News from Wayne County Monsoonal Moisture

by Adus F. Dorsey II

Fremont Island: Conserving Fremont Island as open space and allowing resources present to flourish contributes to the holistic protection of Great Salt Lake, where all water and land resources are tightly interwoven.

Additionally, the Division can better manage Great Salt Lake sovereign lands surrounding Fremont Island when the island itself can be managed under similar Public Trust principles. —Marisa Weinberg, the interim Great Salt Lake Coordinator for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the author of the management plan

Fremont Island Cont'd from A1 of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and the author of the management plan. “Additionally, the Division can better manage Great Salt Lake sovereign lands surrounding Fremont Island when the island itself can be managed under similar Public Trust principles.”

It is always a good idea to get the straight scoop on the roads and driveways in the backcountry because they can be a bit tricky to navigate during and after a flash flood, but they do offer some rather interesting content for detailed conversation around the Fondue Fountain at dinner parties.

WAYNE CO. - Morning temperatures in Wayne County have dipped to the point where there seems to be more smiles and jovial attitudes on the street and on the job. I am guessing that we will have to wait until May to see how that all works itself out.

The daily monsoonal rains have been welcome in most parts of the county; it is always interesting to drive the back roads to see how well the crops of hay are doing and if prayers and proper plans for cutting are being answered. As is always the case, a good hay year means lower hay prices, and all those out-of-town outfits we are seeing crawling around the county are buyers looking for the best horse hay deals. Also there is a lot of hay talk at the usual gathering places or at the fuel pump, such as, “How’s that new baler treating you Orville, and how did you get that young high school kid to change your sprinklers? Do you have any good pipe glue left in that there can? I think I got a busted riser, and those sure are snazzy rubber hip boots; must be getting deep in here this morning.”

In the Brian Farm greenhouse section, the monsoonal moisture conversations among the Beemer and Prius crowd takes on a more ominous tone. The talk tends to be more along the lines of shovels and rakes and, “Do you have Ronnie’s number? I need about ten loads of road base." And then there are the four-wheel drive outfit pricing questions, “How much did you have to pay for that pre-ordered 2024 Toyota Tundra high lift all wheel drive, with 40 inch military issue tires and two spare gas tanks… did they throw in a high lift jack?”

It is always a good idea to get the straight scoop on the roads and driveways in the backcountry because they can be a bit tricky to navigate during and after a flash flood, but they do offer some rather interesting content for detailed conversation around the Fondue Fountain at dinner parties. “It took me over forty minutes to get to the main road during that storm the other day. It was absolutely awesome!” Gardens around Wayne County are producing at various rates. According to those walking around with green thumbs and garden tools protruding from their back pockets, the intense summer heat we have experienced seems to wilt everything in sight— people and plants alike. Some plants that were situated in the direct sunlight have shown signs of stunted growth. The flowers are there but seemed to be in suspended animation and not producing the fruit. (I have found this information to be very interesting but of little to no use as neither do I have a green thumb or dare walk around anywhere with garden tools protruding from my back pocket.) It would be my guess that plants (and the folks) in

Hanksville are already acclimated to sunny and hot conditions, and anything green is cause for celebration and a trip to Duke and Jess’ for a blueberry shake. Either way, Wayne County will soon be flooded with zucchini bread on every doorstep and the annual influx of pick-up trucks filled with Green River melons.

Plans are firmly in place for Wayne County’s 2023 World’s Fair. If you haven’t seen all the posters on every business door in the county or opened your mail and had the fair schedules drop out onto the kitchen floor, then you can count yourself as a recluse or someone still stuck in the hills because your private road is washed out.

The Wayne County 2023 World’s Fair is on track to be another major success. The fair board has so many events and activities planned that folks are going to have to use up a big chunk of their vacation days to attend them all.

If you haven’t signed up for your favorite event, be sure to check the Wayne County Fair page on Facebook for more details.

Don’t be left out.

In late 2020, an anonymous buyer with the Palladium Foundation purchased Fremont Island on behalf of TNC. TNC donated the land to FFSL to manage as a public resource. This donation marked the first time in 100 years that the island would be publicly accessible. As a part of the donation of the island, TNC holds a conservation easement that will guide FFSL in its land management efforts and prevent future development from taking place.

FFSL will manage Fremont Island primarily as public open space, consistent with TNC’s conservation easement, public trust values, and multiple-use sustained yield principles.

The PMP defines management practices that focus on conserving and protecting the island's ecosystem, water, geological, mineral, cultural, and community resources. In addition, the PMP identifies current and future partnership opportunities with state, federal, tribal and non-profit partners.

FFSL manages the state’s sovereign lands according to the Public Trust Doctrine. Under this doctrine, lands are managed for the public's benefit, including navigation, public health, fish and wildlife habitat, public recreation, aquatic beauty and water quality.

Sovereign Lands are defined as those lands lying beneath bodies of water that were navigable at the time of statehood, including Great Salt Lake's lakebed. While Fremont Island does not qualify as a sovereign land, it is now considered a parcel of state land that FFSL will manage with similar practices.

The management plan underwent an extensive review process, including input from state, federal, tribal, and non-profit shareholders. Their input helped shape the conservation-oriented management practices included in the plan.

The Fremont Island Property Management Plan is available on the Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands website for public viewing.

—Utah Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands