Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
3w ago

Maverik, Miller and Marriott Pledge $30 Million to Great Salt Lake Rising

The donations signal a faster push that pairs private money with pending federal and state funding.

Image
Snow-capped mountains are pictured in the distance at the Great Salt Lake Rising event Monday, April 13, 2026, at the The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Wildlife Education Center in Farmington. At the event, the group announced significant philanthropic commitments to support the long-term health and sustainability of the Great Salt Lake. Leaders from Great Salt Lake Rising, the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation, Maverik, and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation were among those pledging their support.

Overview

  • Great Salt Lake Rising secured $30 million Monday as Maverik, the Larry H. Miller Foundation and the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation each pledged $10 million.
  • Created by Josh Romney, the coalition aims to raise $100 million from the private sector to turbocharge conservation projects and complement public programs.
  • The new gifts add to about $53 million in recent federal and state allocations and earlier $40 million in project funds, alongside a presidential request for $1 billion dedicated to lake work.
  • State and nonprofit experts say human water use drives most of the decline, so funding will target measures like buying water rights, upgrading farm irrigation and cutting outdoor watering at homes.
  • Officials report more than 53% of the lakebed is exposed and the lake needs roughly 800,000 acre-feet to exit “serious adverse effects,” while Utah expands dust monitoring to 23 stations with no current evidence of rising arsenic in nearby communities.