Utah Valley University hosted a Sustainability Summit on Tuesday, with panels discussing topics like the Great Salt Lake and government’s role in sustainability.

The summit opened with a panel of local government leaders who talked about getting the community involved in sustainability and where government can help.

Panelists included Lindon Mayor Carolyn Lundberg, Eagle Mountain Mayor Tom Westmoreland, UCAIR Executive Director Kim Frost and Mountainland Associations of Governments Executive Director Michelle Carroll.

Part of the discussion centered on how the government can encourage sustainability through education instead of mandating it through legislation.

“Sometimes people say it’s government’s job to regulate, to punish, to create policies to force, you know, certain things. But our council has taken the approach of let’s educate before we legislate because we believe that people want to do what’s right if they have the right information,” Lundberg said.

She said to encourage recycling in Lindon, the city provided residents with information on recycling and how it reduced costs for the city as well as prevented more waste from being placed in landfills. Additionally, the city provided financial incentives for recycling and allowed residents to opt-out if they didn’t want to participate.

Frost, who is the director of Utah Clean Air Partnership, or UCAIR, talked about how they use education to teach Utahns about improving air quality.

UCAIR has been part of various outreach campaigns on steps residents can take to improve the air quality, such as using public transportation or idling vehicles less.

“People are starting to believe that their actions are going to have an impact,” Frost said, which leads to individuals taking action.

Westmoreland talked about the recent spike in growth for Eagle Mountain and how officials there are working to preserve open spaces as the city grows.

The mayor said they have worked with developers to ensure that recreation and open spaces are still available in the city even as it grows. For example, Westmoreland talked about the city helping a developer get a conservation easement on part of a property to allow for a wildlife migration route.

“Preserving open spaces is like planting a tree. The best time to do it was 20 years ago, but the next best time is today,” he said.

Westmoreland also said he believes sustainability is about self-reliance. He specifically mentioned the need to grow more food locally so the state doesn’t rely on California or foreign countries for food supplies as much.

The second panel discussed the Great Salt Lake and conserving water to prevent the lake from continuing to recede.

Some of the discussion touched on legislation related to the Great Salt Lake and its effectiveness. One question was asked about how effective legislation implementing an agriculture optimization program is in conserving water and bolstering the lake’s levels.

Ben Abbott, a BYU professor and executive director of Grow the Flow, said agriculture optimization certainly helps but can’t be the only solution.

Abbot said that with the same crops and amount of farmland, research shows agriculture optimization programs could reduce water usage by about 10%-15%, but a 30%-50% reduction is needed to sustain the lake.

“Ag optimization has to be a part, but we can’t put all of our eggs in that basket,” he said. “We need to be realistic about what’s the maximum amount we can save and then how quickly can we get there.”

Abbott talked about agriculture again later in the panel, pointing out that the industry would be hit hard if the Great Salt Lake isn’t improved.

“Farmers are really excellent scientists and long-term planners and they really are starting to come to the table, but I think we have to stop this fight between ag and Great Salt Lake,” he said.

The summit also held panels on worldview, interfaith and sustainability, and business and sustainability. Videos of each panel can be found on the organization’s Instagram, @sustainability.uvu.

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