Matheson: Wasatch bill vital to securing Salt Lake Valley’s drinking water; recreation values

Salt Lake City, UT—Congressman Jim Matheson, Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker, and a US Forest Service official today told the House Natural Resources Committee that legislation expanding watershed protection in the Wasatch Front canyons is a shared priority.  Matheson’s bill – HR 5009 The Wasatch Wilderness and Watershed Protection Act—was introduced in April.

Matheson said the bill designates an additional 26,000 acres of wilderness and special management area protection, representing the first major Wasatch Front watershed protection effort since the Utah Wilderness Act of 1984.

“From the time of the Mormon pioneer settlement, Utah’s growth in arid Northern Utah relied on this life-giving source of pristine water flowing down these canyon streams,” Matheson told the Committee.

Mayor Ralph Becker, testifying on behalf of the city, which actively manages the watershed, said keeping the mountain ecosystems whole and healthy is critical to its mission of supplying a growing population with clean drinking water.

“We walk out our doors and into a vibrant downtown Salt Lake City or into open and spectacular mountain terrain.  The landscape is truly unmatched; as are the pressures to develop,” said Mayor Becker. “These areas meet all of the qualifications for wilderness and wilderness is a tool we need to protect the watershed.”

Matheson noted the extensive collaboration with numerous stakeholders that resulted in the bill.  He highlighted support from Snowbird Ski Resort, the mountain-biking community, the outdoor recreation industry, environmentalists, and local government leaders.

Matheson said the issue of avalanche safety—raised by the town of Alta--is a priority for everyone.  Matheson noted that many options exist to achieve avalanche control, other than building a new chair lift and he is committed to pursuing a workable solution.

Matheson said he was pleased by the response from the Forest Service official to Matheson’s questions. The official said his agency supports wilderness expansion and looks forward to working through issues regarding access to and maintenance of water delivery systems.