Salt Lake City – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) and the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust) are excited to announce that up to $6.5 million in grant funding is available to eligible organizations with projects that will protect and/or restore wetlands and habitats in Great Salt Lake’s surrounding ecosystems to benefit the …
Two Utah Companies Receive Over $800,000 in Wood Products Grants
SALT LAKE – Two companies in Utah, Blazzard Lumber Co and Thompson Sawmill, were awarded over $800,000 from the US Forest Service as a part of the Wood Innovations Program. Blazzard Lumber and Thompson Sawmill received funding through the Wood Products Infrastructure Assistance Grant. This funding was part of a bigger $73.9 million investment from the USFS to support the …
Kit Carson’s Cross Receives Recognition on National Register of Historic Places
SALT LAKE (May 30, 2024) – Kit Carson’s Cross, an iconic symbol that rests at the highest point of Fremont Island on the Great Salt Lake, has been added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) by the National Park Service. “The National Register of Historic Places is a powerful tool that allows our Division, as the landowner, to …
Cooperation among agencies aims to better prepare forested areas of the Wasatch Front to withstand risk of wildfire
SALT LAKE CITY (May 29, 2024) — The summer of 2024 will be the third year in which several agencies partner together to perform forest health treatments in areas at risk of high-intensity wildfires. Prescribed treatments have been carefully designed to improve forest health after extensive evaluation and planning. Treatments will include tree thinning, mastication (or mulching excess vegetation), and prescribed fire and will …
Forestry, Fire and State Lands Expands Wildfire Aviation Program
SALT LAKE (May 29, 2024) – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is expanding its wildfire aviation program to include a helitack program to better assess and address active wildfires within the state. The new crew will be called the Diamond Fork Helitack and stationed at the Spanish Fork Airport. “Adding this helitack crew is the next …
Utah Receives Over $5.5 Million in Community Wildfire Defense Grant Funding
SALT LAKE (May 15, 2024) – On Tuesday, the US Department of Agriculture announced its second round of funding of project proposals as a part of the Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program. Three entities within Utah received over $5.5 million to be spent on protecting homes, businesses and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfires. Recipients in Utah that are a part …
Forest Legacy to Fund Summit County’s Wasatch Back Forest Conservation Project
SALT LAKE (May 14, 2024) – The United States Forest Service (USFS) announced yesterday that they will provide $40 million of Inflation Reduction Act funding through the Forest Legacy Program that will go to Summit County’s Wasatch Back Forest Conservation Project to preserve a large landscape project in Summit County. The 910 Ranch is 8,588 acres of privately owned forested …
FFSL and Compass Minerals Come Together to Protect Great Salt Lake
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Legislature passed HB453 Great Salt Lake Revisions, which directs the state water engineer to create a water distribution plan for the Great Salt Lake and establishes a severance tax for the lake’s minerals. The legislation also provides a tax incentive for companies that do not deplete water in their extraction process or that voluntarily …
Team Rubicon Returns to Southeast Utah for Operation Grand Adventure
MOAB, Utah – Team Rubicon is returning to Utah from March 12-18 for Operation Grand Adventure, which aims to reduce wildfire risk along Mill and Pack Creeks. Team Rubicon has been an active partner in helping lower the wildfire risk within the Moab area since 2018. “We are psyched that Team Rubicon is returning to Moab to help us with …
Wildland Fire Program and Crews Honored by Utah House and Senate
SALT LAKE – The Wildland Fire Program and the Lone Peak Conservation Center crews were honored on the floor of the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah Senate on February 6. Representative Tyler Clancy read a legislative citation on the House floor to recognize the selfless service the members of the fire program show in protecting the citizens and …