The 717-acre Scott M. Matheson Wetlands Preserve was dedicated Saturday, drawing praise from a host of dignitaries.
"You would expect city streets, scholarships and buildings to be named after Scott Matheson," said Dave Livermore, director of The Nature Conservancy's Great Basin Field Office. "Isn't it appropriate naming a piece of earth after this great man?"The conservation project north of Moab is a combined effort of The Nature Conservancy and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.
An estimated 350 people gathered under a tent for the mid-morning celebration and unveiling of the preserve's sign honoring Utah's former governor Scott M. Matheson, who died in October.
Throughout the program, speakers - longtime friends, political supporters and family - praised Matheson as a great and noble leader, and the dedication of the wetlands in his name as fitting for a man of practicality and high values, known for his commitment to preservation of Utah's natural resources.
"His actions corresponded with his words," said author Wallace Stegner. Other speakers included Utah's former first lady Norma Matheson; New Yorker John Sawhill, president of The Nature Conservancy; Rep. Wayne Owens, D-Utah; Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus; Utah's director of natural resources Dee Hansen and deputy director Darrell Nish; the conservancy's Utah project director Chris Montague; and Lisa Eccles and Bob Graham of the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation.
Sawhill said dedication of the preserve to Matheson was fitting because he appreciated natural values, and the practical approach to preserving the wetlands reflects the way Matheson was - a practical individual who could accomplish things rather than simply talk about them.
Saving the "Moab Slough," as it is known locally, is a symbol of hope that there is humanity in Homo sapiens, said Stegner, who told the crowd he is not overly optimistic about the future of the planet.
Stegner said it makes him generally gloomy to think the human race is capable of blowing itself up or expiring from self-created poisons. Every step toward saving any remnant from uncontrolled abuse, every sample left alone for the survival of other creatures, is vital to the future of all species, the human race included, the author said.
"Every national park, every national forest, every wetland returned to nature or left in its natural state is a step toward a sustainable future," he said.
Stegner congratulated the Moab community for supporting the conservation effort and saving the "remarkably clean" wetlands for more than 150 years. He also applauded the Eccles foundation for the project financing - a combination grant and no-interest loan of $450,000 to buy the first 690 acres last January.
Montague announced that The Nature Conservancy anticipates acquiring another 26 acres from two private owners next week, which will nearly complete negotiations for the 800-acre area.
About 20 other members of the Matheson family attended the program, which culminated with the release of a newly rehabilitated redtail hawk. The raptor promptly flew south toward the wildlife refuge, habitat of an estimated 150 different bird species, including the endangered peregrine falcon and bald eagles.
Afterward, Norma Matheson held back tears as she and Stegner stood in front of the sign honoring her late husband. Matheson joined the board of governors of The Nature Conservancy just before his death.
"This dedication exemplifies two very important concerns of Scott's - the preservation of Utah's natural resources and his commitment to saving those for future generations," she said. "It's an honor to have this dedicated for him."