Utah
Preserving and Preparing: Getting Utah Ready for the Winter Olympics and Beyond
By Clara Jane (CJ) Blye, PhD
The Winter Olympics are returning to Salt Lake City in 2034. After experiencing the excitement of the 2002 games, Utah is looking forward to hosting the world once again.
Are we ready? When it comes to venues for Olympic events, we’re well-prepared. We also need to think about preparing our wild spaces for an influx of visitors.
The Outdoors: Essential for Utahns, and Utah’s Economy
Utah’s stunning natural beauty and range of outdoor experiences are a big draw for tourists and the Olympics. Our economy is driven by the outdoors, with 10.6 million tourists visiting the state every year to see one of the “Mighty 5” national parks.
Many more come to ski on our slopes, raft or kayak our rivers, and hike and camp in our backcountry and public lands. Tourist recreation brought in about $12 billion to the Utah economy in 2022. This benefits businesses across the state with jobs and tax revenue.
To be clear: That money is not guaranteed for the Utah economy. It is from tourists who come seeking access to beautiful wild places. Healthy, intact ecosystems are vital to our economy. Conservation and preservation are good for nature—and they’re good for business.
Giving Everyone the Chance to Experience the Outdoors
My core memories are shaped by my childhood visits to national parks and wild places in my native Canada. I suspect the same is true for those of us who grew up or visited Utah as children.
These experiences with nature are a vital part of the human experience. Parks and wild spaces can help create a sense of belonging and welcome for everyone who visits. We all deserve to feel that connection, along with enjoying clean water, clear air, and abundant wilderness. Many people come here on vacation seeking just that.
Yet, with Utah’s exploding population, those natural spaces will be a little less wild and a lot more crowded. How do we let everyone experience these wild spaces while still keeping them…wild? How can we ease crowding while encouraging access? How can we open the outdoors to everyone without ruining natural places?
These are the kinds of questions I address as an assistant professor of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism at the University of Utah, where my research focuses on sustainable tourism. I believe the answers will come from education, awareness, and proactive management.
With major events like the Olympics attracting people from all over the world, finding those answers is more important than ever.
The Opportunity and Challenge of Hosting the Olympics
The Winter Olympics welcomes people who might not have come to Utah otherwise.
We’re in a unique position to ask: What exactly do we want visitors to experience? Fortunately, we have lots of knowledge in this area, not just from the 2002 Olympics but also from smaller regional events across the state.
We have a golden opportunity to show the best version of Salt Lake City to the world. We can help people have a positive and memorable experience. We do this by letting them know what to expect and how to engage with the city and its surrounding wild areas.
As part of the Leave No Trace Science Committee, I help oversee the Leave No Trace Gold Standard Program. Achieving this designation offers several advantages. It recognizes tourism destinations and cities like Salt Lake City for their commitment to environmental stewardship. This standard also helps protect our natural resources. It uses enhanced visitor education to reduce environmental impacts, leading to more resilient natural areas.
Achieving this standard requires building community pride and awareness. For Salt Lake City, the Leave No Trace Gold Standard designation can:
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Enhance Visitor Experience: Educate tourists on sustainable practices, ensuring our natural areas remain pristine and enjoyable.
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Show Leadership: Highlight our city’s dedication to environmental responsibility on an international stage.
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Foster Sustainable Tourism: Align with global sustainability goals, attract conscientious visitors, and promote long-term economic benefits.
Now is the Time to Prepare for 2034
We have several years left until the 2034 Winter Olympics. Let’s use this time to prepare and embrace the challenge. While we cannot know everything that will happen before then, we do know the Olympics will bring an influx of people to Utah. We know that many will be experiencing it for the first time.
We know this can be the best Winter Olympics yet, and it can support efforts to preserve Utah’s wilderness for future visitors and residents alike.
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Utah
Here’s who will lead Utah Valley University as its next president
Jon Anderson will be charged with moving the Orem school forward following the death of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on campus last year.
(Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Incoming UVU President Jon Anderson poses for a photo with his family after an event announcing his selection at Utah Valley University in Orem on Friday, July 17, 2026.
Utah
Beaver County residents set up thousands of sandbags ahead of flashfloods
BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — A massive community effort is underway as volunteers and Beaver County crews distribute thousands of sandbags to protect homes from the potential path of floodwaters.
After the Cottonwood Fires, residents have been waiting for weeks for relief to come in the form of rain, though officials now warn it may come all at once with an increased risk of flooding and debris flow.
Emergency Service Director Les Whitney believes that the fire has left plenty of debris to bring trouble for residents.
“We got a lot of water. We’re bringing debris with it, so tree branches, tree limbs, logs, lots of different size firewood, and that’s all in the creeks. We’re worried about that plugging up our bridges and stuff, so we have heavy equipment and excavators located in strategic places so that we can keep those bridges open,” said Whitney.
An estimated 140 homes and condominiums were spared from the flames, but remain in the paths of floodwaters.
Residents can also pick up sandbags at the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office or at the Beaver County Rodeo Fairgrounds.
Utah
Utah man arrested again for allegedly abusing dog twice in three months
EAGLE MOUNTAIN — An Eagle Mountain man currently on pretrial release in 4th District Court who is accused of abusing his dog has been arrested again for allegedly punching the same animal.
Keith Reaves Davis, 43, was booked into the Utah County Jail on Wednesday for investigation of aggravated cruelty to an animal.
Utah County sheriff’s deputies were called Wednesday afternoon to a grocery store on a report that a man was beating his dog after it had gotten off its leash and was stopped by a bystander, according to a police booking affidavit.
“I reviewed security camera footage from the grocery store, and an individual matching the description of the suspect was seen holding the dog in the air by one paw and repeatedly striking the dog on the right hind leg area. I observed the male strike the dog several times before dropping the dog from approximately 1-2 feet. The strikes appeared to be as hard as the male could hit,” the arresting deputy wrote in the affidavit. “The dog did not cry out or whimper as if the dog was accustomed to the abuse.”
When questioned, Davis “admitted to striking the dog because it was not behaving,” the affidavit states.
An animal control officer who responded to the scene to take custody of the dog noted it was the same dog he had taken from Davis exactly three months earlier during another animal abuse investigation.
In that case, Davis was charged in 4th District Court with aggravated cruelty to an animal, a class A misdemeanor; and public intoxication, a class C misdemeanor, after deputies received a tip from a neighbor that a dog was being abused at Davis’ home, according to charging documents. When questioned, Davis “acknowledged hitting his dog as punishment,” the charges state.
Deputies also reviewed videos that the neighbor had filmed. The neighbor told investigators “there was blood from the dog on the ground of the garage and (the neighbor) can hear the dog screaming as if it’s being hurt. Deputies got the videos from the (neighbor) and you can hear very loudly the dog screaming and crying with a lot of loud banging noises. In one of the videos, you can hear the dog sounding like it is being choked by a collar and is grasping for air,” a police booking affidavit states.
Davis’ next court hearing in the April case is scheduled for July 28.
In their latest booking report, sheriff’s deputies note that they “believe further harm will be inflicted on this dog if it is released back to the male a second time,” and have recommended the dog not be returned to Davis.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
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