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Show WASATCH COUNTY COURIER MAY 2, 2001 laonl "State Fights hts Feds to Keep Wasatch Forests Open Suit seeks to rollback Clinton’s roadless roads roads an@ logging across 58 million acres of federally owned land, including nearly half of the 8.18 mil- announced the suit against the U.S. Forest Service for closing four million Despite hundreds of public hear- acres in Utah to logging and new road construction. Utah is the third ings across the country and well over --Western state to file such a lawsuit against a Clinton-era regulation known as the roadless rule. Fifteen days before his term state of Utah alleges that the Forest Service failed to follow proper procedures, Assistant Attorney General ended in January, President Clinton signed the rule into law that effec- interview last week. In particular, the Forest Service tively failed to “give the public an idea what bans construction of new a million letters from the public, the Stephan Boyden told the Courier in an ‘Mormons Reject Bush Plan For Charitable Choice © j SALT LAKE Mormon church conservative’s CITY (AP)-The is a compassionate dream: a devout com- ‘munity that promotes clean living, self reliance and responsibility. It runs one of the tightest ships in the charity business, funneling mil- lions of dollars’ worth of goods and services to the needy worldwide, with _very low overhead. . But the church has said no to President Bush’s offer to channel government funds through religious char- _ ities, a plan facing a tough ride in. Congress as hearings began last week. “We’re neutral. That’s not saying we think it’s wrong for every organization, but we just don’t need it,” said Dale Bills, a spokesman for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church can afford such a stance. With millions of dollars pour- © ing into its treasury from the faithful, it doesn’t need Uncle Sam’s money and it doesn’t want to have to change its. structure in any way. “There’s nothing the government : can provide that the church. doesn’t already have,” said Garth Mangum, economics professor emeritus at the University of Utah and author of the book, Poverty.” “The _ Mormons’ War on | There’s another reason others have given for rejecting the offer: the accountability to and dependence on the government in exchange for the money. “The church doesn’t want the government telling it how to do what the church sees as the church’s job,” Mangum said. | Charitable choice was first adopted in 1996 with the goal of opening up government programs to religious — groups without forcing them to form secular spin-off organizations. It is already law for federal welfare, drug treatment and community service programs and Bush wants to expand it to social service programs across government. But he’s met oppo- sition from both religious and secular groups who say the plan won’t work. Critics worry about government infringement on church freedoms and government funding of religious groups outside the mainstream, such as the Church of Scientology and the Nation of Islam. The plan would also allow religious groups to continue making hiring decisions based on reli- . gion, an exemption from anti-discrimination laws. CHARLESTON 654-7177 Charleston Town Hall th For its part, the Bush sdinifistte. 3 tion agrees that government funding isn’t right for every religious charity. “Faith leaders, organizations, and communities that perceive the slope as secularizing and slippery ought simply to opt out,” said John Dilulio, who directs the new White House Office of Faith-Based and Comtnuty Initiatives. Mormon welfare services are funded by donations from the church’s 12 million members, who fast one day each month and donate the money they would have spent on food that day. Members are also required to pay 10 percent of their income in tithing. The church has always emphasized self-sufficiency. In the 19th century, members set up mutual aid systems to help one another make the trek across the plains and through the mountains to Utah. Once settled in the West, Mormons set up community farms and storehouses. Congregational leaders, called bishops, determine recipients’ needs, helped by members who provide child care, rides to work, employment assistance or food and clothing donations, Bills said. Recipients are expected to contribute to the system as. they get help. Many volunteers working at the canneries and distribution centers are welfare recipients who work to repay the charity. | - “We try to help people gain self‘reliance so they, in turn, can help someone else,” said Kent Hinckley, director of Bishops Storehouse servic- es. “We didn’t want a dole system. That would be detrimental to the people who receive. It doesn’t help them to improve themselves.” “3654-32270 | On April 21, Gov. Mike Leavitt and Attorney General Mark Shurtleff proposal was adopted t tions all along the Wasatch Back. os peepee implica- al with actions with environmet- tal consequences and to from log“The federal roadless forests gather public comment. ging. But the Boyden alleges that president’s critics the Forest Service had charged that the already decided on a with almost complete regulation creatcourse of action before ed de-facto wildertaking public comment. disregard for the law,” ness areas. The The roadless rule timber industry also changes the role of said it discourGOV. MIKE LEAVITT the agency from active to aged proper forpassive forest manageest management ment and compromises fire cael he and increased fire risk. added. 3 Alaska and Idaho sued the Forest The state’s action may soon Service earlier this year, with Colorado joining the Idaho lawsuit. become moot, however. The Washington Post reported last week Other Western states are reportedly that the Bush Administration has considering similar suits. The lawsuit effects eight other asked the Justice Department to find ways of scuttling the rule. Utah counties besides Wasatch, The paper reported that the “highincluding Beaver, Carbon, Sanpete, ranking White House policy officials San Juan, Sevier, Uintah and Wayne. The Utah suit is the second instructed Justice Department lawyers against the federal government with to find a way to set aside the regulation implications in Wasatch County. In until the administration can produce January, Wasatch joined other Utah either a less restrictive proposal or counties and the state in suing the goveliminate the rule entirely.” Boyden said the administration - ernment over the ownership of thousands of miles of secondary. roads on has until May 4 to file a brief in the public land. Idaho lawsuit stipulating whether it intends to support the regulation. Email: tim@wasatchcountycouner.com When Clinton signed the regula- | government against the in ' redial a lawsuit acres of national forest land Utah. “The federal Woadiecs Grapocal : was adopted with almost complete dis' regard for the law,” said Leavitt at the - press conference. “Many Utah roads are vital to forest management, as well as the economy.” ~ The lawsuit would ask a federal judge to overturn the regulation. of the best, most far-reaching of his — — environmental initiatives. The regulation protects more than a quarter of the nation’s ato -eled lion tion environmentalists hailed it as one : he state of Utah recently lev- was going to happen,” said Boyden. The National -Environmental Policy. Act (NEPA) requires the federal government to inform the public of any a COURIER STAFF arr “TIM WESTBY |