PRESS RELEASE: First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City Provides Donation to Help Great Salt Lake

The First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City donated $35,000 to National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy’s co-managed Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust (the Trust). This donation will be used to leverage the acquisition of new water for Great Salt Lake.  The donation supports the Trust’s mission, namely, helping preserve the irreplaceable wetlands and waters of Great Salt Lake by fostering collaborative partnerships and innovative water projects for the benefit of people and wildlife.

“Our Unitarian Universalist faith calls us to honor the interdependence of all beings. It is our responsibility to care for and protect Great Salt Lake as she has cared for and protected so much of the vast ecosystem that has made Salt Lake City such a wonderful place to live,” remarked Reverend J Sylvan of Salt Lake’s First Unitarian Church.  “It is our honor to be able to make this gift to ensure water will flow into Great Salt Lake, but it is only a drop in comparison to what we need to maintain a healthy, thriving lake. However, if more faith communities and other small organizations join us in donating what they can, we could make a significant difference.”  

The Church held an event on September 29th to announce the donation and encourage members of their congregation to make individual donations to the Trust to benefit Great Salt Lake.  The Church’s donation, made possible by a generous gift from the estate of Naomi Franklin, inspired several thousand dollars in additional donations from church members.

“Preserving Great Salt Lake will take efforts from many, whether taking action to conserve water or supporting efforts to send water to the lake,” said Marcelle Shoop, Executive Director of the Trust and National Audubon Society’s Saline Lakes Director. “We are grateful for this generous gift that will help galvanize the efforts of the Trust to secure voluntary water transactions to bring water to Great Salt Lake and its wetlands.”

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Media Contacts:  

Shaela Adams, Great Salt Lake Watershed Enhancement Trust
shaela.adams@audubon.org; 385-355-4340  

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