Utah Inland Port Authority expands wetlands policy, requires delineations for West Weber; announces EPA Clean Ports planning funds

Mona Smith, environmental and sustainability director at the Utah Inland Port Authority, briefed the Great Salt Lake Advisory Council on the port’s updated wetlands policy, a West Weber wetlands protection strategy and a planning grant awarded under the EPA Clean Ports program.

Smith said the policy expands the port’s definition of wetlands to include fresh and saltwater marsh, wet meadows, playas and mudflats and hydrologic-soil indicators such as cracked soil and salt crust. The policy aims to capture aquatic resources in Utah that do not always meet the federal delineation methods, Smith said, noting that "wetlands are not always wet, and we need to be considerate of important areas such as playas."

Under the policy the port can designate tax-differential funds toward wetland mitigation projects that go "above and beyond" federal and state regulatory requirements. Smith listed eligible uses including water purchases, conservation easements that create natural buffer zones, wetland characterization and restoration methods consistent with EPA and Army Corps guidance.

For the West Weber project area, Smith said the port will require property owners to provide updated wetland delineation studies (Army Corps methodology) and Phase I environmental site assessments before the port provides tax-differential incentives or other financial tools. The strategy also requires a minimum 600-foot buffer between developments and certain waterfowl management areas until buffer zones are agreed and recorded.

Smith described a Clean Ports planning grant that will fund a baseline emissions inventory, a workforce impact assessment for zero-emission transitions and public engagement. She said the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) received approximately $110 million to subsidize equipment replacement and that the port portion includes about $2.4 million for planning to assess port equipment emissions and community impacts.

Council members and public commenters asked about the relationship between the port’s expanded policy and federal Army Corps delineations. A public commenter, Dita, warned that using Army Corps delineations alone could leave many Utah wetlands unprotected; Smith said the port’s policy intentionally expands the wetlands definition beyond the federal delineation to fund mitigation for features that fall outside federal criteria.

During public comment the meeting also heard concerns about groundwater impacts tied to inland port projects in Tooele Valley and Eagle Mountain. Smith said the port intends to coordinate with state agencies and local landowners and will direct mitigation funds to projects that provide sustained ecosystem benefits.

The council did not take formal action on the port policy during the meeting; members requested follow-up materials and a copy of the policy link Smith provided.