In times past, the label “environmentalist” was not a compliment in Tooele County. It conjured up images of someone out of touch with the real-world concerns of working people — a dangerous idealist who was willing to put the welfare of a sage grouse, for example, above that of a person.

Nowadays, however, it’s hard to find any rational Tooele County citizen who isn’t concerned about environmental protection. Ranchers worry about invasive plants choking out native grasses, and desertification due to aquifers being siphoned off elsewhere. Economic development specialists monitor toxic releases and focus on recruiting clean industries to the county. And commuters look at the Wasatch Front’s wintertime skies with dread, hoping the Tooele Valley’s air quality never deteriorates so far.

The point is, environmental issues are now seen as quality-of-life issues — and we can all relate to those.

Much of the key to protecting our local environment will be avoiding the mistakes that have befallen other growing communities. To that end, we have to applaud two recent pieces of good environmental news locally.

First, our summertime air quality remains relatively good. The Tooele Valley exceeded EPA ozone limits only once this summer, compared to 11 high-smog days along the Wasatch Front. Thanks to a relatively new air quality monitoring station and the efforts of local health officials, we can continue to monitor our air quality and hopefully take action while we still have blue skies overhead.

Second, Tooele City has added 101 acres of open space in the city’s southeast corner in an ongoing bid to ensure hillside views don’t become sacrificed for residential housing. That effort, spearheaded initially by the foresightful efforts of Tooele City Attorney Roger Baker, has become a priority of Mayor Patrick Dunlavy’s administration. But the initiative should continue no matter who’s in charge at City Hall. Open space, like air quality, is an asset of immeasurable value to a community.

There are certainly environmental problems in Tooele County that still require solutions. Despite those challenges, however, it’s nice to see that we are focused on not repeating some of the mistakes that have plagued the Wasatch Front. When it comes to protecting the environment, an ounce of prevention now, while our population remains relatively low, is worth a pound of cure down the road.