- GSL-Marina - mailman.xmission.com

Re: [GSL-Marina] HB148 and smooth sailing at GSL marina
by ckhaun＠juno.com 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

So the taxpayers should spend $7500 per boat so you can maintain your ability to sail this summer?? If it is so important to the users of this "public" facility (that has been put under lock and key), why don't you take up a collection or increase marina fees to cover your expenses?? Don't get me wrong, I love the lake and sailing. But the opportunity cost is too high. These funds could be better utilized elsewhere. Elsewhere includes leaving it in the peoples pockets so they can enjoy recreation in whatever form they choose. Maybe its time to invest in a shallow water sailboat instead of trying to steal from others to fund your hobby. Or, wait a year or two for the lake level to return. ____________________________________________________________ How Old Men Tighten Skin 63 Year Old Man Shares DIY Skin Tightening Method You Can Do From Home http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3131/54e568a23e6b268a278fest02vuc

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[GSL-MARINA DREDGING] HB148 - Navigable Waters
by Jackie Harwood 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

Dear Representative or Senator: As a citizen of the Great State of Utah, a Voter and a Sailor, I make one simple request of you: Take 20-30 minutes of your valuable time considering this and other emails you have received, and the supporting information referenced, to educate yourself on the importance of the Great Salt Lake, its surrounding environment and your legislative obligations, under law, to manage and protect the Great Salt Lake. Under State and Federal law, the governing doctrine is that of Sovereign Lands. The state recognizes this according to the following from the Division of Fire, Forestry & State Lands website: http://www.ffsl.utah.gov/index.php/state-lands State Lands The State of Utah recognizes and declares that the beds of navigable waters within the state are owned by the state and are among the basic resources of the state, and that there exists, and has existed since statehood, a public trust over and upon the beds of these waters. It is also recognized that the public health, interest, safety, and welfare require that all uses on, beneath or above the beds of navigable lakes and streams of the state be regulated, so that the protection of navigation, fish and wildlife habitat, aquatic beauty, public recreation, and water quality will be given due consideration and balanced against the navigational or economic necessity or justification for, or benefit to be derived from, any proposed use. The Equal Footing Doctrine serves as the basis for Utah’s claim to fee title ownership of sovereign lands (more widely known as submerged lands). The Equal Footing Doctrine is a principle of Constitutional law that requires that states admitted to the Union after 1789 be admitted as equals to the Original Thirteen Colonies in terms of power, rights, and sovereignty including sovereign rights over submerged lands. The Utah Enabling Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress on July 16, 1894, officially declared Utah as a state “to be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the original States.” The Utah State Legislature has designated the Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands as the executive authority for the management of sovereign lands, and the state's mineral estates on lands other than school and institutional trust lands. Sovereign lands are defined by the Utah State Legislature as “those lands lying below the ordinary high water mark of navigable bodies of water at the date of statehood and owned by the state by virtue of its sovereignty.” (Emphasis added) NOTE: The historic ordinary high water mark for the Great Salt Lake is 4200 Ft. Elevation. Current Elevation: 4,193.9 Ft. Elevation. (Approaching a 167 year record 4191.35 low level) The State of Utah manages the following as sovereign lands: Utah Lake Great Salt Lake Bear Lake (Utah portion) Jordan River Green River (portions) Colorado River (portions) Bear River (portions) Statute: Title 65A. Forestry, Fire, and State Lands Administrative Rule: Title R652. Natural Resources; Forestry, Fire & State Lands See also: http://www.ffsl.utah.gov/index.php/state-lands/great-salt-lake The Federal government has jurisdiction over all navigable waters as defined below. Hence, under the Equal Footing Doctrine granted to Utah with Statehood, the state is obligated to preserve the navigability of its Sovereign Lands. The Federal government specifically defines “navigable waters”, identifies the Great Salt Lake and references two United States Supreme Court cases involving the State of Utah wherein “navigable waters” is more specifically defined as follows: Waters that Qualify as Waters of the United States Under Section (a)(1) of the Agencies’ Regulations The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) “Clean Water Act Jurisdiction Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Decision in Rapanos v. United States and Carabell v. United States” guidance (Rapanos guidance) affirms that EPA and the Corps will continue to assert jurisdiction over “[a]ll waters which are currently used, or were used in the past, or may be susceptible to use in interstate or foreign commerce, including all waters which are subject to the ebb and flow of the tide.” 33 C.F.R. § 328.3(a)(1); 40 C.F.R. § 230.3(s)(1). The guidance also states that, for purposes of the guidance, these “(a)(1) waters” are the “traditional navigable waters.” These (a)(1) waters include all of the “navigable waters of the United States,” defined in 33 C.F.R. Part 329 and by numerous decisions of the federal courts, plus all other waters that are navigable-in-fact (e.g., the Great Salt Lake, UT and Lake Minnetonka, MN). Holt State Bank, 270 U.S. at 56. 