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Show Scientific Review Committee Letter and Report EVALUATION OF THE SCIENTIFIC UNDERPINNINGS OF THE MAY 1, 1999 GREAT SALT LAKE PLANNING DOCUMENT Final report ( 9/ 20/ 99) of the Great Salt Lake Scientific Review Committee consisting of: Genevieve Atwood, Paul W. Jewell, John A. Kadlec, Mac McKee, and Katrina A. Moser Staff: Brenda Landureth, DNR Administration INTRODUCTION The purpose of this document: In May 1999 the State of Utah Department of Natural Resources ( DNR) selected this Scientific Review Committee to " verify and validate the scientific information presented in the Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management Plan: Planning Document of May 1, 1999." DNR requested that the reviewers focus on an evaluation of the scientific underpinnings presented in the nStatement of Current Conditions and Trends" section of the planning document and resist looking at the entire body of information available about the lake and its environs. The scientific review process was to offer an unbiased assessment of the technical information base utilized by DNR to make decisions and tradeoffs concerning Great Salt Lake ( GSL). Furthermore, the scientific review process was to evaluate the DNR use of available technical information, identify information that was limited or missing, forewarn the DNR of potential criticisms of its information base, and enhance the credibility of the DNR planning process. DNR asked the Scientific Review Committee to ignore political and economic issues of GSL and focus only on the science. The Scientific Review Committee reviewed the Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management Plan: Planning Document ( Planning Document) in detail. This included attending briefings by the U. S. Geological Survey and DNR staff concerning computer modeling of the water balance and salt balance of GSL and included interviews with many government and industry scientists. The committee held its organizational meeting in May, met twice in June including a two- day working session in Logan, once in July and twice in August. The July 19 meeting included discussions with DNR- GSL Planning Team. The August 23 meeting included a debriefing with Kathleen Clarke, Executive Director of DNR. This report summarizes the deliberations of the Scientific Review Committee. It consists of a general evaluation of the major scientific information bases underpinning 221 |