FFSL News

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is seeking stakeholder comment through the informal rulemaking processes regarding a draft of mineral extraction rules, especially lithium extraction.  “Extracting lithium from Great Salt Lake is a unique economic opportunity for the state of Utah,” said Ben Stireman, Deputy Director of Lands and Minerals for the Utah Division …

SALT LAKE –  The interagency fire prevention campaign Fire Sense was honored by the US Forest Service, the Ad Council and the National Association of State Foresters with the bronze level of the Smokey Bear award at the NASF annual meeting in Baton Rogue, La., on September 20th.  The Smokey Bear awards began in the mid-1950s to recognize organizations on …

SALT LAKE – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) has completed the Fremont Island Property Management Plan (PMP) according to the terms and conditions outlined in the conservation easement held by The Nature Conservancy (TNC).   “Conserving Fremont Island as open space and allowing resources present to flourish contributes to the holistic protection of Great Salt Lake, …

SALT LAKE – The US Forest Service announced 18,648 acres of private forested lands in Utah will be preserved with an investment of $14.4 million as a part of the Forest Legacy Program. Funding for the projects comes from the Inflation Reduction Act, and the investment will ensure these forestlands will continue to benefit the public and surrounding communities.   “The …

SALT LAKE CITY– Today state, federal and local officials visited forest management projects to see how Utah’s land managers are proactively addressing the wildfire crisis. Gov. Spencer Cox hosted Deputy Chief Chris French and Intermountain Regional Forester Mary Farnsworth with the U.S. Forest Service; Regional Conservationist Astor Boozer and State Conservationist Emily Fife with the Natural Resource Conservation Service; Legislators; …

SALT LAKE – The USDA Forest Service has awarded $475,000 to two Utah-based organizations through the Wood Innovation Funding Opportunity. Last Chance Lumber Sawmill will use the grant funding to retool its existing setup, and the University of Utah will use the funding for research on the safety of mass timber buildings. “It’s exciting to see increased federal investment in …

SALT LAKE CITY (June 1, 2023) — The multi-agency treatment of wildfire fuels (mulching) in Parleys Canyon will resume with mechanical treatments beginning on June 1 on the south side of I-80. It will continue up to Lambs Canyon as a part of more extensive fuel reduction work to improve watershed health and wildlife habitat.  Due to the impacts of …

SALT LAKE CITY – The Twin Peaks Handcrew were honored with the USDA Secretary’s Act of Valor Award and the Intermountain Regional Foresters Award today for their role in the Moose Fire Aircraft Response Group and for their willingness to risk personal injury in an attempt to perform lifesaving actions during a disaster response. “It is an honor to see …

SALT LAKE CITY – The ongoing work of controlling the spread and mitigating the impact of an invasive plant species, Phragmites australis, on the shoreline of Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake continued to see success in 2022.   This year a total of 6,312 acres of phragmites-infested shoreline were treated around Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake by the Division …

SALT LAKE CITY (January 31, 2023) – Today, the Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust announced the membership of its new Trust Advisory Council. Establishing the council is an essential element in formalizing the Trust structure and advancing the Trust’s mission to bring more water flows to Great Salt Lake and its wetlands. The Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Program …