Addie, the authority’s conservation and restoration lead, told the board on Nov. 12 that restoration crews and volunteers installed more than 21,180 plants across three sites in October, representing 18 species and involving coordination with Utah Conservation Corps crews and BYU volunteer groups. She said total plantings since 2023 exceed roughly 90,000.

Addie described the logistical complexity of moving plants and coordinating crews and volunteers and said the authority is pursuing a Great Salt Lake watershed grant to expand invasive-phragmites treatment across tributaries in the watershed. She said expanding the program would help the Jordan River and Great Salt Lake by reducing upstream seed sources for invasive plants.

Heather reported the volunteer program completed about 1,200 trash cleanups in 2025 totaling roughly 1,700 volunteer hours; she noted inventory improvements for life-jacket loaner stations (about 230 life jackets in inventory, being tagged and maintained). Board members asked about liability for loaner life jackets; Sam described a 'use at your own risk' approach with regular inspections guided by Coast Guard training and maintained insurance coverage for events and programs.

Events staff (Kelly and Shelby) summarized the Utah Lake Symposium outcomes — about $17,500 in sponsorships and roughly $2,000 in ticket revenue — and previewed next year’s activities, including a proposed May 30 festival date, a revamped Monster Ball fundraiser, and expanded school outreach programming.

Why it matters: Large-scale plantings and volunteer engagement are core components of the authority’s restoration and public-engagement strategy; expanded watershed invasive-species work and ongoing fundraising support sustained restoration activity.

What’s next: Staff will continue project planning, pursue grants, run the planned festival on May 30 and expand classroom and community outreach in 2026.