Division of Wildlife Resources officials have a goal for elk hunting in Utah in 2004 — make it simpler, fairer and more consistent without sacrificing the quality hunters have come to enjoy.

They'll share their ideas on how to do that at an upcoming series of Regional Advisory Council meetings. People are encouraged to attend the meetings and provide the DWR with their input and ideas.

Another major item to be discussed will be Utah's Mule Deer Management Plan, which will guide the management of mule deer in Utah through 2008. The DWR is proposing new goals, objectives and strategies to guide the management of Utah's deer herds. Copies of the proposed plan are available on this Web site.  Copies will also be available at the meetings.

For more information, please visit the Division of Wildlife Resources.

11:48:16 AM    

The State of Utah Natural Resource Damage Trustee has extended the public comment period for the Southwest Jordan Valley Water Cleanup Project to November 1, 2003.  The second of two public information sessions will be held on October 22nd.  The session will include a presentation of the cleanup plan and the process to address impacts to private wells. The purpose of these two sessions is informational, and they will not be part of the public record of the comment period.

Extraction and treatment of ground water from the sulfate contaminated zones over the next 40 years will remove high concentrations of sulfate and metals and provide municipal-quality drinking water to the public in the cities of West Jordan, South Jordan, Riverton, and Herriman. By removing contaminated water from the underlying aquifer, the project will also improve ground water quality and prevent further migration of the contamination in the valley.

For more information, please visit the Department of Environmental Quality website.

11:42:58 AM    

The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), in partnership with the Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and State Farm Insurance along with many other national organizations, held the fourth annual "Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day," on Oct. 10, 2003.

Motor vehicle crashes are a greater threat to life in the United States than murder is. In 2002 for example, there was one murder every 34 minutes, while there was one traffic-related fatality every 13 minutes. Every day vehicle crashes cause an average of 114 fatalities, totaling more than 41,500 over the course of the year, including an average of nearly 330 a year in Utah.

"Safety on our highways is of the utmost importance to UDOT." UDOT Director of Traffic and Safety Robert Hull said. "It permeates throughout our organization. When UDOT develops its primary goals each year, improving safety is always at the top of the list."

Speakers at the press conference, held at the DPS driver training range in Salt Lake City, said that choices drivers make at the time they get behind the wheel make the difference between life and death.

"The important thing to remember is that when each of us gets in our car or truck to go someplace," Hull said, "we make certain choices that not only can impact ourselves and those riding with us, but other motorists as well."

By focusing extra attention on these factors participating groups hope to save lives: 1. Don't speed; 2. Don't drive while impaired; 3. Stay alert to construction and changing road conditions; 4. Wear a seat belt at all times; and 5. Be aware of pedestrians.
11:26:32 AM