{"id":3892,"date":"2026-07-21T16:41:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:41:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3892"},"modified":"2026-07-21T16:41:19","modified_gmt":"2026-07-21T16:41:19","slug":"opinion-the-utah-we-love-is-changing-but-we-can-still-protect-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3892","title":{"rendered":"Opinion: The Utah we love is changing \u2014 but we can still protect it"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

One of the things I treasure most about living in Utah is how easily we can escape into nature. Whether it\u2019s hiking beneath the aspens in the Wasatch Mountains, exploring one of our five national parks, or simply enjoying a summer evening on the porch, the outdoors is part of who we are. These places are where we make memories with family and friends, recharge our spirits, and experience the beauty that makes Utah home.<\/p>\n

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This summer, though, they felt different.<\/p>\n

The heat has been relentless. Instead of planning our days around where we wanted to explore, we found ourselves planning around where we could cool off. Even short walks became uncomfortable. Outdoor events ended early. Time that should have been spent enjoying Utah\u2019s spectacular landscapes was often cut short by triple-digit temperatures<\/u> or poor air quality.<\/p>\n

Then there is the smoke.<\/p>\n

The wildfires are just getting worse<\/h3>\n

Like many Utahns on some morning this summer, I have awakened to a hazy sky and the acrid smell of wildfire smoke<\/u>. The mountains that usually frame the Wasatch Front faded behind a gray veil. Air quality alerts urge children, older adults and people with heart or lung disease to stay indoors. On days like that, simply taking a walk or opening the windows no longer felt like a safe choice.<\/p>\n

The smoke drifting over us came from fires in Utah and fires burning hundreds of miles away. But whether the flames are in Utah, Canada or another Western state, the consequences don\u2019t stop at state lines. We all breathe the same air.<\/p>\n

Wildfires are influenced by many factors, including forest management, decades of fire suppression and human activity. But scientists are also clear that a warming climate is making wildfire seasons longer and more destructive. Higher temperatures dry out forests and vegetation, creating conditions where fires ignite more easily, spread more rapidly and produce more smoke.<\/p>\n

The same warming trend is fueling more frequent and intense heat waves. While weather naturally varies from year to year, long-term climate change is increasing the likelihood and severity of extreme heat. Utah has already experienced hotter summers, worsening drought<\/u>, shrinking snowpack<\/u> and longer fire seasons. Those changes affect our health, our water supply, our recreation and the places we cherish.<\/p>\n

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Working to protect the future of Utah\u2019s landscape<\/h3>\n

As a parent I worry about what future Utah summers will look like. I want my family to remember cool mornings on mountain trails, evenings around a campground and clear views stretching across our remarkable landscapes \u2014 not smoky skies, dangerous heat and days spent indoors because the air isn\u2019t safe to breathe.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s one reason hundreds of volunteers will travel across the country to Citizens\u2019 Climate Lobby\u2019s Summer Conference and Lobby Day<\/u> in Washington, D.C. We\u2019ll meet with members of Congress from both parties to encourage practical bipartisan policies that reduce climate pollution while strengthening the health of our forests.<\/p>\n

Healthy, well-managed forests reduce wildfire risk, store carbon, support wildlife, and protect the watersheds that supply much of Utah\u2019s drinking water. At the same time, reducing climate pollution can help lessen the long-term trends driving increasingly intense heat and more destructive wildfire seasons.<\/p>\n

The Utah we love is worth protecting. By caring for our forests, investing in clean energy and working together across political differences, we can help ensure that future generations inherit the clear skies, healthy landscapes and outdoor traditions that have enriched our lives.<\/p>\n

Read more First the fires, then the floods<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With triple-digit temperatures and smoke in the air, it\u2019s getting hard to enjoy Utah\u2019s natural landscape.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3891,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guest-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nOpinion: The Utah we love is changing \u2014 but we can still protect it - American Movers Hub<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3892\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Opinion: The Utah we love is changing \u2014 but we can still protect it - American Movers Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"With triple-digit temperatures and smoke in the air, it\u2019s getting hard to enjoy Utah\u2019s natural landscape.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/americanmovershub.com\/?p=3892\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"American Movers Hub\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-07-21T16:41:19+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/b68c8483906c0d2987f271455f0177af\"},\"headline\":\"Opinion: The Utah we love is changing \u2014 but we can still protect it\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-07-21T16:41:19+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892\"},\"wordCount\":627,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/07\\\/44c6b7edf8a863ef647b60a7d2940ac5.avif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Guest Opinion\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/americanmovershub.com\\\/?p=3892\",\"name\":\"Opinion: The Utah we love is changing \u2014 but we can still protect it - 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