Press desk of The Plant Institute Inc.
The Plant Institute Inc. is an active commentator on water policy, the Great Salt Lake, urban forestry, and landscape water reduction. This page is our press desk: how to reach a researcher, what we can speak to on the record, and how we source every figure we publish.
Water, canopy, and conservation in plain language.
Subjects we take questions on.
We answer press questions on the subjects below, with public-source citations for every figure we give.
Great Salt Lake, drought status, urban canopy, and Utah irrigation policy.
The Plant Institute Inc. actively researches and comments on water conservation across Utah. Journalists working on stories in these areas can reach us directly at info@plantinstitute.org for interviews, fact-checks, and citation-backed background. We will give a public-source citation for every number we provide, and we will say so plainly when we do not have data on a question.
One short email a month with the numbers that matter.
A short monthly email covering drought status, Great Salt Lake elevation, and conservation policy news, with a public source for each figure. Subscribe below to receive it.
Journalists on deadline: email info@plantinstitute.org for a same-day response where possible.
What we write about.
Our publishing focuses on the topics where Utah homeowners, HOAs, city staff, and journalists most often need a research-backed answer.
Great Salt Lake
Inflow status, watershed pressure, conservation policy, citizen-level levers.
Drought conditions
Seasonal status from Utah DWR and USGS, what it means for residential rate tiers.
Irrigation efficiency
Sprinkler optimization, smart-controller programming, ET scheduling, rebate availability.
Canopy science
Tree water use, structural pruning, urban forestry, the cost of mass canopy loss.
Urban heat
Surface temperatures, microclimate, the heat island effect, why landscape choices set local temperature.
Xeriscape myths
Why removal-first conversion underdelivers, and what alternatives outperform it on water and heat.
Working on a story?
Plant Institute Inc. researchers are available for interviews on Utah water conservation, the Great Salt Lake, canopy management, urban heat, irrigation efficiency, and municipal pilot programs. Public-source citations are provided alongside every quote.
info@plantinstitute.org
For interview requests, fact-check confirmation, and background material. We respond within one business day.
1 business day
We respond to legitimate press inquiries within one business day. Same-day for breaking-news context where possible.
Citations on request
We provide public-source citations for every figure quoted and will not give a number we can't source. See our public sources →
Why a nonprofit does this work.
The Plant Institute Inc. is a Utah nonprofit corporation and an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) public charity (EIN 92-3514746) based in Taylorsville. Our charitable mission is to reduce urban landscape water demand, improve plant health, and increase environmental resilience by connecting research with practical, field-tested solutions. We publish our methodology openly, provide water savings forecasts at no cost, and reinvest program revenue into research and free public education.
