape. I urge President Biden to sign our bill without delay so we can save this iconic and cherished part of Utah.鈥
"Public waters like the Great Basin saline lakes are vital for the futures of wildlife and the communities whose livelihoods depend on them. How we manage them, especially in the face climate change and severe drought, should be led by science,鈥 said Congressman Jared Huffman. 鈥淥ur bill will get us the data needed to understand how water supplies and habitats are changing, assess future water needs, and develop management solutions to help these ecosystems thrive for generations 鈥 and I鈥檓 glad to see pass the Senate and on its way to become law.鈥
"Great Salt Lake and the network of saline lake ecosystems in the arid West face very serious challenges with increasingly low water levels, placing local communities and millions of migratory birds at risk,鈥 said Marcelle Shoop, Saline Lakes Program Director for the 探花精选. 鈥淭he additional resources and technical expertise provided within this indispensable science-based program will build on current efforts locally to conserve these habitats, while advancing collaborative solutions across the Great Basin to protect people and birds. 探花精选 is grateful to Rep. Moore and Rep. Huffman, and Sen. Merkley and Sen. Romney, for championing this important bill.鈥
鈥淭his was a great effort to get this help through Congress at this time,鈥 said Scott W. Maxman, General Manager and CEO of the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District. 鈥淭he Great Salt Lake, as well as other saline lakes in the region, require all hands on deck. My hope is that the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Actwill bring many of us together to help us understand all of the issues impacting these lakes and thus bringing us closer to real solutions.鈥
The Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act would provide the U.S. Geological Survey鈥攊n coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and tribal, state, academic, and nonprofit organizations鈥攔esources to conduct scientific monitoring and assessments to establish effective management and conservation efforts to preserve essential Saline Lake habitats within the Great Basin network.
The Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act builds on the important, work being done in the Utah State Legislature to address this issue. In addition, the bill has received support from Governor Cox and several organizations, including: the 探花精选, Compass Minerals, Trout Unlimited, Rio Tinto Kennecott, the Utah Waterfowl Association, the Utah Airboat Association, the Utah Wetlands Foundation, the Nature Conservancy in Utah, Friends of Great Salt Lake, the Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, the Great Salt Lake Brine Shrimp Cooperative, the Utah 探花精选 Council, and the National Wildlife Federation. The bill supports the work authorized under the , which passed the Utah State Legislature unanimously in 2019.
In addition, the bill is also cosponsored by Representatives Susie Lee (D-NV), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), Burgess Owens (R-UT), John Curtis (R-UT), Chris Stewart (R-UT), and Mark Amodei (R-NV).
探花精选 appreciates the many continued partnerships which were key in bringing much-needed scientific attention to these unique lakes. The bill text can be found . The coalition support letter can be found and Governor Cox鈥檚 support letter can be found .
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Press Contact:
Joey Kahn, 探花精选
Communications Director, Water Conservation
joey.kahn@audubon.org