Sovereign Lands Program Manager
Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
Bio:
Laura Ault is the Sovereign Lands Program Manager for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, which manages Utah's sovereign lands or those lands found to be navigable at statehood. The Division manages these lands for the Public Trust using multiple-use sustained yield principles. Currently, the program oversees 1.5 million acres and more than 2,200 miles of shoreline. These lands include Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake, the Utah portion of Bear Lake, the Jordan River and parts of the Bear, Colorado and Green rivers. Management activities include comprehensive management planning, leasing, invasive species mitigation and research grant funding.
Title: Partnering in the Salinity Process: Moving Forward With the GSL Salinity Advisory Committee
Wednesday, May 9th, 3:00 PM
Abstract: A healthy Great Salt Lake provides a wide range of ecological, economical, and recreational benefits. Protecting these diverse benefits for current and future generations presents significant challenges to management agencies. Several federal, state, and local governmental entities have legal responsibilities for protecting these benefits and managing the Great Salt Lake ecosystem. Each of these entities also have unique authorities to implement protections. Therefore, management of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem requires a coordinated and collaborative effort among policy makers, government agencies, and stakeholders. The newly formed Great Salt Lake Salinity Advisory Council is an essential component of this collaborative management process. However, collaborative mechanisms for some aspects of managing the Great Salt Lake ecosystem still need to be implemented or existing mechanisms improved.