LOCAL NEWS

Work to begin on clearing forest fire fuel from Parleys Canyon

Oct 11, 2022, 12:38 PM | Updated: 4:38 pm

PARLEYS CANYON, Utah — A major effort to protect our canyons, homes, and property from devastating wildfires is about to get underway.

Several agencies including the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Salt Lake City Public Utilities, Summit County Public Lands and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands will be working in Parleys Canyon to clear dead trees and brush to reduce the risk of wildfires.

It’s important work that will save lives. 

With the prolonged drought and extreme heat, wildfire season is turning into more of a year-round challenge.

“In order to prevent the negative impacts from catastrophic wildfires, it’s important to manage the forest in a way where we have a resilient healthy forest,” Bekee Hotze of the Salt Lake District Ranger said.

The fuel reduction projects at Parleys Canyon include cutting down trees over several hundred acres, piling them, and eventually burning them.

Hotze said it’s important to cut down dead trees that can hinder firefighting efforts. “It’s just not safe. We had a firefighter in this canyon fire a couple years ago that was hit by a tree. Luckily he was OK,” she said.

These projects are also vital to protecting our drinking water. The watershed at Parleys Canyon supplies water to 360,000 people in the Salt Lake Valley. 

“If a wildfire were to start in this canyon not only would it risk this watershed but it could spread to other watersheds where we get our drinking water as well,” said Laura Briefer, director of Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities. 

By conducting these fuel reduction projects, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources said it’s actually a positive thing for wildlife.

“A lot of people have concerns about seeing heavy machinery on the landscape and cutting down trees,” Robby Edgel said. He’s a habitat restoration biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.  “It can be alarming to people, but we want people to know that we have the best science behind us and a lot of on-the-ground experience.” 

Keep in mind, with the heavy equipment around, you’ll want to stay out of prohibited areas. Be sure to plan ahead as there will be some intermittent trailhead closures.

KSL 5 TV Live

Local News

[File] Utah Highway Patrol State Trooper car (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)...

Larry D. Curtis

Child struck, critically injured by tractor near Coalville

A tractor hit a 5-year-old boy who darted into the road, critically injuring the child.

11 months ago

(FILE) Police vehicles are parked outside the South Jordan Police Department on Friday, April 24, 2...

Michael Houck

Police: Three teens hospitalized after crashing into wall in South Jordan

Three teenagers were injured after crashing into a concrete wall Tuesday morning, police say.

11 months ago

Elephants Zuri and Christie will be transferred from Utah's Hogle Zoo to another accredited facilti...

Josh Ellis

Elephants leaving Utah’s Hogle Zoo after more than 100 years of care

Utah's Hogle Zoo elephants Christie and Zuri will be transferred to another accredited zoo, ending the zoo's continuous care of elephants after more than 100 years.

11 months ago

The town of Hideout wants to annex hundreds of acres from Summit County and Wasatch County, includi...

Michael Houck

Landowners in-between Hideout and Kamas file for township

A group of Summit County landowners filed to incorporate as a new town called West Hills Tuesday.

11 months ago

(Chopper 5)...

Debbie Worthen

Residents meet with Draper leaders to find out what’s next for neighborhood after landslide

Dozens of Suncrest residents met with Draper city leaders for a town hall-style meeting two weeks after the ground below two homes collapsed and sent them sliding down the mountainside.

11 months ago

Flooding temporarily closed state Route 39 in Ogden Canyon Tuesday morning. (Utah Department of Pub...

Josh Ellis

Utah roads, parks close due to flooding and high runoff levels

Several roads were closed due to flooding Tuesday morning, and warm temperatures will keep rivers and creeks running high throughout the day.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...

PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.

Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...

BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.

Close up of an offset printing machine during production...

Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.

vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...

Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.

Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...

Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.

notebook with password notes highlighted...

PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.

Work to begin on clearing forest fire fuel from Parleys Canyon