Romney’s bill creates new monitoring program for saline lakes in Great Basin states

A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) would establish a federal monitoring program to inform and support coordinated management and conservation actions for saline lake ecosystems in the Great Basin states.

Sen. Romney on April 29 signed on as an original cosponsor of the Saline Lake Ecosystems in the Great Basin States Program Act of 2021, S. 1466, with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) to create the regional program, which would be tasked with assessing, monitoring and benefiting the hydrology of saline lakes in the Great Basin, as well as the migratory birds and other wildlife dependent on those habitats, according to the text of the bill.

“I’m proud to lead this legislation with Senator Merkley, which will establish a scientific foundation and ongoing monitoring system to inform coordinated management and conservation actions for threatened Great Basin saline lake ecosystems and the communities who depend on them,” Sen. Romney said. 

If enacted, S. 1466 would authorize a study by the U.S. Geological Survey — in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and other federal, state, tribal, and local agencies, research universities, nonprofit organizations, and other partners — that would develop an action plan for a multi-year integrated program to assess, monitor and conserve saline lake ecosystems, according to a bill summary provided by Sen. Romney’s office.

“The Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere and one of the largest in the world. It is also an iconic and cherished part of Utah,” said Sen. Romney. “This legislation should complement and help elevate the work already being done by the State of Utah to understand this key resource and the role it plays as part of the larger landscape.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, endorsed the bill, as did Marcelle Shoop, director of the Saline Lakes Program at the National Audubon Society.