Love and Protect Utah.

Utah is the most beautiful state in the country. Let’s keep it that way!

Our Mission is simple:

Build Love for Utah. Protect Utah.

The Utah Office of Tourism likes to brag that Mother Nature “played favorites” with Utah. It’s true. In fact, research by the Kem Gardner Policy Institute shows that the number one reason people move to Utah and then remain in our state is because of our access to unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities.

But, with the decline of programs like the Boy Scouts and increased traffic in Utah’s outdoors, we need to take action to protect our canyons, lakes, streams, and trails.

Love and Protect Utah raises awareness about Utah’s outdoors and encourages participation in projects to clean, nurture, and protect her.

What’s Happening to Utah?

Booming Outdoor Recreation

The outdoor recreation economy in Utah grew 27.3% from 2020 to 2021, according to the BEA Outdoor Recreation Satellite Account. This year’s report shows that outdoor recreation creates $6.1 billion in value-added for Utah, accounts for 2.7% of Utah GDP and includes 66,736 jobs, reads the statement. This boom is great for our economy but can be taxing on our enviorment
Increased Traffic at State and National Parks

Visitation to our State and National Parks has boomed in the last 5 years, making upkeep more difficult. The combined total number of visitors from all Utah state parks between July 2016 and June 2017 was 5.69 million. Between July 2021 and June 2022 the total number of visitors was 10.79 million, almost double. Utah’s most visited national park, Zion National Park, increased from 4.3 million visitors in 2016 to 5.1 million visitors in 2021.
Decreased Volunteer Efforts to Keep State Clean

As the number of visitors and recreational tourists has increased, the state has seen a dip in volunteer efforts that have helped us maintain our state in the past. One organization that has helped care for Utah’s canyons and parks in the past is the Boy Scouts of America. Participation in the Boy Scouts has plummeted throughout the State. For example, Great Salt Lake Council Boy Scouts decreased from 7,200 to 110 troops.
Littering is a Growing Concern

Without these volunteer efforts, UDOT reports that litter cleanup calls are up 28% over the past five years. In the past 2 years, over a dozen people have died from debris-related crashes on Utah roads. Litter cleanup costs about $2 million a year in tax payer dollars.