This summer is a reminder that our climate and air quality challenges remain urgent issues. Once again, we are facing wildfires, record-breaking heat and a winter with very little snow that not only hurts the ski and tourism industries but also threatens the water that our communities rely on.

Why this year’s fire season will be felt long after the flames

Extreme heat is arriving earlier and staying longer, straining our grid on the very days we need it most. Wildfire seasons start earlier and go longer, fed by drought-stressed landscapes. And the Great Salt Lake continues to shrink, threatening the health of everyone downwind and the future of the economy we built around it. Our communities are calling for leadership at this moment, knowing that this moment calls for our best.

The good news is that many of the solutions to these challenges have major benefits for our health and our prosperity. For example, when we make our homes and buildings more energy efficient, we lower utility bills and make housing more affordable. When we build homegrown, fuel-free renewables like solar, geothermal and storage, we cut heat-trapping emissions to safeguard our vital snowpack while also locking in stable energy prices that are not at the mercy of price swings.

When we use water conservatively, we keep more water in our rivers and the Great Salt Lake. When we modernize our electricity grid with new transmission lines and grid-enhancing technologies, we make our electricity system more resilient and flexible in the face of wildfires. And when we choose cleaner vehicles and develop more walkable and bikeable communities, we clean the air while saving families money at the pump. Prosperity and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.

‘Catastrophic’ fires mark one of the worst fire seasons in Utah history

As we look around, there is real momentum to build on. Business leaders and faith organizations are working together to get more water back into our Great Salt Lake. Utah communities are bringing more renewables online through a locally driven Community Clean Energy Program.

Utah just brought online one of the largest solar and battery storage facilities in the West in Emery County, and we are poised to lead the country in developing next-generation geothermal resources in Beaver County. These are examples of exactly the kind of innovation and pragmatism that makes Utah so special.

We are making great strides, but the simple truth is that we are not moving fast enough. We must do more to bring down emissions, conserve our water resources and prepare our communities for more wildfires and unpredictable weather. Our next chapter as a state and as a country will be defined by how we meet this moment. Now is the time to speed up and scale up what we know works. That is why we are renewing our pledge to keep climate, water and air quality at the forefront of our decisions and to champion solutions that protect not only our economy but the prosperity and well-being of our communities, our children, and our grandchildren.

The Great Salt Lake has a new quarterback

As the Climate and Clean Air Compact states, leadership on climate, air quality and the Great Salt Lake is not only a necessity, but also an opportunity to demonstrate that we have what it takes to solve these interrelated challenges. As we renew our pledge, we invite you to join us in tackling these challenges by joining the Climate and Clean Air Compact.

Let us act now, not later. Let us plan boldly, work together and move beyond partisanship to build a Utah that is stronger, healthier and more prosperous for this generation and for generations to come.

Over the past decade, there have been a variety of solutions proposed, but one thing is clear: Something needs to be done to mitigate transportation issues in the canyon so we can all continue responsibly recreating in the mountains while still protecting our environment.

Recently, UDOT narrowed the proposed solutions down to two, after decades of studies: Widening the road and incorporating more buses, or building a 3S gondola with a parking station at La Caille.

There is no silver bullet that can solve this issue that has plagued the canyon for decades. However, as a veteran of the ski industry and current president of Ski Utah, a 501(c)6 devoted to promoting the ski industry in Utah, I can say the discourse surrounding this project seems to be about the wrong idea. Many of the comments I’ve seen, fueled by misinformation and confusion, are debating whether we do something or nothing. Doing nothing is no longer a viable option.

The question is simple: Would you rather ride a bus or a 3S gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon? The answer is also simple: A bus is something you have to ride whereas a gondola is something you get to ride. From a user experience standpoint, a gondola is the obvious option.

The proposed option would make it easy for guests to park in a large parking garage at La Caille and be swiftly transported up the canyon via gondola cabins that arrive every 15 seconds. It will take approximately 31 minutes to arrive at Snowbird and 37 minutes to arrive at Alta — much faster than waiting in traffic up the canyon on a powder day.

Speaking as someone who grew up riding the bus every weekend from Foothill Drive to Solitude before I could drive, buses were a good solution back then, and UTA has continually done a great job working with all available resources. However, as a state, we have simply outgrown this option. While our calling card has always been “The Greatest Snow on Earth”, the other aspect Utah is known for is “The Greatest Access on Earth.” If that access goes away and we can no longer honestly say we have eight resorts within an hour of the airport, a good portion of our $1.7 billion ski industry, with 20,000-plus jobs and all the economic benefit Utah gleans from it, will disappear, too.

Access to backcountry terrain has also been a hotly debated topic throughout this discourse. We know that a significant portion of backcountry tours start from Alta and/or White Pine and would also be easily accessible via the 3S gondola.

The 3S gondola solution also is the clear choice from an environmental standpoint. The enhanced bus, with road widening, involves more asphalt, more concrete, more cars, more room for human error and more emissions. It also is still subject to closure due to avalanches or accidents.

The gondola, on the other hand, will reduce carbon emissions in the canyon by up to 56%. We cannot continue to rely solely on motor vehicles in Little Cottonwood Canyon and expect to preserve it for generations to come.

It is also important to clear up some misconceptions about the gondola itself. We’re not talking about your average gondola here. The proposed gondola is a 3S Doppelmayr Gondola straight out of the Jetsons: it will have seating for all passengers and accommodates 32-35 people. The 3S gondola is extremely speedy, operating at speeds up to 8.5 meters per second. Your average American gondola only goes about 5 meters per second. It will even have chargers for electronics. This gondola will simply be your first (comfortable, high tech) chair lift of the day.

The 3S gondola is a forward-thinking, long-term solution that helps preserve the canyon while removing cars from the road and emissions from the air. It also enables guests to enjoy its beauty in a new, safe and less invasive way. It provides an emergency access and exit route should a road closure occur.

Finally, the 3S gondola proposal doesn’t exist to simply benefit the ski resorts. That’s shallow thinking and an easy straw man. The ski resorts will continue to grow and thrive regardless of which solution is chosen. This decision is about the canyon and the visitor experience, not the ski resorts. The gondola option will preserve and protect Little Cottonwood Canyon. 

Nathan Rafferty is CEO of Ski Utah