FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake was founded in 1994.

The mission of FRIENDS is to preserve and protect the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the Lake through education, research, advocacy and the arts.

The long-term vision of FRIENDS is to achieve comprehensive watershed-based restoration and protection for the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.

Board of Directors & Advisory Board

FRIENDS has a very active Board of Directors and an Advisory Board consisting of professionals in the scientific, political, literary, and education communities. The organization sponsors an array of programs, activities, and materials in pursuit of its mission.

See Who is Serving Now

Great Salt Lake Issues Forum

Every two years, FRIENDS hosts the Great Salt Lake Issues Forum to provide a focused discussion about the Lake for policy makers, researchers, planners, industry and other stakeholders. The goal of each Forum is to encourage constructive dialogue about the future of the Lake's ecosystem and its resources, and to illuminate the complexities involved in research, management and planning for the Lake.

Awards & Achievements

  • In 2024, FRIENDS will host its 14th Biennial Great Salt Lake Issues Forum.
  • In 2023, FRIENDS began serving on the Steering Committee of the Great Salt Lake Basin Integrated Plan to prepare an Action Plan by 2026 that will ensure a resilient water supply for Great Salt Lake and water users throughout the basin.
  • In 2023, FRIENDS was recognized as a 2023 Informed Decision Maker by the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute.
  • In 2020, FRIENDS served on the HCR-10 Steering Committee to develop recommendations in response to Great Salt Lake Resolution (HCR-10) Concurrent Resolution to Address Declining Water Levels of the Great Salt Lake.
  • In 2015, thanks to a generous grant from Cargill Salt, FRIENDS launched an extension of our Lakeside Learning Field Trip Program to serve the Tooele School District.
  • In 2014, FRIENDS established The Alfred Lambourne Prize, an annual recognition and celebration of regional creativity inspired by our inland sea. FRIENDS invited creative work inspired by the Lake in the forms of visual arts, literary arts, sound and movement.
  • In 2014, our Lakeside Learning Field Trip Program introduced over 1,400 fourth grade students to the Great Salt Lake ecosystem.
  • In 2013, FRIENDS served as a member of Governor Herbert’s Water Strategy Advisory Team to develop the July 2017 Recommended State Water Strategy.
  • In 2008, FRIENDS served on the 1st Great Salt Lake Advisory Council established by Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr.
  • In 2007, Lynn de Freitas, Executive Director, received the Award for Courage, Confidence, and Character from the Girl Scouts of Utah. The award recognizes women and men who, through their life and actions, have made a difference in the community.
  • In 2006, FRIENDS was the recipient of the Calvin K. Sudweeks Award by the Utah Water Quality Board for outstanding contributions in the water quality field.
  • In 2002, the Doyle W. Stephens Scholarship Award was established. The scholarship provides support to undergraduate and graduate students engaged in new or on-going research that focuses on Great Salt Lake.
  • In 2002, Lynn de Freitas, FRIENDS Board President, was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Educator Award by the Utah Society for Environmental Education.
  • In 2000, Project SLICE, a 4th grade curriculum using Great Salt Lake as a system of study, was initiated. It consisted of 7 units of study, a Speakers Network, Teacher Training Workshop, and Lakeside Learning Field Trips.
  • In 1998, FRIENDS was awarded the Conservation Achievement Award by the Utah Chapter of the Wildlife Society.
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