KZMU News

Today on the News Reel, we speak with Doug McMurdo, editor of the Times-Independent, about a protest that took place at Arches National Park recently. We also discuss upcoming federal office space closures in Moab for the National Park Service, the United States Forest Service, and the United States Geological Survey. Plus, we give updates about the Moab Area Transit schedule and a save-the-date for a volunteer day to clean up some local trails.

Over 200 people attended a public hearing on March 5 to challenge a feasibility study that approves Kane Creek developers to establish a preliminary municipality in Grand County. The study found that if incorporated, the luxury housing and commercial development would be financially viable, a requirement for moving forward with the project. But many Moab residents disagreed with the findings, arguing that the results were based on unrealistic assumptions about the local economy. While the hearing gave residents an opportunity to ask questions and air grievances, a representative from the Lt. Governor’s Office who moderated the meeting, Jordan Schwanke, said the results of the study are final, and the project will move ahead regardless.

Photo: Audience members display a banner that says: Repeal SB258. The bill established the preliminary municipality process, which enables landowners to incorporate their property even without any residents. A new bill to essentially repeal SB258 — House Bill 540 — is currently making its way through the Utah Legislature. Lawmakers will decide by March 7. Photo by Emily Arntsen / KZMU.

This week on Regional Roundup, we'll hear about a commemorative climb that honored the 10th Mountain Division and their role in blocking Hitler’s defensive Gothic Line in Italy during World War II. We also drop in on the trials for the U.S. Olympic Mixed Curling Team, which took place recently in Colorado. To finish up, we examine the high cost of housing in the region, and the problem of under insurance due to wildfire.

Today we speak with a former U.S. Forest Service employee who was abruptly fired in February along with the rest of the district's trail crew. What could happen to Moab's trail system without the team? And what should residents and tourists expect as further workforce cuts are predicted with a federal budget deadline looming on March 14?

Photo courtesy of former U.S. Forest Service trail crew member.

At Grand County High School, prom is a big deal, and some kids have had their dates picked since elementary school. That’s because in Moab, your date isn’t just someone you take photos with. You have to perform a choreographed dance with them in front of hundreds of people. It’s part of a longstanding Moab tradition — the promenade. It’s an opening ceremony to kick off the actual prom, and friends and family are invited to come watch as students make a grand entrance. This year’s promenade will take place on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Photo: Students rehearse for this year's promenade at Grand County High School. By KZMU / Emily Arntsen

Utah’s Division of Water Resources says that cloud seeding — a procedure that increases snowfall by injecting silver iodide into the atmosphere — adds about 200,000 acre feet of water to the state’s river system each year. But there’s a catch. Cloud seeding only works when it’s already snowing. And this winter, it’s been so dry in southeastern Utah, there were hardly enough clouds in the sky for the state to operate its new cloud seeding stations in the La Sal Mountains. The region has only received about half of the snowfall for a typical year.

- Show Notes -

https://water.utah.gov/cloudseeding/

Today on the News Reel, we speak with Andrew Christiansen of the Moab Times-Independent about the nationwide cuts to the federal workforce and how it’s affecting public land managers in Moab. We also mention a recent announcement by the Moab Police Department reassuring undocumented immigrants that they can call local law enforcement in emergencies without being questioned about their immigration status, as the department has no intention of specifically targeting undocumented immigrants. And we finish up with an update about a new mountain bike trail network that’s under construction in San Juan County.

This week on Regional Roundup, we'll hear from communities across the Mountain West that are protesting new executive orders from the Trump administration regarding immigration. We also hear about Wyoming and Utah's ongoing public lands debates over state versus federal control. Plus, a story about a citizen science project to gauge bird population size. And finally, a story on the history of Black communities in Colorado.

On the show today, we have the weekly News Reel where we talk to other local journalists about what they reported this week. Today, we speak with Andrew Christiansen of the Moab Times-Independent about where the Kane Creek developers are in the process of becoming a preliminary municipality within Grand County. We also touch on the life and legacy of Moab geologist Lin Ottinger, who passed away last week at 97. And we finish up discussing changes to transient room tax that are making their way through the Utah Legislature.

- Show Notes -

• Kane Creek town proposal moves forward, public hearing set

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/kane-creek-town-proposal-moves-forward-public-hearing-set/

• Lin Ottinger, Moab’s ‘Dinosaur Man’ and rock shop founder, dies at 97

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/lin-ottinger-moabs-dinosaur-man-and-rock-shop-founder-dies-at-97/

• State could give Grand County more flexibility over tourism tax revenue

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/state-could-give-grand-county-more-flexibility-over-tourism-tax/

This week on Regional Roundup, we hear why diversity is needed in climate research following the Trump administration's cuts to DEI programs at federal agencies. We also hear about two new films that premiered at the recent Sundance Film Festival in Utah, and we tag along with some birders in Boulder County, Colorado, on the trail of hundreds of wild turkeys that roost in cottonwood trees.