Estimated read time: 7-8 minutes
- Protecting public lands, managing waste and volunteering can help preserve Utah's environment.
- Proper recycling and reducing consumption can significantly impact future generations' ecological well-being.
Gifts aren't the primary reason for the holiday season but they play a dominant role in the world's annual holiday celebrations — and for obvious reasons.
Of all the gifts Utahns can offer, few are as meaningful, enduring or as thoughtful as the promise of a healthier, thriving planet. But you can't exactly add "healthier planet" to your Amazon shopping cart. And a healthier, brighter future does not come with same-day delivery.
Gift guide for a healthier planet
For most Utahns, the natural treasures nearest to home are within the state's seven national forests and other public lands. More than just scenic backdrops for Utah's population or recreational playgrounds, public lands are the wellspring of life in the arid Intermountain West. That is especially true of Utah's forests.
"We are surrounded by extremely critical watersheds that provide not only drinking water and water for our habits, but places like the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, and everywhere around us," said Dave Whittekiend, supervisor for the Unita-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. "It's important that we protect these watersheds. It's important that we manage them. It's important that we keep them functioning in any way possible."
There are many simple and practical ways Utahns can help keep watersheds in top form for generations to come.
The first is to recognize the popularity of Utah's forests and public lands. The Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, in particular, is one of the top five public land sites in the entire United States, based on visitation, Whittekiend said.
"We have a lot of people — a lot of people out there. And they love it," he said. Utah offers an unrivaled patchwork of natural wonderlands, and especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, people are out enjoying Utah's natural treasures — which is exactly as intended.
But there is a cost to that enjoyment, says Whittekiend.
Convenience is really important to people. If things aren't convenient, then that's the main reason why a lot of stuff ends up in the trash.
–Chelsea Hafer, Recycle Utah
Our presence alone "can displace wildlife and can impact the watershed," he said. Utah's forests and public lands are struggling with vandalism, litter and visitors failing to keep OHVs on designated trails or cutting social hiking trails that damage sensitive resources and can degrade Utah's watersheds. That is in addition to the plague of human-caused fires.
"Every year in Utah, over 90% of fires are human-caused," says Whittekiend. Those wildfires steal resources and personnel away from naturally occurring fires and other forest management priorities — and are a constant threat to Utah's wild lands and watersheds.
"We've been talking about Smokey Bear for 80 years, and it still seems like we're still trying to get people to be mindful of campfires" and other hazards like fireworks, the responsible discharge of firearms, properly securing tow chains (which throw sparks) and keeping vehicles on appropriate trails and surfaces, Whittekiend said.
One of the simplest and best ways Utahns can protect watersheds and public lands for our children is to understand and follow public land regulations. Fires need to be fully extinguished and cold to the touch. Waste should be stowed properly, pets picked up after, leaving no trace, and people heading to the great outdoors should always recreate responsibly. Each time that is accomplished, we are gifting future generations a healthier environment and a brighter future.
We can have nice things
Utahns can also volunteer and take an active role in the conservation of Utah's natural resources.
More than 5,000 Utahns have volunteered in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest this year, according to Whittekiend. He said it is more than at any other forest in the nation. They helped forest managers with more than $2 million worth of work, including hiking, OHV and mountain biking trail reparations. They helped with wildlife habitat conservation, surveys and collected litter.
"There are any number of different ways that you can go out there and dedicate your time to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache or other national forest, or probably any public land," says Whittekiend. "(It's) work that you can look back at, be proud of and know that you're helping to maintain and improve your public land."
To volunteer in Utah's public lands, visit the U.S. National Forest volunteer web page or call your local ranger district and ask for a volunteer coordinator.
The U.S. National Park Service has a similar program that can be found online, here.
Faith Heaton Jolley, public information officer at the Utah Department of Wildlife Services, said there are six ways Utahns can help the state's wildlife.
Taking care of Utah's landscapes and wildlife isn't just a matter of protecting Utah's unique beauty and natural diversity. Protecting Utah's environment means protecting the air, water and food, as well as opportunities to explore and connect with the land.
If someone is not the adventurous type, has physical limitations, or is more enthusiastic about volunteer work when temperatures are 70 degrees or warmer, there are also options to help improve the environment from the comfort of home.
Reduce, reuse and recycle
For years, Utah has been flying blind when it comes to waste management, especially recycling. But recently, that has changed. Ashley Sumner, from the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, said 93% of properly sorted materials get recycled.
It seems too good to be true — especially given some of the historical barriers to quantifying Utah's recycling efforts. But, thanks to a new data initiative, Sumner says Utah finally has actionable information. And there is definitely room for improvement.
Only 5% of Utah's total waste gets recycled — far less than the national average of 32%, according to Sumner.
Possible reasons for Utah's stunted recycling efforts include skepticism regarding recycling, lack of education and the limited availability of recycling bins and collection facilities.
It is, however, important to know what can and cannot be put in curbside bins, or otherwise, recyclable materials can become contaminated and wasted. The best way to check what can be discarded in curbside bins is to contact city or county waste management. As a general rule, unsoiled paper, cardboard, numbered plastics and metal cans can be put in curbside bins.
Some cities allow for additional materials — but check with city-specific waste management officials.
Materials like glass, electronics, batteries, light bulbs and automotive oils are not accepted in curbside bins but are among the most consequential recyclables we consume. Automotive oil, in particular, should never be put in curbside recycling or trash bins. Fortunately, many automotive stores across the state accept motor oil free of charge.
Glass products are accepted at municipal collection points, and electronics are accepted at Best Buy locations and specialty recycling facilities like Recycle Utah, in Park City.
Chelsea Hafer, public outreach manager at Recycle Utah, said the facility accepts 45 items — many of which, like electronics, CFL light bulbs, sneakers, bras, used flags and plastic bags — that are not accepted at most other facilities. She said Recycle Utah is the only facility in the state that accepts styrofoam.
Greater support for and access to facilities like Recycle Utah, Hafer said, will help Utahns improve recycling efforts. She acknowledged, "Convenience is really important to people. If things aren't convenient ... that's the main reason why a lot of stuff ends up in the trash."
For a cleaner future
There are a lot of reasons to be optimistic about Utah's ecological future. Not only are thousands of Utahns volunteering time and effort to ensure our children inherit a healthier planet — we also have a good idea of where we can improve ... and the data to guide our efforts.
Protecting the environment, however, is better than having to restore the environment and the best thing we can do to keep Utah's land, water and air healthy is to identify ways to minimize our impact.
Recycling is a wonderful tool, but reducing the amount of materials we consume is always the best policy.
This philosophy can easily be applied to holiday gift-giving. Try giving experiences as gifts instead of things. Gift something homemade. Gift eco-friendly stocking stuffers like reusable grocery totes and/or straws. Limit driving or combine outings to reduce air pollution.
Start small, identify where you can make improvements and move forward one step at a time. Utahns can give a gift that only increases in value throughout generations to come.
