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Show Hinckley Journal of Politics Autumn 1998 alliances is a much lower priority than protecting wetlands, illustrated by the enemies that the Corps already has made on this project. The Corps finds itself in a difficult position; it is charged with protecting wetlands, yet protecting wetlands means taking a political hit. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) is in a tough spot. UDWR is a part of the state's bureaucracy and ultimately under the watch of the Department of Natural Resources, the Governor, and the Legislature. At the same time, UDWR is charged with protecting the state's wildlife. The Utah Code designates Farmington Bay, which UDWR manages, for the purposes of hunting, trapping, or fishing (Valentine 1996b). Of course UDWR thinks the Governor's view is important, but UDWR must also uphold its responsibilities. In a letter dated October 10, 1996, UDWR Division Director Robert Valentine said, "All proposed alternatives ... will have negative impacts to wildlife habitats, wetlands, riparian corridors and water flow to wetlands. However, at this time the western alternatives appear to be the most damaging to wildlife habitat." Valentine outlines the stakes for UDWR in the same letter: Great Salt Lake is a part of the Western hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network. In order to be part of that network, an area needs to host more than 20,000 shorebirds or 5 percent of a flyway population. With one species alone, Great Salt Lake exceeds that requirement by hosting over 500,000 Wilson's phalaropes on their annual southern migration. Other shorebirds add to that impressive number: 250,000 American avocets, 65,000 black-necked stilts, 250,000 rednecked phalarope are just a few examples of the high number of shorebirds that use Great Salt Lake wetlands. Waterfowl numbers are equally impressive. Numerous waterfowl species use Great Salt Lake wetlands as staging areas while migrating to and from wintering sites. These species include 75 percent of the western population of tundra swans and 25 percent of the continental pintail population. On a smaller scale the Great Salt Lake wetlands provide habitat for bald eagles and peregrine falcons. Peregrine falcons have been nesting in this area for several decades. In 1996, for the first time, bald eagles nested near the Great Salt Lake. Furthermore, over 500 bald eagles roost in this area from November through March. In addition to the foregoing conflicting interests, a large amount of money in UDWR's budget comes from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). This money has strings attached-namely that the monies will go toward the intended benefit, which is preserving habitat. If this does not occur, it is considered a diversion of money. Valentine believes that some alignments of the Legacy Highway could constitute a diversion. Valentine explained the threat of this possibility: "When a diversion occurs the USFWS has authority to impose sanctions on the state, usually in the form of suspension from continued Federal Aid funding until a remedy is accomplished. Thus, some $7 million of annual Federal Aid revenues to UDWR would be forfeited unless the diversion is remedied" (Valentine 1996b). To a division director, this money is serious business. Environmental Coalition The Sierra Club leads a coalition of environmental groups. Their binding interest is that each group at least questions the decision to build the Legacy Highway. Many of these groups may agree and endorse this broad interest, but the Sierra Club has taken the lead in this broad approach. The broad approach, which encompasses many of the groups' personal interests, has solidified the Environmental Coalition. Before looking further at the Sierra Club, we must consider the other groups involved in the coalition. The Audubon Society opposes this project for many of the reasons enumerated by Robert Valentine's letter that explained the potential damage to the State's flyway and bird habitat. In a February 22, 1998 interview by the author with Audubon's legislative lobbyist, Ann O'Connell, she stated, "Many of the migratory birds use this as a rest stop along their long flights. The millions of birds that stop here fly as far as Northern Canada or South America." The Society sees the Legacy Project as a threat to a large population of the Western Hemisphere's migratory birds. Audubon wants to ensure that the wetlands and the Great Salt Lake are protected as important bird habitat. Hawk Watch International opposes the Legacy Project mainly because it will potentially harm or destroy habitat for raptors, although it also has an interest in birds in general. Hawk Watch fears that the Legacy Project will adversely affect the wetlands and the farmlands along the Great Salt Lake. "Farmlands are important for raptors for nesting and foraging. The wetland is an important source of food for raptors and migratory birds" (Hoffman 1998). The Highway and associated development likely to appear along the highway may isolate farmlands and wetland areas. Hawk Watch fears that this might adversely affect raptors, including one of four mating pairs of bald eagles in Utah (1998). Friends of Great Salt Lake "wants to preserve Great Salt Lake and its surrounding ecosystem" (de Fratis 1998). This group works on a number of projects relating to activities that threaten the Great Salt Lake. The Friends organization, like many of the others in the coalition, questions whether "wetland mitigation can replace the wetlands that the Project will destroy" (1998). The theme in this group's decision is preserving "Great Salt Lake's delicate ecosystem," and the group's president Lynn de Fratis is quick to add, "we do not know enough about it to tinker with it." Farmington Bay Advocates is a coalition itself. It represents "hunters, birdwatchers, environmentalists, livestock grazers, and private property interests" (Farmington Bay Advocates 1996). This group is dedicated to preserving "the remaining wildlife habitat and open space along the southeast shore of the Great Salt Lake, an area rich with wildlife sanctuaries, private waterfowl hunting clubs and grazing land for cattle and sheep" (1996). Along with preserving habitat and the wetlands, this group has private property, recreation, and S3 |