KZMU News

The Public Media Journalists Association awarded KZMU first prize in the category of Long Documentary for a story on the impacts of the housing crisis and worker shortage in Moab. Judges reviewed over 1500 entries. Only 221 awards were given to 101 organizations. And for the first time KZMU is one of those winners.

The piece is called “Welcome to Moab: A Service Story.” It was first aired last November and it shows how the housing crisis turned worker shortage is gutting employment sectors at every level in Moab. The story zeroes in on restaurants, which are arguably the most public-facing businesses in our service industry.

In this sample you'll hear from restaurant employees working in Moab during a pandemic and in the busiest, longest, most harrowing of seasons. And business owners will tell you how they struggle to keep the doors open.

Many thanks to Ann, Jen, Natali, Alex, Wes, Bella, Mardee, Ruth, Louis, Meghan, Jacqueline, and Cozy for sharing their stories on our airwaves and illustrating how restaurants help keep communities vibrant.

Find the whole story in the notes below.

//Show Notes

//PMJA 2022 award winners

https://pmja.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-Awards-List-Final.pdf

//Full version of “Welcome to Moab: A Service Story”

https://www.kzmu.org/welcome-to-moab-a-service-story

Note: This special contains language that has been un-beeped for the podcast.

//Music and other sounds heard in today’s special:

Crowded Park by TravieDoodle

bar chatter by SoundsExciting

FunkBox by Ketsa

Way-to-West by Ketsa

Chillflow (makaih.com) by Makiah Beats

The Journey by Audiobinger

Happy-Chappy by Ketsa

The Utah accent. Sometimes it can be hard to pin down or describe to those not living here. But it exists, especially in rural southern parts of the state. And new research suggests that it’s more complicated than you might think. Plus, the BLM has a new plan to replace the boardwalk at the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite. It includes safety precautions to protect the 112-million-year-old fossils while construction work is completed. And, the Forest Service is bracing for a large gathering of the Rainbow Family in Colorado.

// Show Notes

// Photo: Unique arches in Arches National Park. New research is studying the uniqueness of the ‘Utah accent.’ Credit National Park Service

// BLM: Rebuilding the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Tracksite Trail

https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2015048/510

Last week federal agencies and five tribes signed a historic co-management agreement for Bears Ears National Monument. Today on the news, we speak with an expert about what co-management will look like on the ground and its potential to serve as a model for other tribal stakeholders in the country. And, federal officials kicked off a new round of negotiations for long-term management of the Colorado River. Plus, hours after the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark decision that protected the right to access safe and legal abortion services, people took to the streets to register their dissent. Our partners at KGNU report from a spontaneous demonstration in Denver, Colorado.

// Show Notes

// Photo: Representatives from federal agencies and five tribes co-managing Bears Ears National Monument stand under its new sign. Courtesy US Interior Department

// Bears Ears National Monument

https://www.blm.gov/visit/bears-ears-national-monument

// KGNU: Denver Reacts To SCOTUS Ruling on Abortion Rights

https://news.kgnu.org/2022/06/denver-reacts-to-scotus-ruling-on-abortion-rights/

Today the Supreme Court overturned the fundamental right to abortion established nearly 50 years ago in Roe v Wade. This reversal leaves states free to drastically reduce or even outlaw abortion. Thirteen states, including Utah, have restrictive ‘trigger’ laws on the books. Our partners at KUER speak with a Utah law professor about what happens now. Plus, this week was the summer solstice. That’s the longest day of the year. It has significance for different cultures around the world. In our region, there’s a growing number of observers that find a connection with this time and some rock art panels.

// And later, the Weekly News Reel where we check in with reporters on their latest stories of the Moab area. Doug McMurdo of The Times-Independent discusses the women behind the important research into biocrust, a push to quiet down local streets, and fawn death spikes in the Book Cliffs. Maggie McGuire of the Moab Sun News talks ongoing efforts to curb noise in the valley, a historic cabin housing a local’s collection of documents and an artist in residency program at the Moab Arts and Recreation Center.