5. By the federal rule, streams or lakes which are navigable in fact are navigable in law; they are navigable in fact when used, or susceptible of use, in their natural and ordinary condition, as highways of commerce over which trade and travel are or may be conducted in the customary modes on water, and navigability does not depend on the particular mode of such actual or possible use -- whether by steamboats, sailing vessels, or flatboats -- nor on the absence of occasional difficulties in navigation, but upon whether the stream, in its natural and ordinary condition, affords a channel for useful commerce. P. 270 U. S. 56. (Emphasis added) In U. S. v. Utah, 283 U.S. 64, (1931) and U.S. v. Appalachian Elec. Power Co, 311 U.S. 377 (1940), the Supreme Court held that so long as a water is susceptible to use as a highway of commerce, it is navigable-in-fact, even if the water has never been used for any commercial purpose. U.S. v. Utah, at 81-83 (“The question of that susceptibility in the ordinary condition of the rivers, rather than of the mere manner or extent of actual use, is the crucial question.”); U.S. v. Appalachian Elec. Power Co., 311 U.S. 377, 416 (1940) (“Nor is lack of commercial traffic a bar to a conclusion of navigability where personal or private use by boats demonstrates the availability of the stream for the simpler types of commercial navigation.”). In 1971, in Utah v. United States, 403 U.S. 9 (1971), the Supreme Court held that the Great Salt Lake, an intrastate water body, was navigable under federal law even though it “is not part of a navigable interstate or international commercial highway.” Id. at 10. In doing so, the Supreme Court stated that the fact that the Lake was used for hauling of animals by ranchers rather than for the transportation of “water-borne freight” was an “irrelevant detail.” Id. at 11. “The lake was used as a highway and that is the “gist of the federal test.” Ibid.1 I am a native of Utah and have sailed on the Great Salt Lake for over 25 years. As past Commodore of the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club (organized in 1877, predating Statehood), I represented the Club in support of the Coalition to Keep the Lake Great, opposing expanded mineral extraction, and giving input to the Comprehensive Management Plan (Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management and Mineral Leasing Plans) commissioned by the state for the management of the Lake and its uses. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent developing the Plan by the state and countless man-hours invested to establish how important the GSL is economically, environmentally, commercially, recreationally and ascetically to the State of Utah. Now, it is time to take actions in response to the legal obligations of the state, Federal Constitutional requirements and the Comprehensive Management Plan, commissioned by the state, and do the right thing. Begin with appropriating enough money to dredge the GSL Marina, providing navigable access to the deeper waters of the Lake. Right now navigation in the GSL Marina is severely restricted. If not dredged this year navigation from the Marina into the Lake will be impossible for all but the shallowest draft (less than 3FT) boats, I along with 50 to 100 others will be forced to pull our boats from the marina, store them, sell them or move them out of state. The Great Salt Lake is the namesake of our capitol, Salt Lake City; it is a huge tourist attractions and an economic powerhouse in the state. Failure to maintain navigable water access in the GSL Marina will result in a ghost town for a marina, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost slip rental income and creating a tarnished view in tourists’ minds when they visit the only major State Park Marina on the Lake and see 300+ slips and only a hand full of small boats. What will be the economic impact to the state from that bad impression? Failure to maintain the navigable waters of the Lake would also expose the state to potential legal problems under the Sovereign Lands Doctrine. The state has entered into contracts renting slips to boat owners with the implied purpose of having navigable access to the greater Lake for sailing and boating. Failure to maintain navigable access may constitute a breach of that contract. Thank you for your time and I look forward to your favorable actions to appropriate funding for dredging the Great Salt Lake Marina immediately. With respect, Gerald W. Harwood

