Public Petition Declaring Support For A Nature Park Along The Jordan River and Relocating The Regional Sports Complex

By signing the petition below, I acknowledge, affirm and endorse the following:

Whereas, the 1971 Jordan River Parkway Plan identified lands located along the Jordan River at 2200 North as public open space for flood control and the Jordan River Parkway; and,

Whereas, the Provo-Jordan River Parkway Authority acquired the lands identified in the 1971 Parkway Plan at 2200 North as public open space for flood control and the Jordan River Parkway; and,

Whereas, during the mid 1980s, the former Jordan River State Park site was flooded and inundated by rising waters from the Great Salt Lake; and,

Whereas, in 1990, the Utah Division of State Parks and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources did commission a study and design for a nature education center at the former Jordan River State Park; and,

Whereas, the Salt Lake County Shorelands Plan did identify and recommend the former Jordan River State Park as a future nature park and interpretive center; and,

Whereas, the Jordan River Natural Areas Forum recommended the former Jordan River State Park as a future nature park and interpretive center; and,

Whereas, the 2008 Blueprint Jordan River Vision recommends the former Jordan River State Park to be preserved as natural open space; and,

Whereas, Salt Lake City did adopt Resolution 13 of 2009, declaring the Citys support of the Blueprint Jordan River Vision and commitment to preserving open space along the Jordan River; and,

Whereas, the former Jordan River State Park has great ecological value and potential for wildlife habitat, nature-based education, and outdoor recreation; and,

Whereas, the former Jordan River State Park is located in the Jordan River Floodplain and is one of the last undeveloped and relatively large areas of wildlife habitat in the Salt Lake Valley; and,

Whereas, there are other publicly owned locations that have previously been studied and found to be suitable for a large soccer complex;

Therefore, We The Undersigned oppose the siting of the Regional Sports Complex along the Jordan River and recommend that the land previously known as the Jordan River State Park, which is located at, or near 2200 North between the Jordan River and I-215, should be preserved as natural open space and restored to as natural of a condition as possible; and also recommend that the proposed Regional Sports Complex should be relocated away from the Jordan River Floodplain Corridor and constructed at one of several alternative locations, including those locations previously considered by Salt Lake City and found to be suitable; and further recommend that the former Jordan River State Park site be developed as an urban nature park with an interpretive center as recommended in previous public plans.