DENVER—In response to Utah Senator Mike Lee’s one-sided field hearing against the proposed Bears Ears National Monument, the Center for Western Priorities released the following statement.
Jennifer Rokala, Executive Director:
“After today’s hearing, it’s clear why the tribal backers of a monument designation say they’ve been disrespected throughout the process. When Governor Herbert refers to a thoughtful tribal proposal for a national monument as ‘a political tomahawk,’ he continues that sad tradition of dismissing Native voices.
“At today’s hearing, Congressman Rob Bishop said his Public Lands Initiative was ‘done,’ and he’s not open to making major changes to the bill. The PLI, as it stands today, is a non-starter, with no support from conservation groups. If Rep. Bishop is unwilling to craft an actual ‘grand bargain,’ as he has promised for three years, it’s incumbent on President Obama to protect Bears Ears using his authority under the Antiquities Act.”
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TRICARE and Military OneSource are co-hosting a webinar to bring you the answers to your questions. Join us on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, noon to 1pm EST, to ask us anything. We’ll have a panel of subject matter experts on hand to take your questions. Sign-up at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3138339713504372995. For audio, dial 1-866-724-3083, access code 1085851. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.
---------------Utah Division of Water Resources Hires
New Water Conservation Coordinator
Salt Lake City July, 28, 2016: Utah’s Division of Water Resources (DWRe) has hired Faye Rutishauser as the division's new water conservation manager. Rutishauser is known for her aggressive and precise focus against water waste and has spent her more than 10 year career working in water conservation.
“As we get closer to reaching the 25 percent municipal and industrial water use reduction by 2025 goal set by the governor, we recognize that new goals will be needed. We feel that having a water conservation manager solely dedicated to helping us set and achieve new water conservation goals is vitally important,” Eric Millis UDWRe Director said.
Rutishauser worked for the Utah Division of Water Resources before working for Red Butte Gardens, followed by starting her own water-wise nursery, New Horizons Nursery, in 2009. She worked with businesses, municipalities and citizens, helping them create beautiful landscapes with the added benefit of water efficiency.
Rutishauser will take over water conservation management responsibilities from Water Conservation and Education Manager, Eric Klotz. Water conservation was only one of Klotz’s responsibilities within the division, yet he was instrumental in Utah being projected to reach its goal much sooner than expected.
“I think what I bring to the table is a passion for water conservation. I accepted this position because I know the division’s leadership is supportive of that passion. I can’t wait to partner with our communities and citizens to make a real difference,” Rutishauser said.
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National TV Coverage on FOX Sports Networks Doubles to 28 Hours as Tour of Utah Moves to Primetime
Live Video and Commentary Available for Web and
Mobile Devices via Tour Tracker
SALT LAKE CITY (July 29, 2016) – The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah announced today that broadcast partner FOX Sports Networks (FSN) is increasing its national programming on FS2 to a total of 28 hours with two daily timeslots, including a primetime segment, for the professional cycling stage race from on Aug. 1-7.
FSN is doubling its amount of national race coverage from 14 to 28 hours. A one-hour nightly recap show of the seven stages will also selectively air on the regional FOX Sports Networks affiliates (check local listings). Studio announcers will be Steve Brown, Todd Gogulski and former professional cyclist Lucas Euser. Course reports will be provided by Kristen Kenney.
The FS2 broadcast schedule, which includes both live and live-to-tape coverage in high-definition, for the Tour of Utah is:
Date
Time (MDT)
Show
Monday, Aug. 1
10 a.m.-Noon
Stage 1, Zion Canyon Village to Cedar City (live)
7-9 p.m.
Stage 1, Zion Canyon Village to Cedar City (replay)
Tuesday, Aug. 2
2-4 p.m.
Stage 2, Escalante to Torrey (live)
8-10 p.m.
Stage 2, Escalante to Torrey (replay)
Wednesday, Aug. 3
1-3 p.m.
Stage 2, Escalante to Torrey (replay)
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Stage 3, Richfield to Payson (delay)
Thursday, Aug. 4
1-3 p.m.
Stage 3, Richfield to Payson (replay)
4:30-6:30 p.m.
Stage 4, Lehi to Kearns (delay)
Friday, Aug. 5
1-3 p.m.
Stage 4, Lehi to Kearns (replay)
8-10 p.m.
Stage 5, Antelope Island State Park to Bountiful (delay)
Saturday, Aug. 6
1-3 p.m.
Stage 5, Antelope Island State Park to Bountiful (replay)
8:30-10:30 p.m.
Stage 6, Snowbasin to Snowbird (delay)
Sunday, Aug. 7
1-3 p.m.
Stage 6, Snowbasin to Snowbird (replay)
6-8 p.m.
Stage 7, Park City to Park City (delay)
Additionally, KJZZ 14 Television, an independent broadcast television station which serves households across Utah and parts of five other states, will air a one-hour nightly race recap at 8 p.m. for all seven days of race week. The station will also broadcast a 30-minute Preview Show on July 30.
International broadcast coverage will be provided on networks and fee-based services in 15 countries across five continents. This programing features Cycling Central in Australia, L’Equipe in France, Bike Channel in Italy and four nations of the United Kingdom, and SuperSport in the 48 nations of the Sub-Saharan Africa territory. An additional 900,000 household global subscribers with SNTV will receive news updates about the race.
