My eyes about popped out of my head recently when I saw the headline to an article, “Would thinning forests help Utah’s Great Salt Lake?”Whaaaat? Are you kidding me?
This sounds as dumb or dumber than dredging Utah Lake.
Yes, trees absorb water, lots of water. They also absorb carbon and other pollutants from the atmosphere. They shade the ground to cool us and keep the ground from drying out. Then, when it rains or snows, the ground does not absorb so much runoff and the water runs to the Great Salt Lake. Trees also give back that water into the atmosphere which helps keep us cool and provide rain around the region. Removing trees will also have an effect not just on our water but also on our air quality and climate warming. Trees also provide shelter for wildlife. Trees around lakes, rivers and streams help keep the water cool and cold for our fisheries.
Removing trees would require lots of taxpayers’ money, new roads and expensive equipment. Sounds like a developer’s dream come true. Once the trees are removed, what do we do with those open spaces? Aha, I know: We now have more room for new homes, luxury apartments and condos.
What did the Great Salt Lake do before we all moved into this valley and before man started cutting down trees here to make room for all the ski resorts and lumber needed to build our homes and other buildings? Somehow the Great Salt Lake remained full.
Come on, surely we can come up with better ideas than this.
James Wypijewski, Kaysville