Thread by @thermokarst

If you're still on the fence about whether to continue science-based restoration of Utah Lake or give away sovereign land for artificial islands, here is a short thread and a link to the deep dive.

1/11 benabbo.blogspot.com/2022/07/seven-…

#UtahLake #utpol #utleg

Last November, I wrote a blog post describing 7 problems with the idea of transforming Utah Lake into an island city.

The limited liability company behind the project (LRS) sued me for $3 million.

2/11 benabbo.blogspot.com/2021/11/seven-…

The lawsuit forced me to learn more than I ever wanted about LRS and their boondoggle.

This new blog post lays out some of these details. I hope you'll read the whole blog post, but this thread gives a summary of problems 8-14.

3/11 benabbo.blogspot.com/2022/07/seven-…

#8 LRS won't give a straight answer about who will be responsible if the project fails. These types of megaprojects are notorious for creating huge messes for the public but huge windfall profits for the proponents.

4/11 google.com/books/edition/…

#9 LRS won't share the details of what they are proposing, how they will achieve it, or how it will benefit the lake.

They promised the answers would be in their Army Corps application, but it was more smoke and mirrors.

5/11 conserveutahvalley.org/utah-lake-isla…

#10 Backwards science. LRS decided what the lake needed before doing any research. They started with a lucrative funding mechanism (selling land on artificial islands), and have been dredging up "evidence" to support their conclusion ever since.

6/11 conserveutahvalley.org/fundraising-ma…

#11 Disdain for free speech. Though LRS has spent big bucks on misleading advertising campaigns, they have yet to organize a single public meeting.

Instead, they sue critics, bully reporters, and ban anyone who asks questions from social media.

7/11 deseret.com/opinion/2022/1…

#12 Dishonesty and double standards. This is the longest section of the blog post because of the sheer number of inconsistencies and blatant deceptions.

From misrepresenting the lake to lying about their own lawsuit, are these the kind of partners we can trust?

8/11

#13 Turns out that LRS has a history of faux-conservation activities and personal enrichment from public funds. Their CEO has accepted $12 million in taxpayer dollars and then gone to court to keep Utahns from knowing how he spent it.

Fool me once?

9/11 sltrib.com/news/environme…

#14 A refusal to learn from restoration science and best practices. There are thousands of successful restoration projects around the world, including the June Sucker Recovery Program right here on Utah Lake.

LRS's real estate scam looks nothing like real restoration.

10/11

So what can we do?

1st, let's repeal the 2018 law that opened the door to giving away our sovereign lands. Call or email your state representatives and ask them to sponsor repeal.

2nd, Submit comments and questions to the Army Corps here: spk.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regul…

11/11