OCR Text |
Show naturalized "exotic" plants such as cheat grass and Russian Thistle? Is the Park Service going to wage a futile war against these and other plants that weren't present on this continent before Columbus arrived? The money wasted on this never ending Tamerisk eradication project could be better spent other ways, such as providing ranger-led tours of the canyon. That would allow the public to visit Jasper Canyon without creating negative impacts. But the Fun Police won’t stand for that since it would allow the public to actually enjoy their visit to the Park. rather than aid the public’s access to the Park. Most of the land in the proposed addition to the Park is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Much of it is under consideration for wilderness designation. Since the Park Service has rejected the concept that the public should be able to continue using existing jeep trails in the Park, it will undoubtedly close some of the existing jeep trails and manage more of the land as wilderness than is presently being proposed. This will allow the Fun Police to further the "backpackers only" vision that they are pursuing while making it more difficult for the public to visit the area. Park Expansion---the Fun Police want more land under their control And now the Park Service wants to expand Canyonlands National Park to “complete” it. One reason the Park Service is proposing the expansion is so the Fun Police can prevent the public from enjoying the area around the Park. And the more land that the Park Service controls, the more prestige the Park Superintendent has, along with a bigger budget and more office personnel. (The staff in the field is always too small while the office staff becomes more and more bloated. There is probably a "Law of Bureaucrats" that explains this phenomenon.) Since I moved to southeastern Utah in 1970, the Park Service has closed about half of the jeep trails in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. Undoubtedly more will be closed in the future. (Angel Arch, the Park’s most recognizable feature, now can only be visited by backpackers.) The Indian Creek area, east of the Needles District, became popular as an overflow camping area when the Park’s campground was full; now it is an alternative to the Park’s "backpackers only" orientation. So the Fun Police want to put a stop to people enjoying this area. The proposed expansion would include all of the Indian Creek corridor including Newspaper Rock as well as the Lockhart Basin/ Hurrah Pass area. Undoubtedly the Fun Police would limit camping and close most of the existing jeep trails. And where would those people now using the area go? The Fun Police don’t care as long Just say no T used to be a strong supporter of the National Park Service (I was even a seasonal Park Service employee in the 1970's); however, in recent years the bureaucracy at Canyonlands National Park has changed the visitor's experience from one of enjo' t to one of frustration and irritation. Because of this, a smaller Canyonlands National Park would be better than an expanded one. I would much rather see the Bureau of Land Management continue to manage the land around the existing Park and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area so that the public can continue to enjoy using it without dealing with all of the regulations dreamed up by the Fun Police. And the part of the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that is being managed by Canyonlands National Park should be managed by GCNRA which is much more "user friendly." The public should deny the Fun Police their dreams of nirvana and strongly opp of Canyonlands National Park. J f Owen Severance lives somewhere in San Juan County. Note: The Zephyr welcomes comments and rebuttals from the National Park Service. The re-routed trail to a Green River Overlook... What's wrong with this picture? as’they are forced out of the expanded Park. In the Maze District, the proposed expansion would not only include the part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area that Canyonlands National Park now manages, it would add all of the area between Horseshoe Canyon and GCNRA as well as all of the high ground west of the Maze District. This would prevent the public from enjoying the spectacular views of the area without standing on land controlled by the Park Service—-just what the Fun Police want. The proposed addition to the Island-in-the-Sky District is more modest if not more insidious. The Park Service wants control of the land on three sides of Dead Horse Point State Park. This would prevent the State Park from expanding and would make a takeover of the State Park feasible. Those Fun Police just can’t stand the idea that a State agency is doing a better job of serving the public than the National Park Service is doing. The other area that the Fun Police want to have more control over is the Green River. The proposed addition to the Park would add about 50 miles of the river to the Park. As it stands now, the take-out point at Mineral Canyon allows the public to take trips on a scenic part of the river upstream from the Park without having to deal with the The author and the object of his scorn: The expanded boundaries at Canyonlands N.P. E MAIL THE ZEPHYR (for cryin’ out loud) We didn’t finally go out and embrace technology for no damn reason at all. TALK TO US...THE E MAIL ADDRESS IS: zephyr@lasal.net <| bureaucracy established by the Fun Police. Obviously the Park Service feels that this is unacceptable and wants those who would enjoy a float trip on the Green River to also suffer the pain of having to pay to deal with a reservation system that is designed to hinder | Knave of Hearts MY CHILDREN HAVE TURNED ON ME! QO) I BAKERY 84 West 200 North (Just off Main St. west of the Bowen Motel) in Moab's historical red sandstone building. 259-4116 a fine European patisserie & cafe’ featuring: Espresso, Cappuccino, Caffe Trieste coffees, Danish, Croissants Light lunch & soups, Hand-rolled bagels, French breads, Rye breads, Whole grain breads, Cheesecakes, Fruit tarts, Daquoix, Poppyseed hazelnut torte, Death by Chocolate, Chocolate & mocha genoise cakes, Wedding cakes, Birthday cakes, Muffins & Scones. www.svn.net/camelid/knave oe com KNAVE ATTACKED BY CRAZED STICKY BUNS... |