Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Duck hunters and conservation groups are calling on Salt Lake International Airport leaders to reconsider a long-range plan that could eliminate hundreds of acres of wetlands.
A final decision is years away, but the groups want the plan changed before it's too late.
The big concern of those groups is a fourth runway on the west side of the airport. If that's built, hundreds of acres of the state's most valuable wetlands would be filled.
At Salt Lake International, aircraft and birds may be on a collision course, not in the air but over precious land.
Air travel in Utah is projected to grow. A third large runway is on the 20- to 50-year drawing boards, and so is a fourth runway, which would require filling hundreds of acres of wetlands.
Airport Spokesperson Barbara Gann says, "We have to prepare for the future, and the future looks like growth in this region."
The airport already has begun purchasing property on its west side. Several duck clubs own property, wetlands mostly, which likely would be filled.
David Hinds is with the Harrison Duck Club, which owns almost a thousand acres and has a thousand members.
"The club's been owned by family members for almost 100 years, and there's a lot of family tradition and heritage out here, along with what we do with the wetlands," he says.
A coalition of duck clubs and green groups says the plan could eliminate crucial habitat for many thousands of duck, geese, shorebirds and pheasants.
Marc Heileson of the Sierra Club says, "We're not saying no airport runway. But there are better locations and we should be looking to find solutions on that side of the airport."
The groups propose expanding on the east side, where corporate jets currently land.
Gann says, "Of course that makes it closer to the city, closer to businesses that operate on that side. Again, it's a balancing act."
Airport officials say any wetlands taken out could be replaced, though the duck groups say natural wetlands simply cannot be recreated elsewhere.
Hinds says, "We just want to make sure that every option is explored before they start condemning our property and building a runway."
Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker has already been involved in discussions about this issue. Again, any final decision is years away.
E-mail: jdaley@ksl.com
