Gov. Spencer Cox wants Utahns to be careful and responsible with fireworks as Pioneer Day looms. Worsening drought conditions and wildfires are the reason why.
“Utah is a very special place, and I'm grateful that we get an opportunity to celebrate it together,” Cox told reporters at his July monthly news conference. “I would just ask everybody to please celebrate responsibly, especially when it comes to fireworks with the drought that we're having and the fire danger that is out there.”
More than 83,000 acres have burned this year, driven by a handful of large fires. All of Utah is in moderate to severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which is exacerbating wildfire behavior.
“Use your fire sense, which is really just common sense, and stay clear of active fire zones so our teams can do their jobs,” he said.
So far, all of the state’s requests for Fire Management Assistance Grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency have been approved. Funds have been authorized to fight the Forsyth Fire in Washington County, the Deer Creek Fire in San Juan County and the Monroe Fire in Sevier County. The grants cover 75% of the state’s firefighting costs.
“Within 24 hours of putting in our request, we've received a positive response in all of those requests,” Cox said.
But he went on to say a “significant” reason for wildfire issues is the mismanagement of forest lands.
“Bad decisions over the past 30 or 40 years have led to these catastrophic wildfires,” Cox said.
He pointed to the potential repeal of the “roadless rule,” a Clinton-era conservation rule that prevents roadbuilding and logging on around 58 million acres of federal forest. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced June 23 that she would begin rescinding the “overly restrictive” rule. The goal is to allow land with wildfire risk to be managed locally.
For him, the Forsyth Fire has shown the difference management can make.
“There was a major reduction in fuels in those areas where fuels had been treated over the past 10 years versus the places where they had not been treated. Very stark difference, both in the ability in the damage that was done and the ability to protect home and property and lives from the fire damage,” Cox said.
Adding to the drought and fire stress, the state has also seen an uptick in water use. Cox said that reservoir levels are down more than 10% from June to July. The governor wants people to take advantage of water-saving incentives and rebates, such as water conservancy districts that will pay property owners to convert grass lawns to a water-efficient landscape.
“We just encourage people to please, please, please, use less water,” Cox said. “It's OK to have yellow lawns this year. We give you permission not to keep them up and keep them green.”
The summer monsoons have also been absent from southern Utah so far, but the National Weather Service said some heavy rain and thunderstorms could be on the way; at the same time, that could lead to an increased risk of flash flooding.
Good policy alone isn’t enough when it comes to water conservation, Cox added. The state needs hope, he said, referencing his proclamation declaring a statewide day of prayer and rain.
“We all have a role to play in conserving water, and so while we need faith and prayers, we also need people to cut back on their usage,” he said. “We're matching faith with action.”
