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This is Chris Redgrave for Zions Bank Speaking on Business.
We live in a truly remarkable state. . . full of absolutely breathtaking natural wonders. From mountains and lakes to deserts and canyons, we get a taste of it all. I was recently reminded of another natural wonder right here in Utah: the Colorado Plateau.
I don't know if you've been to the Four Corners area of Utah, where the plateau is, but it's beautiful! The plateau stretches for 130,000 miles along the Colorado River in Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. It's an area about the same size as Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York combined.
This area is like the earth's own encyclopedia. You can find a greater and more complete span of Earth's history exposed in the rocks of the Colorado Plateau than in any other comparable region in the world. It has unique species like the Colorado squawfish, a minnow that can reach nearly six feet in length. It's only natural that we'd want to protect the plateau.
We're fortunate for an organization that already exists — the Grand Canyon Trust. It's an Arizona and Utah based group whose goal is to protect the air, water and wildlife of the plateau's slickrock canyons, fragile deserts and forested mesas. This month the organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
So you understand why this group is important, here are a few examples of what's already been done. As a result of their work, uranium wastes are being moved away from the Colorado River, power plants are running cleaner, open space is kept open and Native Americans are now working with the Trust to protect their sacred sites and develop renewable energy sources. It led the creation of the nation's largest restoration project and helped pass the Utah Recreational Land Exchange Act.
Interestingly enough, the Trust was originally created to protect projects in the Grand Canyon. But, the founders realized issues don't just stop at the park boundaries, so it became an advocate for both the Grand Canyon and surrounding Colorado Plateau.
For Zions Bank, I'm Chris Redgrave, speaking on business.
