President
Utah Waterfowl Association
Bio:
Jack Ray is president of Utah Waterfowl Association and chair of Great Salt Lake Alliance. He has been involved in efforts to preserve Great Salt Lake, Utah waterfowl habitat, and the heritage of GSL waterfowl hunting for many years. Jack has also published on the history of waterfowl hunting on Great Salt Lake and early efforts to conserve Utah wetlands.
Title: Recognition and Conservation of the Great Salt Lake Shoreline
Abstract: The shoreline of Great Salt Lake is a broad margin around the salty part of Great Salt Lake. It is a swath of land interspersed with playas, uplands, and freshwater marsh. This margin grows or contracts with seasons, wet and dry cycles, and drought and flood. Some is public land; much is private land. The margin hosts over 80% of Great Salt Lake's bird species. It also nurtured human cultures for centuries—first native communities and then settlers of European descent, all of whom depended on the bounty it provided. More than ever, the shoreline margin is being whittled away and constricted by rapid development and water diversion. From the perspective of most bird-life, the loss of this margin and adjacent wetlands would render Great Salt Lake nearly worthless. The opportunity to save it is slipping away but several jurisdictions have recently embraced efforts to preserve the Shoreline and its Heritage as the Shoreline Heritage Area.