PORTFOLIO Salt Lake County Shorelands Plan

The shorelands of the Great Salt Lake within Salt Lake County, Utah, have not
experienced the residential development common to other communities bordering
the Great Salt Lake. A primary reason for a lack of residential development is due to a
large portion of this land falling within the flight approach zones for the Salt Lake
International Airport. Salt Lake County realizes the ecological and environmental
importance of the Great Salt Lake and the shorelands understands the need for a
guiding plan to help preserve critical lands and existing green infrastructure and
minimize impacts from potential growth.
Preservation and growth areas were being
determined within the context of a thorough study
of the region’s natural resources. The overall plan
was achieved through a results-oriented process
based on scientific research and a thorough
understanding of stakeholder concerns. Key
stakeholders worked together to identify which
natural areas should be protected, where parks
  and trails should be located, and where
PROJECT PARTNERS & FUNDERS appropriate quality development may occur. Once
The Hewlett Foundation a consensus was reached, community leaders
Envision Utah passed local ordinances and implemented inter-
Utah Reclamation Mitigation and local agreements to effectuate the plan.
Conservation Commission
The US Fish & Wildlife Service

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Center for
Green Infrastructure
Design
MAIN OFFICE - INTERMOUNTAIN WEST
Many different players were pushing for this plan – landowners, conservation
Salt Lake City UT organizations, smart growth advocates, the planning departments – but it took
WESTERN REGION
initiative from outside, from Envision Utah and the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and
San Francisco CA Conservation Commission (a federal agency created to mitigate the impacts of
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION water development projects) to fund the project and spur municipalities to act.
Fort Collins CO
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Center for
The Shorelands plan became a true regional undertaking, spanning municipalities and
jurisdictions. It was a project that built on the momentum of neighboring plans.
Municipalities benefit from the acquisition of data, creation of an established task

Green Infrastructure
force, and publicizing of the planning activities to landowners and the public well in
advance of decision making.
There are many levels of regulation that were considered, from Federal control over

Design wetlands mitigation to State concern for water and wildlife and Municipal control
over the zoning. The planning project addressed the regulations and public process at
all these levels to ensure sensible patterns of development.