The UVEF Stewardship Appreciation Survey 2012

How "green" is your Utah County city?

Introduction:
Around Utah County, cities and towns are doing many things that reflect good stewardship of the environment and help make our communities healthier and more livable for present and future generations. From citywide recycling to energy conservation, from “smart growth” to gradually switching to clean, safe, renewable sources of energy—progress is being made toward better stewardship. To identify, encourage and commend these efforts, and to help educate and inspire communities and their residents to do even more, the Utah Valley Earth Forum (UVEF)—the valley’s independent, volunteer, citizen environmental organization—invited all cities and towns in the county to participate in the first annual UVEF Stewardship Appreciation Survey.

The UVEF is delighted to report that most of the cities and towns—communities representing over 77% of Utah County’s urban population—took part in the survey. Every city and town that participated is to be commended for its efforts to improve the environment in which we all live—the air, the water and the land. Being a good steward not only makes our communities healthier and more livable for both present and future generations, it is the right and responsible thing to do, and often saves money and valuable resources in the process.

So we say, "Good job, participating cities!" Our hats are off to you! Keep up the good work! The air, water and land, and current and future generations are grateful for whatever you do to be better stewards of the earth.

The Survey Results:
Please consider the following when viewing the results below:

1. The survey was intended to cover many, if not most, of the main things communities can do to to help improve the environment, but the survey was not intended to be definitive.
2. Thirty-six items were on the survey. Cities were asked to indicate which items they were currently doing. If they were doing things not on the survey, they were asked to indicate those things. Links to appendices are posted below to indicate non-survey responses by participants.
3. The submitted responses on the survey were self-reported by the cities and were not independently verified by the UVEF.
4. Participation was encouraged but voluntary. Non-participation does not necessarily mean a city or town is doing nothing to be a good steward of the environment.
5. Cities were given 3 months to complete and return the survey. Some surveys were completed and returned within one hour.
6. We plan to administer the survey annually to commend good efforts cities are making and to encourage them to continue improving their stewardship.
7. For a copy of the actual survey, please e-mail your request to Chair@UVEF.us.

To view the SURVEY RESULTS click HERE or on the graphic below: 
 

Appendix #1  (written responses of *cities)

Appendix #2  (written responses for Lindon)

MAY 12th OUTING TO TOPAZ MT.

Topaz Outing

Click on photo above to see bigger image.

We had a great time on our recent outing to Topaz Mt. on May 12th. We found many topazes and enjoyed each others company as well as the beautiful desert surroundings. Hope you will join us for more outings this summer and throughout the year. Rosey, our Outings Director, lead the outing and did a great job! Thanks, Rosey!

Provo Honored for Stewardship Efforts

The City of Provo was recently honored by the UVEF for its extensive efforts to exemplify good stewardship of the environment. Provo was the first city in Utah County to complete the new UVEF Stewardship Appreciation Survey. Based in the results of the survey, the UVEF presented its Earth Stewardship Award to Mayor John Curtis, on behalf of the City of Provo.

photo © 2011 JNWestwater

Latter Day Saints and the Environment: Download the Presentation

From Don Jarvis:
Too many of our LDS neighbors don't think that they have any religious responsibility to protect the environment, and a few of them look with great suspicion on environmentalism as a nefarious big-government conspiracy. Of course, LDS leaders have spoken about our sacred stewardship of the environment, some quite recently. George Handley and others have helped draw attention to these teachings with several useful publications, including Stewardship and the Creation (Provo: Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center, 2006).

Drawing largely on these sources, I assembled a succinct pictorial presentation entitled "Latter-day Saints and the Environment," which is suitable for a lesson or discussion in a small group or family. Click HERE to download a PDF of the presentation. Feel free to use the presentation wherever it will do some good.
Thank you. Don