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DREDGING - Talking Points Resend
by Janet Robins 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

Below is the email I sent at the end of January - several of you have requested it again because it has the talking points and important details for you to mention in your letters - Reminder WRITE TO THE PEOPLE I LISTED IN YESTERDAYS EMAIL - not the ones listed in this email From: GSL-Marina [mailto:gsl-marina-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Janet Robins Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2015 5:31 PM To: gsl-marina(a)mailman.xmission.com<mailto:gsl-marina@mailman.xmission.com> Subject: [GSL-Marina] ACTION ALERT - Dredging the GSL Marina If you have problems reading this email - see the attached documents ACTION ALERT - Dredging the GSL Marina DEADLINE - February 5, 2015 On February 6, 2015 the Appropriations Committee will decide how $1.5 million, currently being allocated from State Lands to State Parks to dredge 3 marinas (GSL, Antelope and Provo) will be divided up. Please contact the committee members, your Representative and your Senator and urge them to vote that all 1.5 million be used to dredge the GSL Marina. You are also encouraged to attend this committee meeting on February 6, 2015 at 8:00 am and speak up for this issue. What are Appropriations Committees<http://le.utah.gov/asp/Interim/Main.asp?ComType=App&List=2#Results>? The governor prepares a budget each year for which the legislature has a responsibility to review and approve funding for all of state government. There are eight appropriations subcommittees, appointed from all the members of the House and Senate by the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House. Each of the appropriations subcommittees considers a specific portion of the budget and makes recommendations to the executive appropriations committee which consists of all the legislative leaders of both parties in the Senate and the House. The legislators alter the budget as necessary and pass a final appropriations bill. After the budget has been adopted, it becomes the responsibility of the Governor and the Executive Branch to administer it. Excess funds in accounts at the end of the fiscal year are closed out (lapsed) except for certain funds which are noted in Utah statutes. All of these functions -- Standing, Interim, and Appropriations committees -- are very open processes which allow for everyone to be involved. How to find contact information Contact Your Government Official link http://www.utah.gov/government/contactgov.html Find out who your Representative and Senator is http://le.utah.gov/house2/index.html On the right hand side of the page, "Find a Representative", Choose start now, enter your street address and zip code, and it will bring up your Senators and Representative. You can find their individual contact information by clicking on their name. Who the Committee Members Are: Sen. David P. Hinkins, Chair Rep. Scott Chew Rep. Mike K. McKell, Chair Rep. Susan Duckworth Rep. Kay J. Christofferson, House Vice Chair Rep. Brian M. Greene Sen. Jim Dabakis Rep. Stephen G. Handy Sen. Margaret Dayton Rep. Timothy Hawkes Sen. Scott K. Jenkins Rep. Ken Ivory Sen. Peter C. Knudson Rep. Justin Miller Sen. Ralph Okerlund Rep. Michael E. Noel Sen. Kevin T. Van Tassell Rep. Lee B. Perry Rep. Scott Chew Rep Marc K. Roberts Timing is Critical Action Alerts are sent at the optimum time for influencing legislators, Act ASAP. We want this information to get to the Committee Members and Legislators BEFORE February 6, 2015. Method of Contact Letter Email Telephone Call Meeting in person (dress appropriately) Go to the Capital to talk to them (see notes at the end of this email for tips) - dress appropriately Speak For Yourself Tell your own story; give your own reasoning. Do not speak for anyone else, including State Parks employees at GSL. It is ok to mention if you are a member of the GSL Yacht Club. Tips to increase your chances of having your email or letter read. I have received the following advice from two Legislators: They are not likely to read "form letters or e-mails". If you are interested enough about a subject to contact them, then please take the time to compose your own letter. They are not likely to read any email that was sent to multiple recipients. This is their idea of legislative junk mail. If you are emailing, send each letter/email to only one recipient (however, to save time you can copy and paste your letter to another email). Act as a constituent When addressing your Representative or Senator in the subject line include: Appropriation of Funds to Dredge the GSL Marina, how you would like each person to vote, and that you are a constituent. Close with your name and address. If you are contacting them regarding a particular House or Senate bill, include the bill number (no bill number available for this situation). Example of Subject Line to your Rep or Senator: Constituent says vote YES for Appropriation of Funds to Dredge the GSL Marina Example of Subject line to Committee Member: Vote YES for Appropriation of Funds to Dredge the GSL Marina Use proper protocol in the body of the message. Address with proper title: Rep. Smith. Close with your full name and address. Add a telephone number if you suspect you might get a call (often from an intern). Stick to the one topic. Your message should be short and limited to one topic (bill). Try to be as brief and concise as possible. Forget past votes. The exception might be a very brief thank you or compliment for a past action, but do not muddy the water. Great Salt Lake Marina State Park Dredging 2015 IMPORTANT FACTS & TALKING POINTS Great Salt Lake Great Salt Lake currently has an area of 1500-1700 square miles, the largest body of water in the US outside of the Great Lakes. However, in high water years, the lake can cover as much as 3300 square miles. The lake is about 75 miles long and about 45 miles wide. The Great Salt Lake brings in 1.3 BILLION dollars to the Utah economy (Salt Lake Tribune Feb. 27, 2012) There are only three public accesses to Great Salt Lake proper. Howards Slew is only accessible to very shallow draft boats. Antelope Island Marina is also only accessible to very shallow duck boats or kayaks at current lake levels. That leave the Great Salt Lake Marina as the only access for sailing vessels. Great Salt Lake Marina State Park · Great Salt Lake Marina is home to the oldest and largest sailing community in Utah. · Great Salt Lake Marina has been in its current location in one form or another for nearly 100 years. · Great Salt Lake Marina is home to the Great Salt Lake Yacht Club, the oldest Yacht Club west of the Mississippi and one of the 10 oldest in the nation. The Great Salt Lake Yacht Club was formed before Utah was a State. · Of 43 Utah State Parks, only 5 are operating in the black. Great Salt Lake Marina State Park is one of those 5, generating excess revenue to help support other state parks. · Fiscal year 2014 Great Salt Lake Marina brought in $455,000 in revenues. Roughly $300,000 was slip rent. The Great Salt Lake Marina brought in a net profit to Utah State Parks of about $154,000 (which is used to support other state parks and marinas). The Great Salt Lake Marina has 320 boat slips. Due to low water levels and silting that has built up over the last 30 years, many boats have lost the ability to navigate out of the marina. In the past 3 years, 80 of those boats have left the marina, resulting in a loss of revenue to the state of Utah of $120,000 annually in slip rent. If dredging does not happen in this marina this year many more boats will be leaving, losing more slip rental fees, property taxes and registration fees. The loss of many more boats will result in the park being unable to continue to operate at a profit, and will