URGENT: Thank Utah State Lawmakers for Their Efforts to Save the Bonneville Salt Flats

A sample email is provided through the link above—full details included below, if necessary.  Please add the following points—also note if you are a Utah resident and feel free to personalize the message:
 

• Located near Wendover in northwestern Utah, the salt flats are a unique geologic formation that have served as the backdrop for movies, commercials, and photos. 
   
• Since the 1930s, Bonneville’s hard salt crust has made it the world’s premier venue for land speed racing, with hundreds of records having been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes over the decades. 
   
• The Bonneville Salt Flats have been a great draw for racers, spectators, and tourists for over 100 years.
   

Overview:  A “Restore Bonneville” program has been created! In March, the Utah Legislature provided $1 million to kick start the program to save the Bonneville Salt Flats. As the Utah Legislature convenes a special session to reduce state spending due to COVID-19, the land speed racing community has an opportunity to thank lawmakers for their support for Bonneville and request that the funding be preserved.  

Over a period of decades, the once 13-mile racetrack at Bonneville is now less than 8 miles due to salt erosion. The “Restore Bonneville” program will double or triple the amount of salt being pumped each year onto the racing venue once the current pumping infrastructure has been expanded. 
 

Instructions:  Feel free to personalize your letter.  For example, include a sentence at the beginning describing what it is like to race on the Bonneville Salt Flats or attend a racing event, and note if you are a Utah resident.  Also feel free to amend the title of the email to say: “I visit” or “I race” at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
 

Sample Letter:

As a land-speed racing enthusiast, I want to thank you for your commitment to help save the Bonneville Salt Flats. The State Legislature approved $1 million in the FY 2021 budget for the “Restore Bonneville” program, which is crucial for starting the infrastructure work needed to pump salt onto the flats.  

Located near Wendover in northwestern Utah, the salt flats are a unique geologic formation that have served as the backdrop for movies, commercials, and photos. Since the 1930s, Bonneville’s hard salt crust has made it the world’s premier venue for land speed racing, with hundreds of records having been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes over the decades. The Bonneville Salt Flats have been a great draw for racers, spectators, and tourists for over 100 years.

Bonneville is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and deemed an Area of Critical Environmental Concern. Until 1997, salt removed from Bonneville for potash processing under leases issued by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in the 1960s was not replaced. Since that time, Mining leaseholders have pumped salt brine onto Bonneville but at volumes less than needed to restore the previous loss of salt.

The BLM, Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Intrepid Potash, and land speed racing community have collaborated to develop a restoration plan. The BLM and DNR recently finalized a memorandum of understanding to create the Restore Bonneville program and stop salt crust deterioration. The program will enable the infrastructure upgrades needed to pump over 1.0 million tons of salt onto the flats each year, which is double or triple current amounts.

The $1 million committed by the state of Utah has leveraged up to $4 million from the BLM for this year, with additional federal contributions planned in future years. The creation of the Restore Bonneville program comes at a crucial juncture. The current surface depth is measured in inches rather than feet, and the 13-mile racetrack is now less than 8 miles. The program funding from the State of Utah is critical to saving this national treasure and creating good jobs for Utahns. 

The State of Utah’s funding of the “Restore Bonneville” program is a significant investment in the future of the salt flats. The land speed racing community appreciates your support!

Lawmaker Emails:

dhinkins@le.utah.gov, sbarlow@le.utah.gov, scottchew@le.utah.gov, dipson@le.utah.gov, jiwamoto@le.utah.gov, rokerlund@le.utah.gov, ssandall@le.utah.gov, dthatcher@le.utah.gov, rwinterton@le.utah.gov, carlalbrecht@le.utah.gov, kchristofferson@le.utah.gov, stevehandy@le.utah.gov, sharrison@le.utah.gov, kkwan@le.utah.gov, plyman@le.utah.gov, leeperry@le.utah.gov, csnider@le.utah.gov, kstratton@le.utah.gov, jbriscoe@le.utah.gov, sduckworth@le.utah.gov, thawkes@le.utah.gov, derrinowens@le.utah.gov, christinewatkins@le.utah.gov, achristensen@le.utah.gov, keithgrover@le.utah.gov, jwstevenson@le.utah.gov, Blast@le.utah.gov, jeffersonmoss@le.utah.gov, jsadams@le.utah.gov, lescamilla@le.utah.gov, dhemmert@le.utah.gov, dkitchen@le.utah.gov, kmayne@le.utah.gov, amillner@le.utah.gov, evickers@le.utah.gov, fgibson@le.utah.gov, briansking@le.utah.gov, csmoss@le.utah.gov, angelaromero@le.utah.gov, mikeschultz@le.utah.gov, Bradwilson@le.utah.gov, jferry@le.utah.gov, mnelson@le.utah.gov, dougsagers@le.utah.gov, dthatcher@le.utah.gov, mmower@utah.gov, erics@sema.org, sanalert@sema.org, stateleg@sema.org