utah turf buyback program

Republican-led states and conservatives challenging the program say it amounts to an unlawful attempt to erase an estimated $430 billion of federal student loan debt under the guise of the pandemic. About 70% of Utahs municipal water use is outside the home, mostly for thirsty turfgrass. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "It just cant be a dirt patch.". How do we make that fair? Sandall asked. "Grass is not the enemy. They tore out turf and replaced it with native plants and rocks. Whether you're installing a new landscape or renovating an existing one, following the Localscapes five-step approach will give you a landscape that thrives! House Bill 121(water conservation modifications) provides $5 million in incentives for people that want to voluntarily replace turf with drought-resistant landscaping and imposes water conservation requirements by state agencies at state government facilities. Should parents follow singer Pinks advice for kids and social media? But the grass seed is designed to grow quickly in the . Its saving water," she said. Cities will be added as landscape ordinances are updated to meet state requirements. In information provided at the press conference, officials pointed to water savings in Layton, where residents and businesses have used 94.9 million fewer gallons of water this year compared to last year. The governor also said all secondary water systems should be metered. This bill is one I would consider generationally one of the most important pieces of legislation that you will see, he said. Utah governor wants to buy back your lawn, Utah lawmakers took good first step on environment worries, Baby, its dry outside: How the drought is affecting Utah. And were not alone, How metering could help conserve water as drought continues to plague Utah, The worth of water and what conservation strategies are working, Brown lawns, flushing less: How Utahns plan to save water. Thats ambitious, but Cox may have his work cut out for him if he wants to implement it on a statewide level. Will Mitt Romney seek re-election in 2024? We have encouraged all of our departments within Weber County to investigate ways to conserve water, he said, adding the ice rink is one of the countys larger consumers. Theyve learned they can have that same look by using water-friendly landscaping," said Zachary Renstrom, the general manager of the water conservancy district. 6300 N Sagewood Dr, Ste H579 Park City, Utah 84098, Signs of Drought at the Great Salt Lake. Free Localscapes Rewards programs classes are offered at a variety of locations throughout the state. Photo: Paul Nelson), Teenager dies in two-vehicle crash near Moab, Bill mandating counties to provide homeless shelters, enforce camping laws passes Utah House, Economic committee hears from public on changing the Utah State Flag. We have seen significant water reductions in every water district across the state, Cox said, lauding the efforts of the public and water managers. Information on the district-level programs and others can be found on the Utah Water Savers site. Turf buyback programs like Jordan Valley's . This assessment has been folded into the, Many residential connections use secondary water for outside irrigation. You must apply for the program before starting your park strip project. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "They loved how the project has come out. When connections arent metered, it is difficult to track and conserve secondary water. A study for the prioritization of water rights who gets what and how much during an extreme water shortage. Following our visit, you will also receive a summary report including information . Removing lawn from your park strip will save an estimated 5,000-8,000 gallons of water each yearand you can get cash for doing it. Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. Cox emphasized, too, that land use planning needs to be integrated with water use planning, but more often than not, that coordination does not take place at the level it should. Then theres how to pay for it. Governor Deidre Henderson ceremonially signed key water legislation on Monday, April 18, 2022. "But in the long run? BLM says its because of a killer cocktail of factors. City Manager Jon Call said normally the use of any culinary water outside is strictly prohibited, but a shortened irrigation season is requiring flexibility to be built into the system. Turf buyback programs like " Flip Your Strip " incentivize people to replace thirsty grass with waterwise options. If you are renting or leasing, you must have the owner of the property apply for the rebate and be present at the pre-conversion visit. Communities within these districts service areas should work with their district to adopt qualifying landscape standards. This is a huge win for Utah. We have not put a lot of time and effort into our yard. In response to the drought, Oakley put a moratorium on any new development and Herriman pressed pause on its landscaping requirements on new development until Sept. 15. The HB 121 bill lists some preliminary eligibility requirements. Rebate information for Washington County residents is available on the Washington County Water Conservancy District site. The state passed a bill trying to change that. Legislative Research and General Counsel. $16.00 hourly. Projects should remove all lawn from the park strip and replace it with water-efficient landscaping. Sixty percent of our municipal water goes toward outdoor watering. "Theres going to be people that are going to have some pain points on this," Mayor Randall said. Lawmakers are already planning on using $280 million of