Let's drive less in Utah County

From an Op-Ed in the Daily Herald: January 2nd. Click on the title above to view the original article.
We love petroleum-powered cars because they offer convenience, speed, power, prestige, and fashion. They are essential for the handicapped. However, they ...
• are expensive. About a fourth of a suburban family's budget is gobbled by cars' purchase price, licensing, fuel costs, repairs, and insurance.
• raise our taxes, because they need expensive roads. Cars have allowed us to build houses in suburbia, but that results in urban sprawl that devours our best agricultural land and requires lots of detested commuting, which requires expensive roads. Adding a mile of a single lane to a superhighway costs about $5 million.
• shorten our lives: Vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for young people and kill plenty of the rest of us. Furthermore, cars facilitate a sedentary life style, which contributes to our pandemic of obesity and diabetes. As if that weren't enough, petroleum-powered vehicles cause pollution in our cities, causing enormous health damage, equivalent to every resident smoking several cigarettes daily. And commuting eats into every week day.
• devour real estate: Roughly 50 percent of the land in American cities is devoted to them: roads, parking lots, service stations, car sales lots, repair shops, and auto parts stores.
• get us into wars. Our petroleum addiction has not only transferred too much of our wealth to oil-producing countries that hate us, but when those sources are threatened, we launch wars to maintain our access to oil.
Our addiction to petroleum-fueled cars is a big problem. Are there any remedies? Of course. We should ...
• Walk a little more. It's in our blood. The pioneer ancestors of many of us walked here from Omaha. The Mormon Battalion made one of the longest marches in military history. Many of us walked a lot on our missions.
• Bike a little more. We thought it was great when we learned to ride as kids, and some grown-ups still think it's fun. A few even commute to work, feel sorry for those in cars, and don't need to pay big gym fees for great aerobic exercise.
• Carpool more. It's cheaper and lets you use the much faster HOV lanes.
• Use public transportation more. Buses and trains with Wi-Fi can turn that hated car commute into office time, email time, game time.
• Drive our kids to school less if they can walk, bike, or take public transport. Hooking kids on cars is not doing them any favor.
• Move closer to work. Not always easy, but you could save a ton of money even if the new place costs more. While you are at it, look for a walkable community near public transport.
• Get an alternative-fuel, electric, or hybrid vehicle. They are cleaner, are getting cheaper, can save a bundle in the long run, and let you drive in HOV lanes.
• Idle less. Idling pollutes a lot. Never use drive-thrus. Get out and walk in.
• Elect leaders who understand all this. Vote for officials willing to put more money into alternative transportation and walkable communities and less unto the usual roads and zoning.
And think about choosing one or more of the above as a New Year's resolution.
• Don Jarvis is the sustainability advisor to Provo City Mayor John Curtis. His views do not necessarily represent the views of Provo city or the mayor.

Read more: http://www.heraldextra.com/news/opinion/mailbag/let-s-drive-less-in-utah-valley/article_3c391ada-78df-51a4-9600-f1f2784e5bbc.html#ixzz1j5iWIp1i

Summary of UVEF Accomplishments

STOP THE BRIDGE

The proposed private bridge bisecting our public treasure, Utah Lake, is a very bad idea that is being evaluated by an inadequate, flawed process. The bridge is neither needed nor wanted. It’s designed to benefit a few developers at the expense of our health, our well-being and the lake’s viability. The proposed seven-mile-long concrete structure will damage the lake’s ecology, pollute its waters, add congestion and air pollution and create a permanent ugly scar on our valley. It will foster urban sprawl on the west side by replacing dwindling open spaces and natural areas with pavement, cars, crowding and fowl air that will in turn damage the valley’s economy by making it harder to attract and keep families and business concerned with their health and quality of life. Much better alternatives exist to relieve traffic congestion and prevent urban sprawl. Utah Lake has been exploited and treated as a sewer for too long. It’s time to stop the exploitation and pollution. It’s time to start respecting the lake and helping restore it to a natural healthy state, for the enjoyment and betterment of all Utahns, for now and for all generations. No thanks. No bridge.
middle photo of Utah Lake © JNWestwater

• not needed -- the bridge is not needed and better alternatives exist. The population on the west side of the lake is at the north end where two major new no-toll thoroughfares (Pioneer Crossing and the Mountainview Corridor) are being constructed to relieve congestion. With these new thoroughfares, auto travel from Eagle Mountain, Cedar Valley and much of Saratoga Springs to the Orem area will be shorter, safer, and cheaper than using the proposed toll bridge.