// Show Notes:

// Photo: A ‘Keep Abortion Legal’ sign. The Supreme Court has overturned the fundamental right to abortion established 50 years ago in Roe v Wade. Adam Fagen/Creative Commons

// KUER: (May 2022) How Utah’s trigger law will reshape abortion access if Roe v. Wade is overturned

https://www.kuer.org/politics-government/2022-05-03/how-utahs-trigger-law-will-reshape-abortion-access-if-roe-v-wade-is-overturned

// The Washington Post: Abortion will soon be banned in 13 states. Here’s which could be next.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/06/24/abortion-state-laws-criminalization-roe/

// Politico: Abortion laws by state – Where abortions are illegal after Roe v. Wade

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/24/abortion-laws-by-state-roe-v-wade-00037695

// Moab Rock Art

https://moabrockart.org/about-me/

// Weekly News Reel Mentions:

// The Times-Independent: Carbon, climate and ‘charismatic’ crusts

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/carbon-climate-and-charismatic-crusts/

// The Times-Independent: Push to quiet street gets louder

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/push-to-quiet-streets-gets-louder/

// The Times-Independent: Fawn death spikes in Book Cliffs

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/fawn-death-spikes-in-book-cliffs/

// Moab Sun News: In love with Moab history – Historic cabin houses local man’s collection of documents

https://moabsunnews.com/2022/06/24/in-love-with-moab-history-historic-cabin-houses-local-mans-collection-of-documents/

Democratic Party candidate Davina Smith is running against Republican Phil Lyman for a new Utah State House district. About the size of West Virginia, it includes all of Utah’s national parks and portions of the Navajo Nation and Ute Mountain Ute tribal land. If elected, Smith would be the first Native woman to serve as a Utah representative. She visited Moab yesterday to speak about her campaign. Plus, a small group of citizen scientists are helping detect Moab’s most pesky mosquito, the aedes aegypti, which can carry viruses like West Nile. And, a new informational guide is helping visitors learn about mounting ecological crises at the Great Salt Lake. 

// Show Notes

// Photo: Democratic Party candidate Davina Smith is running against Republican Phil Lyman in Utah's new House District 69

// Moab Mosquito Abatement District

http://www.moabmad.org/about.html

// Moab Sun News: Moab residents can learn to collect mosquito data on June 22

https://moabsunnews.com/2022/06/17/moab-residents-can-learn-to-collect-mosquito-data-on-june-22/

// Utah Public Radio: Nature Conservancy and Utah Office of Tourism partner to create Great Salt Lake-centric travel guide

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2022-06-17/nature-conservancy-and-utah-office-of-tourism-partner-to-create-great-salt-lake-centric-travel-guide

After state level admonishment for previous attempts at noise regulation, Grand County’s staff and elected officials are rolling out new strategies to curb impacts in the community. ‘Noise 2.0’ is an inter-agency approach using education, advertising, enforcement and more. Grand County Commission Chair Jacques Hadler hopes Utah’s politicians will “work with us instead of against us on some of these issues.” Plus, a new study lays out all the ways that beavers are helping reshape rivers and streams, creating healthy waterways that are more resistant and resilient to the worst effects of climate change.

// Show Notes

// Photo: Grand County Sheriff’s Deputies test an ATV rental fleet for noise ordinance compliance in February 2022. A few weeks later, state lawmakers rolled back Grand County’s special regulation of ATV-related businesses. Now, Grand County will try other strategies to curb noise in the community. KZMU/Molly Marcello

// Grand County Noise Workshop (6/21/22)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa44HXIpnxQ

// Noise 2.0 Strategies (6/21/22)

https://www.grandcountyutah.net/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/298?fileID=39418

// KUNC: In the face of climate change, beavers are engineering a resistance

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2022-06-17/in-the-face-of-climate-change-beavers-are-engineering-a-resistance

For about a year, shoppers in Moab City have been paying a small portion of sales tax to fund local recreation, arts and parks. Collected on items like hotel stays and restaurants, the RAP Tax equates to one penny for every 10 dollars spent. And now, Moab City has a lot of pennies. Elected officials are discussing the allocation of $400,000 in RAP tax funding. Plus, changes are coming to public lands in Utah, including increasing tribal representation and tripling the size of a popular state park. And, our radio partners report on specially protected open space in Colorado.

// Show Notes

// Photo: A group touring the Moab ArTTrails sculpture exhibition in September 2021. After a year of collections, the RAP Tax has generated $400,000 for recreation, arts, and parks, a portion of which will be available to area nonprofits.