likely join the other 37 parks that operate at a loss. · Every spring the Great Salt Lake Marina has a crane available to put sailboats in and out of the water. Typically, more sailboats go in the water in the spring than come out. This is year could be the exception, many people are now considering pulling their sailboats out (permanently) in the spring, before their sailboat gets stuck in the silt (mud) or they can no longer navigate to the area needed to be removed by the crane. · The boat launch ramp inside the Great Salt Lake Marina is not currently usable to most boats. Until dredging occurs, this launch ramp is only accessible to very shallow draft boats, not sailboats. · Once these sailboats leave the state, Utah also loses the registration fees, which is lost revenue for State Boating Restricted Funds (which pay for Search and Rescue Boats and fuel for these boats) · Without dredging, it is likely that many more will leave the Great Salt Lake this year. These boats don't just sit in someone's driveway waiting until they can once again get out of the marina, most boat owners will re-locate their boats to other states, mainly California, and never come back. Transporting a boat is very expensive, and once these boats leave they are not likely to be brought back to the Great Salt Lake. Not only is this the loss of slip rental, but property tax dollars as well (and property taxes benefit education). Visitor Center · Being only 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake, the Great Salt Lake Marina is one of the most visited state parks. Numerous our buses are in and out of the marina every day of the week. In 2012 it was reported that 254,000 visitors came to Great Salt Lake State Park. · The newly constructed Visitor Center, brought in revenue of $97,000 last year, and is on track to at least double that this year. The marina is very picturesque, with stunning sunsets behind the sailboats in the harbor. Sailboats and sailboat harbors are one of the most photographed places on earth, how many visitors will want to come visit and empty deserted marina? · Great Salt Lake Marina is the home of Gonzo Boat Rentals and Tours, and Sailing Solutions. These are two charter businesses that give opportunities to tourists to get out on the lake and learn more about this unique state resource. If we have a weak snowpack both these concessionaries may well be trapped inside the undredged marina, eliminating a valuable resource for tourists to venture out on the lake. Redesign · Redesign of the marina mouth at the time of dredging would minimize dredging maintenance in the future by redirecting the silt. Life or Death - the Rescue Boats · The Utah State Parks & Recreation Rescue boats operate out of the Great Salt Lake Marina. These boats rescue duck hunters, kayakers, paddle boarders, swimmers, sailboats, brine shrimpers and downed airplanes. It is absolutely critical that the rescue boats can navigate in and out of the marina safely. Guidelines for Writing an Effective Letter or an Email Use a standard letter format. If you're unsure about this, work with a format from a computer program. Computers usually have such programs as part of their basic packages. Start the letter explaining who you are and why you are contacting the committee. A committee needs to know who it is dealing with and why. Even if you already know some members of the committee, don't assume they will explain to the others who you are and why you are writing. Adopt the right tone for your letter. Whoever you are writing to and whatever you are writing about, the tone for a letter to a committee should be formal and business-like. You should not adopt an aggressive tone nor one that is too submissive. Your goal is to come across as calm, reasonable and logical. Be concise with your words. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. Don't use jargon unless you're sure each member of the committee will understand you. Also avoid cliché and padding. Stick to the facts and the points you want to make. If you're writing a letter of recommendation about someone, be honest. Don't exaggerate someone's accomplishments beyond what the person is capable of doing. Keep the letter as short as possible. There is no ideal length, but a letter to a committee should contain everything you want to say and no more. Letters that consist of many pages rarely impress committee members. If you have lengthy information you want to tell the committee, consider putting it in a separate appendix to the letter. End the letter with a brief summary of your points. You don't necessarily have to do this. If you have written about a complex matter, however, the committee members may appreciate a summary. Type your letter on a computer, and use a spelling and grammar checker. Keep a record of your letter in an appropriate file. For more information read this week's cover story in City Weekly 'Hey, I'm Talking To You! How to get lawmakers to listen to you - not just lobbyists' http://www.cityweekly.net/ How to Find a Legislator During the Legislative Session Revised from copy provided by the LWV NM Coalition to End Homelessness It's always best to talk with a legislator in person rather than just leaving a note. Tracking down a legislator during the session can be challenging, but with a little persistence, you should be able to find him/her in the capitol. Here are a few tips on how to do so. 1) Find out where your legislator's office is located. Best to check the printed directory that you can obtain in the lobby of the Roundhouse. The people at the information desk can also help. 2) Go the legislator's office and ask the legislator's secretary if you can meet with your legislator. You do NOT need an appointment to meet with your legislator. If your legislator is available, he/she will meet with you. The earlier it is in the morning, the more likely it is that you will find your legislator in his/her office. 3) If the legislator is not in, ask the appropriate secretary where to find him/her. When not in their offices, legislators are usually in committee meetings or on the floor of the Senate or House Chambers. 4) If the legislator is in a committee meeting: Ask the secretary which room the committee meeting is being held in. Go to the committee room and check things out. If the committee meeting has not started then you might be able to talk with your legislator. If the meeting has started, you can wait for him/her to step out of the room or you can wait for the committee meeting to end and approach your legislator as he/she is leaving. 5) If the legislator is on the House or Senate Floor, and it is not in session: If the House or Senate is not in session, you are usually welcome to walk onto the floor and find your legislators (made easier with the signs on their desks). If the legislator is free just approach him/her and ask if you can have a few moments to explain why you are there. 5) If the legislator is on the House or Senate Floor, and it is in session: Most legislators will leave the floor in order to meet briefly with their constituents. Go down to the House or Senate chambers. There will be a staff person at the entrance. Let him/her know who you would like to see and complete the form provided. The staff person will go onto the House or Senate floor and let your legislator know that you would like to meet. If the legislator is available he/she will come out and meet with you for a few moments. 6) If you have tried all of these options and still have not found your legislator, return to the legislator's office and leave an appropriate fact sheet or other pertinent information and a personal note containing your contact information with the legislator's secretary. 7) Send an email follow-up message. Janet Robins The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801-746-2462 Fax: 801-803-6266