• approval process is flawed -- the current process is not-impartial and is beyond the capability of the FFSL. The FFSL’s impartiality has been compromised since key FFSL employees serve at the pleasure of the Governor and since the Governor has indicated he is in favor of the project if the FFSL approves it. The state does not have the resources to conduct a thorough, rigorous impartial study of the consequences of this massive environmental-impacting project.

• unknown impact -- because no NEPA level EIS is being done, the information to make sound judgements on the impact of the bridge proposal will not be available. The Utah public is being asked to buy a “pig in a poke.”

• critical habitat -- Utah lake is a critical habitat for millions of migratory birds and the endangered June Sucker, found nowhere else in the world. A bridge across Utah Lake would harm this critical habitat.

• exploitative -- bridge development is really about developing the west side side of Utah Lake, exploiting a pubic treasure for private gain of the few.

• murky finances -- the developer refuses to identify the “offshore interests” he claims are providing the funds to construct the bridge.

• expensive to taxpayers -- the public will be forced to pay for the improvements to highway 68 on the west side necessitated by the proposed bridge.

• permanent ugly scar -- the bridge will permanently scare and despoil the beauty of the lake. The bridge is not a piece of beautiful architectural sculpture, it’s a straight six-lane seven mile long concrete toll bridge.

• toxic sediments stirred up -- the bridge will harm the ecology of the lake--construction will stir up toxic sediments (principally phosphorus) that will migrate to other parts of the lake causing unknown damage to aquatic life.

• toxic runoff -- runoff from the bridge will add pollution to the lake’s waters and harm fish, birds and aquatic life in the lake.

• bridge noise, light and air pollution -- auto exhaust, traffic noise and nighttime illumination will add to air, noise and light pollution.

• urban sprawl air pollution -- the urban sprawl this bridge is designed to facilitate on the west side will significantly increase vehicular air pollution as more and more automobile-dependent communities are built.

• loss of federal funds for highways, etc. -- as air pollution increases, Utah County will risk loosing all federal funding since it does not now comply with the US Clean Air Act, and more cars will make the air quality even worse, not better.

• more congestion -- increased traffic across the bridge would add to the traffic congestion problem already occurring on the east side of Utah Lake.

• added stress to our water supply -- the urban sprawl developments on the west side that would be facilitated by this bridge will place even more stress on our valley’s limited supply of fresh water for residential use.

• damage to quality of life, harm to the economy and property values -- the value of new and existing homes will decrease as the very things that made living here so attractive are lost. by adding to the accelerating the rate of development in the county--converting open spaces to homes, pavement and pollution-generating vehicles further degrades the natural beauty of this area and its air quality--making it less and less attractive to new residents and new businesses. Who will want to live in a congested bowl filled with toxic brown smog?

• damage to Native American sites -- bridge construction may damage ancient Native American village and burial sites.

• harming what is sacred to Native Americans -- Native Americans most likely held and may still hold Utah Lake to be spiritually sacred to them. To bisect it with a massive concrete highway bridge most likely would be seen as violating what they hold to be sacred. They are an earth based belief system where the earth is their mother and the sky their father. It is deemed disrespectful to exploit it.

• not for sale -- Utah Lake should be protected and helped to become more naturally healthful. It is a natural, public treasure that should not be sold to the highest private bidder. “Utah Lake is Not For Sale.”

• destroying the peace and quiet of the lake -- A massive concrete structure loaded with noisy vehicles and headlights at night will significantly diminish the peaceful, quiet of the lake now enjoyed by many fishermen, sailers, boaters, duck hunters and shore-side anglers, and by the many people of present and future generations that find pleasure and inspiration in the uninterrupted beauty of the lake.

• better alternatives -- much better alternatives exist to the urban sprawl this bridge is intended to spawn. Rather than paving over more and more open spaces, natural areas, wildlife habitat and agricultural areas, why not create parkland preserves and green spaces while clustering population in existing developed areas and connecting them with public transit that is much more fuel efficient and much less polluting. And by having people live near their jobs, services, schools and shopping they become less car dependent and what’s left of the valley’s beauty can remain for present and future generations to enjoy.