Wasatch Canyons Master Plan
It's time for the second round of public participation in the Wasatch Canyons Tomorrow planning process. After months of work along with and many steering and technical advisory committee meetings, Envision Utah has scheduled public open houses for November 4th and 5th with an online survey going live today at http://www.wasatchcanyons.slco.org/. This is another round of public input-through-survey for the Canyons Master Plan.
It is IMPERATIVE that we, as climbers, skiers, dog walkers, nature lovers, etc. get involved and make our voices be heard. It is an extremely political process and numbers really matter. In the last round of surveys, climbers really made an impact, with 10% of respondents stating that they climb. That put climbers on the map as an important user group. We need to amplify our voices even more if we are to have meaningful impact.
Based on the results of the first survey, Envision Utah has formulated several scenarios showcasing different management strategies for recreation, land use, transportation, and the resorts in the Wasatch Canyons. They range from methods designed to curb demand such as requiring permits for climbing and backcountry skiing along with charging for parking, to efforts designed to meet growing demand such as consolidating/improving climbing trails and increasing year-round public transit. The survey asks for comments on scenarios as well as the individual strategies. This public input will then be considered in for inclusion in the draft of the Wasatch Canyons Master Plan.
The WCMP will stand alone, but it will be considered in Salt Lake County's Master Plan, and eventually in the Forest Plan. All of these plans will be revised in the next few years, so it is important that we are able to represent as a user group. Our next chance for the WCMP will be in 2030, so please take some time to review the posters, and fill out the survey.
If you'd like to learn more about the proposals, attend the two open houses next week:
6:30-8:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 4th
Skyline High School Cafeteria
3251 East 3760 South, Salt Lake City 84109
Sandy City Hall
10000 Centennial Parkway, Sandy 84070 (second floor multipurpose room)
6:30-8:00 p.m., Thursday, November 5th
West High School
241 North 300 West, Salt Lake City 84103 (Commons Area)
West Jordan High School
8136 South 2700 West , West Jordan 84088 (Media Center)
