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Local conservationists urge Utah County to push back on proposed Utah Lake island development
Summary
Representatives of Conserv Utah Valley and BYU researchers warned the Utah County commissioners that a for‑profit proposal to create private islands and transfer lake bed could harm ecology and rely on uncertain private and public financing; they asked the county to press state lawmakers for amendments to House Bill 272.
Craig Christiansen of Conserv Utah Valley and BYU aquatic ecologist Ben Abbott told the Utah County Board of County Commissioners that a private proposal to create an archipelago of artificial islands in Utah Lake would be a major ecological and fiscal risk and asked the commission to take a leadership role calling for legislative changes.
Christiansen said the project — a proposal from a company called Lake Restoration Solutions referenced in the presentation — would privatize portions of Utah Lake bed and claimed to solve lake problems with dredging and construction of large islands. He said the proposal was made possible by a 2018 legislative amendment to House Bill 272 that created an alternative pathway allowing state land in and around Utah Lake to…
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