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Lake Level - Crane Day
by Dave Shearer 18 Feb '15

18 Feb '15

GSL Slip Renters This is a very tough email for me to write. But I feel I must be honest with you and tell you where we are sitting right now. As you are aware we are not sitting well with our snowpack. As of today, the snowpack for the Great Salt Lake drainage is 80%. January, and February delivered almost no snowpack to the critical areas. The good news is that the snowpack does contain a higher percentage of water than normal. And the other good news is that the lake has already come up nearly a foot since the low of 4193.1 in late November. And there are other factors working in our favor. Ground water is in good shape unlike last year. And the reservoirs are also in better shape than this time last year. Also, as the lake becomes low it also becomes saltier. And that salt tends to want to hold onto water more which could slow summer evaporation. But we are now in a position of being dependent on a very good snowpack for March and April. We are in desperate need of a weather pattern change. Without it the Great Salt Lake Marina is in serious trouble. If this dry pattern continues into March and April we may see the lake drop very near the historic low of 4191.6 sometime in November. Right now the models I have are showing a lake level of 4191.8 to 4192.3 by late October/November (based on a poor snowpack). But there are two large unknown factors that can change this prediction. If we have a cooler wet spring those numbers should rise. If we have a long hot dry summer it could have a detrimental effect on lake levels. Another factor is when the lake actually tops off and begins to drop in elevation. That usually happens in a period of Late April to early June. But on poor snowpack years that can happen as early as mid-March. In the past 12 years the lake has topped of twice in March, four times in April, twice in May, three times in June and once in July. It is time to think seriously about what each of you may need to do. Boats with deeper drafts (5 feet or more) who want to pull out before they become stuck inside the marina might want to consider pulling out between mid-March and mid-May while the water is high enough to get your boats to the crane out area (between J and K dock). Boats with drafts of 4 feet or more should watch the lake level closely and also consider whether they want to risk having their keels in the mud this summer and next winter or whether to pull out by June. Just about everyone who decides to pull out this year will need to use the services of the crane. The area north of B dock that leads to the launch ramp is just over 2 feet deep right now and will be dry by fall. We are working on plans right now regarding slip rates for those that will be stuck in the marina as well as turning areas of the parking lot into unsecured dry storage and what rates that would be. I hope to have that information to you very soon. But we would probably turn a large portion of the south and west parking lot into dry storage for the boats. If you do not have a trailer but would like to pull your boat and store it in the parking lot, now is the time to consider investing in a trailer or boat stands. We do not have stands or trailers available for long-term storage. I will plan to set up a series of crane days this spring to accommodate those that just feel that they need to get out while they still can. The first scheduled crane day is Friday, March 13th at 9am. PLEASE RSVP if you want to use that crane. Crane spots are available by RSVP ONLY as I need to know how big of a crane to hire as well as how long we will need the crane here. Now I do not want to be doom and gloom here. There are many things that can still happen to change our fortunes. We may end up with a very wet spring. It has happened before. Money may become available for dredging. But we are likely not going to know anything about dredging until the legislature ends their current session in about a month. And one caution about dredging too. If money does become available, that money is likely not going to be available until after July. And IF that money does become available we do not know how effective dredging will be. I wish I knew more about the potential for dredging but I just don't. The Great Salt Lake Marina is more than just a marina. It is a close knit community. We have all become friends and family. We have faced tough times lately and managed to hold together as a community. It is important to me to try to maintain that even if faced with the toughest of circumstances. I will do what I can to keep this community close and alive. That might mean road trips, socials, educational seminars, rain dances, whatever it takes until better times return. And history proves that the lake will rise again. Please keep the faith. Dave Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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ACTION ALERT - Dredging - Write, Contact, Call, Visit
by Janet Robins 17 Feb '15