Live start-to-finish race coverage of the Tour of Utah is available on the award-winning global web and mobile Tour Tracker® platform. The Tour of Utah Tour Tracker® powered by Adobe® will provide live streaming video coverage for cycling fans worldwide. Commentators for this coverage are Frankie Andreu and Tim Johnson, with behind-the-scenes correspondence provided by Chad Andrews.
Tour Tracker provides enhanced coverage with GPS race tracking, race analysis, photography, and results for every stage. The apps are available for iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. The Tour was viewed by more than 150,000 race fans from 139 countries using the Tour Tracker® experience online and with mobile devices last year. Links to the web and mobile apps are available at www.tourofutah.com/race/tourtracker.
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah continues to be free to all spectators. It is the first internationally-sanctioned cycling competition in North America following the Tour de France. More information about the Tour of Utah, the host venues and the teams can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com, as well as social channels Facebook (tourofutah), Twitter (@tourofutah, #TOU16), Instagram (thetourofutah), and YouTube (tourofutah).
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About the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, referred to as "America's Toughest Stage RaceTM," is a week-long, professional cycling stage race for the best men’s teams in the world. The 2016 event will be held Aug. 1-7. Now in its 12th year, the event was elevated in 2015 as a 2.HC-rated UCI stage race, making it one of the premier events in North America. The 2016 Tour of Utah will cover 705 miles of racing and 52,825 feet of climbing. The 2015 Tour of Utah men’s champion was Joe Dombrowski (USA) of Can nondale-Drapac Pro Cycling Team. The Tour of Utah is owned by Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment. More information about the Tour of Utah, host venues and professional teams can be found by visiting www.tourofutah.com, as well as social channels Facebook (tourofutah), Twitter (tourofutah), Instagram (thetourofutah) and YouTube (tourofutah).
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Foxx Announces TIGER Awards
Nearly $500 Million in Grants to Projects Focused on Safety and Economic Opportunity
WASHINGTON –U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced today nearly $500 million will be made available for transportation projects across the country in the eighth round of the highly successful and competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. Secretary Foxx was joined by Jeff Zients, Director of the National Economic Council at the White House, and Mayor William Peduto of Pittsburgh, PA on a national call with reporters to highlight how this funding will improve safety and economic opportunity in two U.S. territories, 32 states, and 40 communities across the country.
“For the eighth year running, TIGER will inject critical infrastructure dollars into communities across the country,” said Secretary Foxx. “This unique program rewards innovative thinking and collaborative solutions to difficult and sometimes dangerous transportation problems. A great TIGER program doesn’t just improve transportation; it expands economic opportunity and transforms a community.”
The highly competitive TIGER grant program supports innovative projects, including multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects, which are difficult to fund through traditional federal programs. This year’s awards focus on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for communities, both urban and rural.
Since 2009, the TIGER grant program has provided a combined $5.1 billion to 421 projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and tribal communities. These federal funds leverage money from private sector partners, states, local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and transit agencies. The 2016 TIGER round alone is leveraging nearly $500 million in federal investment to support $1.74 billion in overall transportation investments.
Demand for the 2016 TIGER grant program continued to far exceed available funds; the DOT received 585 eligible applications from all 50 States, and several U.S. territories, tribal communities, cities, and towns throughout the United States, collectively requesting over $9.3 billion in funding. During the previous seven rounds, the Department received more than 7,300 applications requesting more than $143 billion for transportation projects across the country.
A few examples of this year’s TIGER awards include:
· In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the I-579 Cap Urban Connector Project will receive $19 million to construct a cap over a below-grade portion of Interstate 579 in downtown Pittsburgh. The cap will reconnect the Hill District to downtown Pittsburgh, more than 60 years after highway and arena construction razed a middle income African American community. The project includes improvements to nearby streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks, a new bus stop, bike-sharing station, and ADA-compliant walkways. It also will create open space for transportation and recreation.
· The city of Brownsville, Texas will receive $10 million to rehabilitate a regional bus maintenance facility which will also serve as a new passenger transfer station, purchase eight hybrid transit replacement buses, and renovate bus stops to include sidewalks, curb ramps, and benches. The grant will also fund an innovative 2.4-mile long causeway which will be one of the longest dedicated pedestrian/bike bridge facilities of its kind in the United States and the first of its kind in Texas.
· Several TIGER 2016 grants also went to projects supporting the movement of freight to boost economic competitiveness. These include $6.2 million for an inland port in Little Rock, Arkansas, $17.7 million for a highway freight interchange in Scott County, Minnesota, and $9.8 million for a rural freight project that crosses the South Carolina/North Carolina border.
Notably, of the 40 grant recipients this year, nearly two-thirds are repeat applicants. The U.S. Department of Transportation has made a concerted effort to provide technical assistance to applicants to improve their projects.
TIGER funding is provided in the FY 2016 Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed by President Obama on December 18, 2015. The Act does not provide dedicated funding for the planning, preparation, or design of capital projects; however, these activities may be eligible to the extent that they are part of an overall construction project. A minimum of 20 percent of funds will go to projects in rural areas.
