A day-long conference will be held on Thursday, February 26, 2004, to present the latest results of current research and plans for future research regarding earthquake hazards in Utah.

The conference will be held at the Utah Department of Natural Resources building, room 1050, 1594 W. North Temple, in Salt Lake City, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The target audience for the conference is earth scientists and engineers from the government, academic, and consulting sectors. Registration is free; break refreshments will be provided but not lunch.

The conference will begin with reports from the 2003 Ground Shaking, Liquefaction, and Earthquake-Induced Landslide Working Groups summarizing their plans and research needs for producing the next generation of Wasatch Front earthquake-hazards maps. (Working Groups Plans) The final consensus from the Utah Quaternary Fault Parameter Working Group on earthquake timing, recurrence intervals, and slip rates for the Wasatch and other trenched Utah faults will also be summarized.

The remainder of the conference will be technical presentations of recent research, mainly along the Wasatch Front, including: 1) the 2003 Mapleton megatrench study, 2) new investigations of the East Great Salt Lake fault and Nephi and Levan segments of the Wasatch fault, 3) the 2003 USGS deep seismic-reflection line in South Jordan, 4) shear-wave-velocity surveys for IBC site-class mapping in Salt Lake Valley and adjacent areas, 5) the latest Wasatch Front GPS-measured geodetic strain rates and their earthquake-hazard implications, and 6) earthquake-induced landslide studies in the Salt Lake County area. Program agenda

The Utah Geological Survey, U.S. Geological Survey, and Utah Seismic Safety Commission are sponsoring the conference. If you have questions, contact Gary E. Christenson at 801-537-3304 or garychristenson@utah.gov.

7:35:05 AM    

You can make a difference in wildlife management in Utah. Recent resignations have created a few vacancies on three of the state's five wildlife Regional Advisory Councils (RACs).

RAC members represent one of six interest groups: sportsmen; agriculture; nonconsumptive wildlife; locally-elected public officials; federal land agencies; and the public at large. Current vacancies are as follows: Northern RAC — sportsmen; Central RAC — nonconsumptive wildlife; Southeastern RAC — nonconsumptive.

To be considered for a vacancy, candidates must live in the region of the state they wish to represent. Potential candidates should contact an appropriate group they wish to represent and request to be nominated. For example, to fill a sportsmen vacancy, a person must contact a Utah sportsmen group.

For information about wildlife or conservation groups in your area, contact the nearest Division of Wildlife Resources office. Nominating groups or organizations must submit their nominations by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 12, 2004.

RAC nomination forms may be downloaded from this Web site. After following the link, scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the appropriate link. Nomination forms may also be obtained at any DWR office.

Completed nomination forms must be e-mailed or mailed directly to the Board/RAC coordinator in the DWR's Salt Lake City office. Candidates go through a standardized sifting and interview process before being ranked and submitted to the executive director of the Department of Natural Resources. The executive director, in consultation with the director of the DWR, makes appointments from the top five candidates.

Each of the five RACs holds about 10 meetings a year to listen to wildlife management proposals from the DWR and take grassroots public input about the proposals. Meetings generally last three to five hours in the evening, typically on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. RACs vote on the proposals, then report their findings and recommendations to the seven-member Utah Wildlife Board, which sets policy for the DWR.

Successful candidates will complete the terms of resigning members and will then be eligible to serve a full, four-year term.

RAC members are considered volunteers and are eligible to be reimbursed for actual meeting attendance expenditures. Overnight travel is rarely required.

For more information, call Steve Phillips, Wildlife Board/RAC coordinator, at (801) 538-4718 or e-mail him at StevePhillips@utah.gov

7:28:21 AM    

Gov. Olene Walker declared Feb. 7-14 as Marriage Week USA in the state of Utah. The First Gentleman, Myron Walker, and more than 80 mayors from around the state joined her in signing the official declaration in support of the annual celebration.

"Marriage is an important institution to all of us," Walker said. "From the basic family unit to our society as a whole, marriage plays a vital role."

Walker also noted that in conjunction with the Governor’s Commission on Marriage, Utah State University Extension has completed a study titled "Marriage in Utah." The study examines marriage, divorce and other related matters and provides significant data outlining how marriage and related trends affect the state.

"This study takes an important look at marriage in Utah," Walker said. "It was interesting to see what Utahns thought of marriage and the role it plays in our society. Data is essential to understanding any issue, and this study provides substantive research regarding marriage in our state."

The Governor’s Commission on Marriage has spearheaded planning efforts for Marriage Week USA, now in its twelfth year in Utah. The week’s culminating event will be a marriage conference, titled "Celebration of Marriage," featuring workshops, awards for especially notable Utah marriages and two keynote speakers. Various conference events are scheduled for Friday, Feb. 13. For more information on Marriage Week and for conference details, visit www.utahmarriage.org.

7:06:58 AM    

Following a week long celebration of sport, culture and economic exchange, Gov. Olene Walker tonight officially declared the conclusion of the Moscow-Utah Youth Games during the event’s Closing Ceremonies.

Prior to the Olympic Cauldron being extinguished, attendees were treated to performances by four Russian dance groups, in addition to local performers Jericho Road, Peter Breinholt and Ryan Shupe. The crowd also observed a moment of silence in recognition of the lives lost in Thursday’s bombing in Moscow.

"Such an incident should make us even more grateful for the wonderful things that have taken place here this week," said Gov. Walker. "Dreams have been realized. Friendships have been forged. A world has grown smaller. The youth of Moscow and the youth of Utah have been given yet another opportunity to share, to grow and to realize."

EPA Administrator and former Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt also addressed the athletes and attendees, expressing appreciation to all involved.

Another component of the ceremonies was a celebration of the two-year anniversary of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, with SLOC executives Robert Garff and Frazer Bullock participating.

Gov. Walker encouraged the athletes, coaches, spectators and officials from both teams to remember the lessons the Games taught. "Positive relationships endure," she said. "Though we press on now to compete in different spheres, that constant remains. The relationships we take with us, relationships formed last summer and this winter, will lift and inspire each of us for years to come, even when these Games are a distant memory."

7:01:11 AM