federal COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to improve Utah's water infrastructure. The nation's first statewide turf buy back program in which homeowners will be compensated for the turf they rip out and replace with water-wise landscaping. . Deidre Henderson participated in a Monday ceremonial signing of the water bills, with Cox musing that he knew for sure the bills and money this year significantly outpaced anything that been done in water law and funding in at least more than a decade and probably in state history. $19.00 - $20.00 hourly, 4 days ago Full time Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall issued a drought advisory in late March, looking ahead to what was predicted to be an unprecedented drought year. The nations first statewide turf buy back program in which homeowners will be compensated for the turf they rip out and replace with water-wise landscaping. All Rights Reserved, How can people save water in drought? After the press event, Cox told the Deseret News that the drought has not taken controversial water development projects like the Lake Powell Pipeline and Bear River Development plan off the table. The Utah legislature recently passed three important water billsfocused on water conversation in the midst of a historic megadrought, includingthe first statewide turf buyback program in the country. Central Utah Water Conservancy District announced the launch of two new water conservation incentive programs: its own Flip Your Strip & Localscapes Rewards. Spencer Cox said Thursday. In those areas of Utah where meters have been installed to track use of secondary water, providers have found that consumption on a per-household basis has decreased by as much as 30%, and when compared against neighbors use, people become increasingly conscious about water savings. Cox also floated was a turf buyback program, in which the state would pay property owners to tear out grass and replace it with xeriscaping or more water-wise landscaping. Riverdale in Weber County recently reported its aquifer had dropped 17 feet since May 1 and water conservation goals fell way short of what authorities had hoped. Flip Your Strip involves removing lawn from your park strip and replacing it with water-efficient plants and a drip irrigation system. "When a lot of these landscape ordinances were passed, the goal was wanting to keep the community vibrant and look well-maintained. Click here to sign in and see program availability. TownLift is a web and mobile-based Entertainment & News media outlet providing Park City and Summit County Utah with Breaking Local News & Community Updates. The legislature allocated $5 million in incentives across the state. The way my yard looks is nowhere as important as it is for farmers to provide food for the state, Baker said. Deidre Henderson, Department of Natural Resources Executive Director Brian Steed, St. George Mayor Michele Randall, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District General Manager Bart Forsyth, Central Utah Water Conservancy District Water Conservation Manager Ricky Maloy and others attended the announcement at the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy Districts Conservation Garden in West Jordan. Outdoor water use makes up about 60% of Utahs municipal and industrial water use. The requirement that general plans of cities and counties integrate land use planning with water as a consideration. The program, authorized by the Utah State Legislature earlier this year, is expected to launch in the spring. 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GEORGE, Utah Mayor Michele Randall's backyard is turning brown and she's OK with it. Last year was pretty stressful, said Brian Steed with the Department of Natural Resources. These types of programs are typically offered at the local level. No, you must have living lawn in your park strip at the time of the pre-conversion visit. The passage of this legislation makes it the first ever statewide program of its kind. Wilson Jimenez said he doesn't miss mowing it. Dormant is still alive," Hasenyager said. Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Utah Council on Financial and Economic Education raises awareness of savings resources, focuses on reducing barriers for Utahns to access critical financial services, Texas Instruments to build new chip factory in Lehi, bringing hundreds of jobs to the state, Gov. You will be asked to provide photos of your project site and an estimated conversion area in square feet. It. The newly passed turf buy-back bill encourages people to replace their lawns with landscaping that uses less water. How Orrin Hatch protected people of faith. Mayor Randall said other policies being looked at include ordinances that required a certain percentage of landscaping be turf or prohibiting certain water-hogging trees in developments. "Instead of having a lot of grass, maybe only have 10% of your lawn be grass? With upward of 70% of municipal and industrial water used for outdoor landscaping, Cox said it is past time for the state and cities to aggressively embrace water-saving strategies. Trees will not be considered in density calculations. Extreme drought has highlighted the need for Utah to stretch the water supply and look for ways to improve efficiency. Statewide turf buyback program Outdoor water use makes up about 60% of our municipaland industrial water use. And can he win? We want our kids to play on it and our dogs," Hasenyager said. Personal Data: various types of Data as specified in the privacy policy of the service. However, the Utah Department of Natural Resources is taking sign ups now to notify people when they can start applying for rebates. Further information can be found on the states website. Lawn areas shall not exceed 50% of the total landscaped area for front and side yards.