Executive Director
Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air
Message From The Executive Director
During the 1787 Constitutional Convention of the nascent United States, George Washington used an ornate wooden chair with a half sun carved in its back. Benjamin Franklin observed this chair during the signing of the Constitution. He said, “I have often… looked at that without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: but now at length I have the happiness to know that it is rising and not a setting Sun.”
The picture on the previous page showcases iconic shapes of Arches National Park. As I looked at the picture, I wondered out loud whether the photo was of the sun rising or setting over Utah’s land, water, and air.
As anyone who is paying attention knows, we have challenges. Some may even say the sun is setting on our state’s and nation’s prosperity. Despite a historic snow year, water quantity and quality remain a top issue for many Utahns. Air quality raises concerns in many parts of the state. Disputes over land access and use serve as frequent sources of conflict statewide.
I’ve helmed natural resources at the national and state levels, and I’ve led the Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air for a little over a year. I can tell you that the issues facing our shared resources are daunting, but they are also solvable. Our ability to collectively rise to address some of our greatest world challenges should hearten us all.
Over the past few years, Utahns have shown that they can adapt. Nowhere is this more apparent than the response Utahns have given to the drought in 2022. Utahns used less water in that year. They prioritized saving the Great Salt Lake and Colorado River. They, through the legislature and Governor, invested over a billion dollars in conservation efforts. These are not trivial actions. And so, while there is always cause for concern, there is also great cause for optimism.
The Janet Quinney Lawson Institute for Land, Water, and Air is based on the premise that when we know better, we can do better. This report is designed to help all of us “know better.” By understanding more of the nuances of Utah’s unique landscapes, geography, resources, and challenges, all of us, especially those of us who make decisions for our state, can make wiser choices.
In that spirit, I am pleased to present the 2023 Report to the Governor and Legislature on Utah’s Land, Water, and Air. After reading through the findings in this report, and the way our USU researchers, state agencies, and policymakers are working to meet these challenges, I can tell you—the sun is rising. (And, in the photo, it actually is.)