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Lawmakers praise Jamie Barnes for stewardship of Great Salt Lake and sovereign lands
Summary
Unidentified speakers at a Utah House session commended Jamie Barnes, director of the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, for leading stewardship work on the Great Salt Lake and other sovereign waters, citing negotiation skills, interagency collaboration and watershed improvements.
The Utah House of Representatives heard multiple speakers praise Jamie Barnes, director of the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, for her leadership overseeing sovereign lands and major water bodies including the Great Salt Lake.
Unidentified Speaker 1 opened the remarks by identifying Barnes as director of the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and saying, "She is an absolutely incredible leader," crediting her and her team with managing "some of the most complex resources in this state." The speaker said the agency’s work affects major bodies such as Utah Lake, the Great Salt Lake and Bear Lake, and added that without Barnes’ leadership "we would not be where we are today."
Speakers emphasized the technical breadth of the role. Unidentified Speaker 3 said management of sovereign lands "is so interconnected with all of the water resources across the state," and listed responsibilities that include water rates, land acquisitions and leases, royalties, wildlife, and air and water quality. Unidentified Speaker 3 added that such work "really takes a unique individual" who is well rounded across legal and scientific issues.
Several speakers highlighted Barnes’ approach to negotiation and interagency collaboration. "She's not afraid to ruffle feathers and . . . say this is the right thing to do," Unidentified Speaker 1 said, while Unidentified Speaker 4 called Barnes "a master negotiator" who helps parties leave tense situations feeling they "got something out of it." Unidentified Speaker 3 described increased cooperation between agencies since Barnes became director, saying staff would "brainstorm a solution together" to problems raised by the director.
Speakers also pointed to specific programmatic work under Barnes’ leadership. Unidentified Speaker 1 credited the team at FFSL with making "huge strides towards watershed health," which they said benefits runoff and water quality in Utah Lake, the Great Salt Lake and other sovereign lands. Unidentified Speaker 2 cited work on establishing salinity thresholds and elevation standards as examples of concrete technical steps being advanced under her direction.
Multiple speakers concluded by recommending Barnes for recognition. "For that and a multitude of other reasons, Jamie is the right fit for this award," Unidentified Speaker 2 said. The transcript contains no recorded motion or formal vote related to the recommendation, and no further procedural action is noted in the provided text.
The session transcript records praise and examples of Barnes’ responsibilities and approaches but does not include the text of a formal award resolution or any subsequent administrative action; the remarks represent public commendations and a recommendation rather than a recorded final decision.
