Governor Cox at the Cedar City Rotary meeting in May. Photo: Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Gov. Spencer J. Cox held his monthly news conference today.

He started by stating that 98% of Utah is in extreme or exceptional drought. Reservoir levels in the state are at an average of 58% of normal levels.

The governor noted that Utahns should prioritize trees over lawns at home when watering- and to only do so in the morning or evening. Any further watering restrictions would be implemented at the local water district level.

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He said lawmakers are looking at incentivizing changes for agriculture across the state. That includes better technology for water crops- which would result in more efficient use.

Cox continued to urge residents to forgo using personal fireworks, especially as Pioneer Day approaches. Advocacy seems to be working. Last week, there were 35 total wildfires in the state- the same week in 2020 there were 63.

The conversation then turned to COVID-19 and the state’s vaccination efforts as the number of covid cases in Utah continues to rise. He reported 693 new cases.

“We need more people to get vaccinated,” Cox said. “The disease is far worse than the vaccine.”

There are 241 people currently in Utah hospitals diagnosed with COVID-19. That is an increase, as one month ago there were 161 people hospitalized. He said vaccination rates are moving in a positive direction. 29.8% of kids age 12-15 are vaccinated- which is roughly 63,000 young Utahns.

When pressed about ongoing inflation coming out of the pandemic- Cox said there will be a consideration of tax relief in the upcoming legislative session. “There will always be a gap between consumer demand and production-which will lead to inflation.”

Regarding the Utah Department of Transportation’s public comment period on the construction choices for Little Cottonwood Canyon, Cox said “I’m keeping a very open mind.”

“They should have skin in the game- they want to,” he said referring to the ski resorts Alta and Snowbird that would benefit from the gondola option.

At the end of the press conference, the conversation turned to Utah’s growth and its ability to keep up with it. Cox said he was a proponent of pulling back on incentives to get businesses to come to the state- rather lawmakers should focus on developing the state economically.

He said growth is “only a terrible thing if the infrastructure isn’t in place.” He highlighted the importance of projects like the one in Little Cottonwood Canyon.