17 Feb '15

I need to get everyone moving quickly - before Friday evening. Hope you are not all tired of hearing from me :o) This is the statement I received from Fred Hayes, the Director of Utah State Parks: "The Executive Appropriations Committee has a couple of options available. First, it can accept the subcommittee recommendations and appropriate the money for the dredging of Utah Lake. Second, it can change the recommendation, and appropriate the money for the dredging of GSL or for dredging in general without specifying where it is to be used. Third, it can appropriate additional money beyond the $1.5M, or fourth, it can strike the appropriation altogether and choose not to do any dredging. Until the session ends, we won't know what the will of the Legislature is, making our discussion rather fruitless. I do know that there are many individuals, myself included, that are working to identify funds that could be appropriated to make it possible to dredge both Utah Lake and GSL. I would recommend that similar efforts by the GSL sailing community might be the best use of time between now and the end of the session. It would seem most effective for your community to work with your elected representatives, especially those who are involved in the Executive Appropriations Committee, between now and the end of the session to try and find funds to do the dredging at both marinas, or to facilitate a change in the legislature's thought process and shift the money to GSL. " WE HAVE A VERY SHORT WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY - I need everyone to start writing and contacting the members of the Executive Appropriations Committee and convince them to either change the current recommendation and appropriate the money for dredging of the GSL - OR find an additional 1.5 million dollars to dredge the GSL Marina in addition to Utah Lake State Park Marina (and apparently this idea is not too farfetched, it is actually achievable for them to find the money to do this). You can write letters - but I would also urge you to call the Committee Members or visit them on Capitol Hill and talk to them. Every Utah citizen is welcome to contact these people. I BELIEVE WE WILL MAKE MORE PROGRESS IF PEOPLE ARE HUNTING THEM DOWN AND TALKING TO THEM FACE TO FACE. If any of you are already familiar with the lobbying process - please see if you can make arrangements to take others with you one day and show them the ropes. And then split up, divide and conquer :o) If you have never lobbied at Capitol Hill - you might want to attend this event Monday, February 23: Citizen Engagement Events - The National Alliance on Mental Illness and Utah Support Advocates for Recovery Services are hosting a pair of advocacy days (Feb. 10, 9-10 a.m., Copper Room, first floor of East Senate Building; Feb. 23, 10 a.m.-noon, second floor of Capitol Building. Participants will be taught about citizen-lobbying guidelines and information about the legislative process. (Reminder that they will want you lobbying for their causes, but it is not a requirement) Once participants are up to speed, you can hunt down your Legislators and ask them to support the appropriation of the money for the GSL Marina or urge them to find more money - we really don't care which. (Reminder that the people teaching Here is a link to the article that appeared in City Weekly a few weeks ago "How To Get Your Lawmakers To Listen" http://e.cityweekly.net/cityweekly/2015/01/29/#?article=2435550 LETTERS: In my opinion we should start our letters like this: My name is (insert your name) and I have been a member of the Great Salt Lake Marina Community since 1994 (insert the year you came to the marina), and have paid Utah State Parks over $30,000 (insert your amount paid) in slip rent over those 21 years. It is extremely URGENT that the Executive Appropriations Committee either find an additional 1.5 million dollars to dredge the GSL Marina or change the current recommendation of 1.5 million to dredge Utah Lake Marina and now appropriate the for the dredging of the GSL Marina State Park. (NOTE: If you belong to the Rowing, Kayaking, Canoeing Communities at Great Salt Lake - please modify the above statement to let them know how long you have been at the marina and how often you use it, and probably statements about why you prefer the GSL Marina over other marinas). Letters should then state facts - please do not go into a lot of fluff about sunsets and trivial details. These Senators and Representatives have a lot of issues they are dealing with right now - and we need them to understand that our situation is an urgent one. If your letter does not hit some points that get their attention quickly, it will most likely lose its effectiveness. We are asking them to spend 1.5 million dollars on this marina and we need to give them some compelling reasons to do so. In my opinion one of the most important aspects of this that will get them to act is the fact that the Rescue Boats will not be able to get out much longer. Without dredging the projection are the mouth of the Marina will be 2-3 feet by May (best case) and 1 ½ -2 feet by May (worst case). The canoers, kayakers, rowers, brine shrimpers, duck hunters, swimmers and tourists