stories

Legacy Highway & Wetlands (June 24, 1998)

Governor Mike Leavitt took his fight for the Legacy Highway into the wetlands of Davis County today. He promised to protect 45-hundred acres near the Great Salt Lake..if federal regulators will get out of the way of the highway project. Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst has more on the story. John, will this break the deadlock?

It will be several months before federal regulators decide whether to allow a highway through these wetlands. Conservation groups immediately rejected the Governor's plan today... even though he's trying to sweeten the deal with an ambitious protection plan.

Survey stakes show the highway route preferred by local leaders...right through the wetlands.

GOV. MIKE LEAVITT: "IF WE DON'T BUILD LEGACY HIGHWAY, 15 YEARS FROM NOW YOU'LL HAVE TRAFFIC BACKED UP FROM MURRAY TO KAYSVILLE."

But the preferred route is in trouble.

BROOKS CARTER/U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: "IT DOESN'T APPEAR TO MEET THE GUIDELINES."

Federal regulations require the alternative least damaging to wetlands.

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BROOKS CARTER/U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS: "I HEARD ONE COMMENT THAT SAID, 'OH, WE'LL JUST FILL IN FOR THE HIGHWAY AND THE BIRDS WILL GO LIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE'. WELL, WE'VE BEEN FILLING IN FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS AND THERE ARE VERY FEW PLACES LEFT FOR BIRDS TO LIVE."

But the least damaging route, further east, is unacceptable to local leaders. They joined the Governor today in an ambitious counterproposal. If the western alternative is approved, the state will guarantee protection for 4500 acres west of the highway as a Legacy Nature Preserve.

GOV. MIKE LEAVITT: "IT WILL PRESERVE THE NATURE, THE ECOSYSTEMS THAT WE SEE BEHIND US, AND THE HABITAT FOREVER."

JOHN CUSHING/MAYOR OF BOUNTIFUL: "IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US, WE HOPE, THAT'LL BE A WIN-WIN OPPORTUNITY."

FRANK HIRSCHI/MAYOR OF CENTERVILLE: "WE ALL WANT THE HIGHWAY,, WE KNOW THAT IT'S NECESSARY. BUT WE NEED TO BE REASONABLE. AND THIS IS A VERY REASONABLE APPROACH."

The Governor tried to sell the proposal in a breakfast meeting with conservation groups. They like the preservation plan...but they still don't like a highway cutting through the wetlands.

CULLEN BATTLE/FARMINGTON BAY ADVOCATES: "THE PLAN WOULD ENVISION DEVELOPMENT OF EVERYTHING TO THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO WRITE OFF THIS 1,000 ACRES OF CRITICAL HABITAT. WE'RE JUST NOT WILLING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT. "

The governor says it's a package deal: no highway, no nature preserve. To some extent the fight is moving to Washington. Utah congressional leaders hope to put pressure there to get this deal approved.