This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
One of the biggest outdoor secrets in northern Utah is the wildlife education center and nature trail at Farmington Bay.
Two small buildings offer some literature and interoperation of the area but the treat is the trail that offers a "blind" to view birds, interpretation and a chance to see many types of wildlife.
The area is named the Robert N. Hasenyager Great Salt Lake Nature Center at Farmington Bay after the late Division of Wildlife Resources and Utah Wildlife and Conservation Foundation.
And, thanks to donations from the George S. Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation and the ALSAM Foundation, the area is going to get even better.
Ground was broken last week on a new wildlife education center at the facility.
It will consist of three buildings and a courtyard area.
Buildings will include an exhibit hall that will teach about the birds and other wildlife that utilize the area through interpretive exhibit; a community room-auditorium with a 200-person capacity, and the L.S. Skaggs Wetland Discovery Classroom.
DWR director Greg Sheehan said the center will serve a variety of purposes.
"The center and its associated reserve will allow visitors to learn about and experience the Great Salt Lake, its associated wetlands and the myriad birds and other wildlife that rely on this critical area during different times of the year," he says.
He also hopes the center could help bridge the gap between hunters and non hunters.
"Since groups with varying interests can use the center at the same time," he says, "we hope they'll have a chance to interact and understand the role that we all play, albeit in different ways, in the conservation of Utah's wildlife."
The center is expected to be open to the public by the winter of 2017.
Spencer Eccles, chairman and CEO of the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, offered remarks at the groundbreaking.
"The wetlands and ecosytem of this incredible natural wonder are vitally important to our citizens, our state's economy, and to millions of wildlife from throughout the world that feed and nest here annually," Eccles said. "We're committed to help preserve its vital role for generations to come."
The Skaggs family ASLAM Foundation representative, Ronny Cutshall, said he hoped the center will bring the Great Salt Lake wetlands closer to Utah citizens.
"The new Wildlife Education Center at Farmington Bay is truly a great example of what can be accomplished with public and private financial support and through the collaborative efforts of public officials, foundations, and volunteers," said Stephen Swindle, representing the Utah Wildlife and Conservation Foundation.