Salt Lake City mayoral candidate Jenny Wilson celebrated Earth Day by launching several environmental initiatives she says she will accomplish if elected.

The current Salt Lake County councilwoman plans on expanding the city's solar, wind and green-building incentive program. She said she also wants to increase recycling education efforts and expand recycling programs for businesses.

"We can have a great impact for change regionally by working with other cities and counties to improve our air and our environment," Wilson said. "This will be a priority in my administration."

Wilson said she will also take steps to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

Earlier this month, Wilson pitched the idea to start a new subcommittee of the Salt Lake County Council of Governments to identify the sources of the Salt Lake Valley's air-quality problem and devise a plan to fix it.

Wilson is one of eight candidates seeking Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson's job. Anderson is not seeking re-election.

The remaining field includes House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake; City Councilman Dave Buhler; former City Councilman Keith Christensen; schoolteacher Robert Comstock; colorectal surgeon J.P. Hughes; Centro Civico Mexicano director John Renteria; and City Councilwoman Nancy Saxton.

The field of candidates will be narrowed to two in a Sept. 11 primary. Two candidates have already dropped out.

Former state Democratic Party chairwoman Meghan Holbrook ended her campaign earlier this month after Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. appointed her to the state's Transportation Commission. The other former candidate, political unknown Arnold Matthew Jones, previously had a campaign fund-raising committee filed with the city, but he has since closed that committee. The Deseret Morning News has been unable to contact Jones.

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E-mail: ldethman@desnews.com