often need to be rescued (not to mention the occasional downed airplane). This is a matter of public safety. Utah Lake has 5 marinas and 19 access points. Great Salt Lake has 1 semi-functional marina, and the launch ramp is only functional for very shallow draft boats, like duck hunting boats. Next explain to them your plans for your boat - explain that these are not motorboats that we pull up on a trailer and park in our garage. If dredging does not occur soon - when will you plan on pulling your boat out (also, I would encourage everyone to hold off on registering their boats and paying the property taxes that most come due in April or May - until you decide if you will be pulling out of the Marina on crane days in March, April or May. Why give the State of Utah this money if they refuse to give us a functional marina. Please remind them how much money they will be losing annually from your slip rent, registrations fees and property taxes. This decision to not dredge the GSL Marina has completely devalued our boats. We have sailboats and no place to take them (Bear Lake has a 5 year waiting list). So you most likely cannot sell your boat in Utah, because there are no marinas for sailboats available. No one is interested in buying a boat they can't use. Most of us will have to sell our boats out of state or move them to a functioning marina in another state. And then there is the matter of trailers, a lot of us will need to go out of state soon to buy trailers and bring them back. If one of the Executive Appropriations Committee Members are YOUR Senator or Representative - please let them know that you are a constituent (any one of the people who live and vote in their area, in other words if you have the ability to vote for or against them in the next elections please let them know). I have put the area that each Senator and Representative represent on the contact list. If we don't want OPENING DAY AT THE MARINA this year to be a FAREWELL TO THE MARINA - we need to be loud, we need to be vocal, we need to be seen - and we need to let them know we are watching what they do. In addition to the Appropriation Committee Members - please also send letters to the Governor, The Lt. Governor and Fred Hayes at Utah State Parks (fredhayes(a)utah.gov) 2014 Executive Appropriations Committee Members Senators: Lyle W. Hillyard (R) Executive Appropriations Chair lhillyard(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:lhillyard@le.utah.gov> Cache, Rich Stevenson, Jerry W. (R) Executive Appropriations Vice Chair jwstevenson(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:jwstevenson@le.utah.gov> Davis Niederhauser, Wayne L. (R) wniederhauser(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:wniederhauser@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Okerlund, Ralph (R) rokerlund(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:rokerlund@le.utah.gov> Beaver, Garfield, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, Utah, Wayne Adams, J. Stuart (R) jsadams(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:jsadams@le.utah.gov> Davis Knudson, Peter C. (R) pknudson(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:pknudson@le.utah.gov> Box Elder, Cache, Tooele Davis, Gene (D) gdavis(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:gdavis@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Mayne, Karen (D) kmayne(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:kmayne@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Escamilla, Luz (D) lescamilla(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:lescamilla@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Dabakis, Jim (D) jdabakis(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:jdabakis@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Representatives: Sanpei, Dean (R) Executive Appropriations Chair dsanpei(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:dsanpei@le.utah.gov> Utah Dee, Brad L. (R) Executive Appropriations Vice Chair bdee(a)le.utah.gov Davis, Weber Hughes, Gregory H. (R) greghughes(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:greghughes@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Dunnigan, James A. (R) jdunnigan(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:jdunnigan@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Gibson, Francis D. (R) fgibson(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:fgibson@le.utah.gov> Utah Wilson, Brad R. (R) bradwilson(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:bradwilson@le.utah.gov> Davis King, Brian S. (D) briansking(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:briansking@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake, Summit Chavez-Houck, Rebecca (D) rchouck(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:rchouck@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Briscoe, Joel K. (D) jbriscoe(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:jbriscoe@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Arent, Patrice M. (D) parent(a)le.utah.gov<mailto:parent@le.utah.gov> Salt Lake Stay tuned - and I hope to see everyone Friday evening! Janet Robins The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801-746-2462 Fax: 801-803-6266