// Moab City: About The RAP Tax

https://moabcity.org/559/Recreation-Arts-Parks-RAP-Tax

// Bears Ears NM Inter-Governmental Cooperative Agreement

https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/docs/2022-06/BearsEarsNationalMonumentInter-GovernmentalAgreement2022.pdf

// KOTO: Valley Floor Education Day Sparks Scientific Curiosity

https://www.koto.org/featured-news-stories/2022/5/16/valley-floor-education-day-sparks-scientific-curiosity

Moab City is slowly moving forward with adding more dispersed parking. The project is in the design phase while the city requests public input. Plus, Yellowstone National Park will partially reopen this week, days after a series of historic floods damaged roads, buildings and infrastructure. And, Colorado River water managers are facing a monumental task. Federal officials are charging them with an unprecedented amount of conservation by late summer.

// Show Notes

// Photo: New parking stalls painted near the Grand County Courthouse demonstrate a dispersed parking approach for downtown. Moab City is slowly moving forward on the project and staff is currently asking for public input. KZMU/Molly Marcello

// Moab City Downtown Dispersed Parking

https://moabcity.org/603/Downtown-Dispersed-Parking

// NPS: Yellowstone National Park’s south loop will reopen to the public on June 22

https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/news/220613.htm

// KUNC: Under federal pressure, Colorado River water managers face unprecedented call for conservation

https://www.kunc.org/environment/2022-06-17/under-federal-pressure-colorado-river-water-managers-face-unprecedented-call-for-conservation

Getting public lands users to pack out their own waste – and dispose of it properly – is a big challenge. But a new interagency effort is hoping their wag bag disposal system will help make this challenge much easier. Says environmental health scientist Jonathan Dutrow, “as far as I know, we’re the only community that has actually banned wag bags from going into the trash. And we’re also the community that really needs to have wag bags in use.” More on the wide-ranging issue of human waste in Moab on today’s news.

// Plus, the Weekly News Reel, where we check in with reporters on their latest stories of the Moab area. Sophia Fisher of The Times-Independent discusses a new period Western set to film in Grand County, an allegation related to US Rep. Boebert in Moab and the return of a school resource officer to local schools. Maggie McGuire of the Moab Sun News talks about a salt injection well along the Dolores River returning to operation and a new citizen science program to curb mosquitoes in the Moab area.

// Show Notes

// Photo: Canyonlands Solid Waste Authority program manager Arba Adams handles a wag bag disposal bin. There are now five wag bag disposal sites across town, including the Lions Park Transit Hub, the Southeast Utah Health Department and the solid waste transfer station. KZMU/Molly Marcello

// Poop in Moab

https://www.discovermoab.com/poop/

// Weekly News Reel Mentions

// The Times-Independent: Costner project to film in Grand County

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/costner-project-to-film-in-grand-county/

// The Times-Independent: US Rep. Boebert accused of causing DUI crash, injuries

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/us-rep-boebert-accused-of-causing-dui-crash-injuries/

// The Times-Independent: Schools will get a resource officer again

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/schools-will-get-a-resource-officer-again/

// The Times-Independent: From bottleneck to gusher

https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/from-bottleneck-to-gusher/

// Moab Sun News: Quake Causing Plant Resumes Operations

https://moabsunnews.com/2022/06/17/quake-causing-plant-resumes-operations/

//Moab Sun News: Moab Residents Can Learn To Collect Mosquito Data On June 22

https://moabsunnews.com/2022/06/17/moab-residents-can-learn-to-collect-mosquito-data-on-june-22/

The Defense-Related Uranium Mines (DRUM) program searches for and safeguards Cold War-era excavations. It’s a partnership between the Department of Energy and various federal and state land agencies. Their focus? Mines on public lands. Today on the news, we go out with a DRUM team to check on the status of an abandoned mine in southeastern Utah. Plus, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival is back. Our radio partners speak with some festivalgoers about what they’re excited about for this first 'full' event in three years.

// Show Notes

// Photo: A DRUM program team investigates a closed Cold War-era mine in the Mineral Bottom area on June 14, 2022. KZMU/Justin Higginbottom

// Defense-Related Uranium Mines Program

https://www.energy.gov/lm/defense-related-uranium-mines-program

// Telluride Bluegrass Festival

https://bluegrass.com/telluride