The Utah Foundation recently released its first biennial Quality of Life Index, based on a rigorously designed survey of what a representative cross-section of Utahns consider most important to their well-being. Environmental quality was near the top of the list.   Robert Adler of the University of Utah in a Salt Lake Tribune op-ed wrote last week that, “The foundation’s findings also question the myth that environmental quality and jobs are antithetical values. In fact, the survey shows that Utahns value both a sound economy and a healthy environment as fundamental, co-equal requirements of their quality of life.”representative cross-section of Utahns consider most important to their well-being. Environmental quality was near the top of the list.  Why in Utah, then, is the depiction “Environmentalist”  a pejorative? . . . more>>

Count the ways that public lands and natural landscape are valuable.    You might not have heard this one yet, but Jodi Peterson of High Country News says, “Two new studies show that public lands are valuable because – wait for it – they burn fat and generate dollars. A Forest Service study published recently estimates that last year, visitors to the nation’s forests burned a collective 290 billion calories. That’s 83 million pounds of body fat — measured in French fries, enough to reach to the moon and back.”  Who knew? . . . more>>