Twin Peaks Handcrew Honored for Heroic Actions on the 2022 Moose Fire

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 …

2022 Invasive Phragmites Management Success on Great Salt Lake and Utah Lake

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 …

2022 Fire Program Awards Handed Out at Annual Meeting

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands honored a Fire Warden of the Year and a Cooperator of the Year from the state of Utah.  These awards are given to groups or individuals that have been an integral part of the wildfire suppression efforts within the state during the calendar year.  Fire Warden of …

2022 State Forester’s Stewardship Awards Announced

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands honored two individuals with forestry stewardship awards as a part of the 2022 Utah Association of Conservation Districts.  Matthew Zierenberg was honored with the Forest Stewardship Achievement Award. The Mark Blake Family received the Forest Landowner of the Year.  Forest Stewardship Achievement Award – Matthew Zierenberg, Wasatch …

Application for Proposed Utah Lake Restoration Project Canceled

SALT LAKE (October 26, 2022) – The Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (FFSL) has issued a Record of Decision notifying Lake Restoration Solutions, Inc. (LRS), that its current application for the proposed Utah Lake Restoration Project will be canceled.  Because the pending application considers the disposal of land that would impede navigation and permanently transfer sovereign lands to …

Protecting Watersheds: How Invasive Species Removal Benefits Washington County

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah – Driving down SR-9 in Washington County, travelers are often overcome by the grandeur of the scenery that dots the landscape.  Unknown to visitors traveling this route is a multi-year project that has been taking place along the Virgin River. For the past three years, Southwest Area Forester Carrie Howard has been working with private land owners, …