Karl Kappe, a strategic planner with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, has retired, state officials announced Friday.
Kappe was described by the state Department of Natural Resources as "a recognized champion" of the Utah's sovereign lands — those lands under navigable bodies of water, including the beds of the Great Salt Lake, Utah Lake and portions of the Colorado River.
He was praised for leading the planning effort for the Great Salt Lake Comprehensive Management Plan completed in 2000 and the guiding force in managing the inland water system.