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HB148 and smooth sailing at GSL marina
by Bill Keshlear 17 Feb '15

17 Feb '15

Senators Escamilla and Dabakis and Representatives Hollins and Briscoe, As part of a campaign to justify claims of ownership over federal land in Utah, some lawmakers have said (over and over again) that the state is in a better position to manage it. Is it? A first glimpse of how and for whom the state might manage federal holdings since HB148 became effective a month and a half ago might be seen in how it manages its own land; in how a proposed $1.5 million to dredge marinas at Utah Lake (in Senate and House districts represented by Republicans) and/or Great Salt Lake (in Senate District 1 and House District 23, represented by Democrats) is appropriated. Both marinas have begun to silt up, and reduced snowpack runoff combined with normal summer evaporation this summer threaten to render the facilities unusable for sailboats with fixed keels. (Many sailboats with drafts of 6 feet or deeper were pulled out of the GSL marina at the end of the past summer because they could no longer access the lake.) Politically savvy real estate developers, no doubt, see opportunities to build new subdivisions with view parcels of Utah Lake and Mt. Timpanogos, while the view from the south shore of the Great Salt Lake is Rio Tinto's settling ponds, smelter and refinery. A fully operational state marina at fresh-water Utah Lake, with accessible ramps for motor-only boats and ultra shallow-draft sailboats, would continue to enhance recreation and add value to surrounding homes and businesses. A fully operational state marina on the Great Salt Lake would continue to nurture a nationally known sailing community -- the "saltiest sailors" in the U.S. -- a base for bird hunters, a Hawaiian canoe club, a long-established group of rowing enthusiasts, the lake's brine shrimp industry, a small business that offers sunset-dinner cruises aboard a refurbished yacht, as well as a regular bus stopover for national and international tourists and I-80 travelers curious about a body of water that in some places is three times saltier than the ocean. The marina also provides a base for Department of Natural Resources rangers and other law enforcers conducting search and rescue and criminal investigation operations in the southern half of the lake and part of the agency's mandated marine environment programs. Great Salt Lake marina currently is home to about 200 sailboats. Most owners are watching the Legislature closely. The scuttlebutt among GSL sailors is that DNR will not dredge "their" marina this year; that all of the $1.5 million will go south to take care of the marina at Utah Lake and real estate interests with political clout. If that's the case -- if the state fails to allot funds to maintain its investment in the infrastructure of GSL State Park -- most, if not all, of the sailors, including myself, would simply pull out their boats at the first opportunity. Many older boats would just be abandoned, stuck in the mud with the state assuming ownership and paying cleanup costs. The revenue stream of several hundred thousand dollars per year from slip rentals and on-site dry storage would, well, dry up. Taxpayers would pick up the tab for what is now a virtually self-sustaining, if not exactly profitable-for-taxpayers, operation. The long-established, close-knit sailing community and its DNR-supported summer events likely would be broken up, possibly never to return because of the high cost of taking down rigging and masts and transporting sailing vessels elsewhere -- to Bear Lake, Strawberry Reservoir, Lake Mead, Lake Tahoe, Flathead Lake in Montana, San Francisco Bay, etc. -- the kind of boats that in some cases have been in slips for years. As a constituent of Sen. Dabakis and Rep. Briscoe with an interest in keeping my beautiful Beneteau 235 ("Sister Wife") afloat in the districts of Sen. Escamilla and Rep. Hollins, I would welcome an opportunity to discuss legislative opportunities to maintain both marinas. Perhaps over coffee sometime before morning hearings or later, in the afternoon. A group of boat owners are meeting Friday at 7 p.m. at The Safety Consortium, 400 W. Lawndale Drive (2500 South, enter from 300 West). I would welcome all of you. Here's to smooth sailing, Bill Keshlear *Ke**shlear*Communication (801) 699-7773 | 780 E. Kensington, Salt Lake City UT 84105

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Dredging - Update
by Janet Robins 17 Feb '15

17 Feb '15

We were not able to convince State Parks to use the money for dredging the GSL Marina - Fred Hayes insisted that it was critical that Utah Lake be the one that gets dredged. However - Mr. Hayes eluded to the fact that it may be possible to "find" the money to also dredge GSL Marina also. Please keep sending letters to State Parks, the Governor and the Division of Natural Resources. Nothing will get done if we quietly go away - we need to stay very visible in this situation. If you haven't already written letters please do so. Janet Robins The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801-746-2462 Fax: 801-803-6266

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Re: [GSL-Marina] Dredging - Meeting Friday evening at 7:00 pm
by Henry Boland 16 Feb '15

16 Feb '15

Thanks Janet. I'll be there. From: Janet Robins <janet(a)thesafetyconsortium.com> Date: Monday, February 16, 2015 12:06 PM To: "gsl-marina(a)mailman.xmission.com" <gsl-marina(a)mailman.xmission.com> Subject: [GSL-Marina] Dredging - Meeting Friday evening at 7:00 pm Ok it¹s time for ³Plan B² on the subject of dredging the marina Our marina is not dead yet I am organizing a meeting this Friday evening at our office in South Salt Lake at 7:00 pm The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Drive (2500 South, enter from 300 West) SLC, UT 84115 Easy freeway access from either 3300 South or 2100 South I will discuss what options we have and who we need to keep the pressure on to get this done Please try to attend the only way we will get this done this year is to join forces and present ourselves as a united community Janet Robins The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801-746-2462 Fax: 801-803-6266 _______________________________________________ GSL-Marina mailing list GSL-Marina(a)mailman.xmission.com https://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gsl-marina

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Dredging - Meeting Friday evening at 7:00 pm
by Janet Robins 16 Feb '15

16 Feb '15

Ok - it's time for "Plan B" on the subject of dredging the marina Our marina is not dead yet - I am organizing a meeting this Friday evening at our office in South Salt Lake at 7:00 pm The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Drive (2500 South, enter from 300 West) SLC, UT 84115 Easy freeway access from either 3300 South or 2100 South I will discuss what options we have - and who we need to keep the pressure on to get this done Please try to attend - the only way we will get this done this year is to join forces and present ourselves as a united community Janet Robins The Safety Consortium 400 W. Lawndale Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Phone: 801-746-2462 Fax: 801-803-6266

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Lake Level and the Marina Future
by Dave Shearer 16 Feb '15

16 Feb '15

GSL Slip Renters and Marina Users. I know many of you are beginning to feel anxious about the lake level and the snowpack (or lack thereof). I know I certainly am. Many of you are wondering whether you will need to pull out this spring before you become trapped in the marina. I have been grinding the numbers and they do not look promising. But before I release predictions based on what the lake level is now and where we are looking for a snowpack I want to work the numbers over hard. I hope to send all of you an email within the next few days with hard facts and solid predictions so that you can all plan accordingly. Dave Dave Shearer Harbor Master Great Salt Lake State Marina Antelope Island State Marina 801-209-9142

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