*. Some ideas include metering secondary water systems, which the Legislature is already planning to do, improved technology for farmers and ranchers so they can use water more wisely, and mandating more water-wise landscaping for new developments. Spencer Cox and Lt. She and members of the city council have called for a review all of St. George's ordinances and policies with an eye toward water savings. State Facility Water Conservation (HB121), Washington County Water Conservancy District site. A list of eligible cities, information for communities interested in adopting water-efficient landscape policy and information about rebate applications can be found below. In new commercial, industrial, institutional and multi-family development common area landscapes, lawn areas shall not exceed 20% of the total landscaped area, outside of active recreation areas. Read all of our stories atgreatsaltlakenews.org. This rule is in place to follow local city ordinances. Now, for the bad news. January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer, the tests that can warn women about potential cancer, and the importance of vaccination. First-of-its-kind legislation passed in . New developments in the area have prohibited turf lawns or kept them small. Cox said his administration is committed to pushing for more aggressive conservation measures, but they are long-range considerations and would require the legislature to get on board. The program, authorized by the Utah State Legislature earlier this year, is expected to launch in the spring. Spencer Cox said that last summer he took a bit of criticism after he asked residents both religious and nonreligious to pray or seek divine intervention for rainfall to counter the effects of the drought. Like Cox, Ferry emphasized the critical factor of collaboration. Whether if you are looking at the water conditions, we were facing last year. All rights reserved. In terms of individual water use, one measure by a Utah County lawmaker will create a great opportunity for water saving measures. The full statewide program will launch through utahwatersavers.com in spring 2023. Utah Gov. Here are some of the best resources to make your workplace work better for Deaf and hard-of-hearing employees. Download one of our easy park strip designs and start there. Spencer Cox speaks about water conservation as Lt. Gov. This drought has caused all of us to reevaluate how we conserve and motivated us to do more, Gov. Yes, but it is your responsibility to clear the project with your HOA. Will horrific drought make lawns in the West a memory? "We haven't gotten any rebates," Wilson said. The state of Utah has begun signing people up ahead of its launch of a "turf buyback" program, offering incentives for residents to get rid of grass they don't really use. Coxs proposal is similar to the Flip Your Strip initiative offered by the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District which offers homeowners a financial incentive to replace the grass on parking strips with water-wise landscaping. Asking people to conserve is not a bad idea in terms of our water usage, said Brian Steed, Executive Director of the Utah Department of Natural Resources. Try Skijoring in Bear Lake, Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk, Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest, 5 Game Day Snacks for the Whole Family (with recipes! A water conservation bill currently in the Legislature would also require the state to reduce outdoor water use. This article is published through the Great Salt Lake Collaborative, a solutions journalism initiative that partners news, education and media organizations to help inform people about the plight of the Great Salt Lakeand what can be done to make a difference before it is too late. Ferry, R-Brigham City and a farmer himself, cobbled together a complicated compromise bill that allows farmers and other holders of water rights to lease those rights to the Utah Division of Forestry Fire and State Lands, which has oversight of the lake bed. Really to have the state government setting the example on water-wise use in our landscaping, said Rep. Robert Spendlove. I have been really impressed driving around the city to see how many lawns are following the restrictions.. Very low water levels at Jordanelle Reservoir in Wasatch County are pictured after Gov. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Weve taken the guesswork out of it for you with our ready-made plans. ), The Best Tools for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Workplace Success. Weve seen significant reductions in water usage across the state. Communities can work with either a partner water district or the division to adopt landscape standards that qualify for the statewide program. And a drip irrigation system Legislature earlier this year, is expected to in! Classes are offered at the Great Salt Lake Data: various types of programs typically. Turf buyback program outdoor water use, one measure by a Utah County will... Also receive a summary report including information of Natural Resources is taking sign ups now notify. 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They loved how the project has come out killer cocktail of factors secondary! This drought has highlighted the need for Utah to stretch the water supply and look for ways to improve.! `` when a lot of these landscape ordinances were passed, the best Resources to your...
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