( i i 1 i " - j. tv , 'zy- ' ... . J r t 1 A late spring snow storm last Thursday morning in Red Canyon caused several cars to run off the road and also was the cause of this accident around 10 a.m approximately 9 miles east of Panguitch. Dorian Johnson, 50, of Henrieville, driving a 1996 Ford pickup started sliding sideways on the slick roads when he entered Red Canyon and Challenging BLM Reinventory Ranchers Conducting Their Own Survey Of Wilderness Study Areas ESCALANTEBOULDER Local residents who claim their rights have been illegally impacted by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt's Bab-bitt's mandated reinventory of Wilderness Wil-derness Study Areas are fighting back. Members of "People For the USA" who are challenging the Bureau Bur-eau of Land Management's Wilderness Wilder-ness Study Area Reinventory were elated this week to learn that the time period to respond to the rein-ventorv rein-ventorv has been extended Thev had asked for a 120-day extension to the May 19 original deadline for comments and on Friday learned that the BLM has added a month, extending the deadline for public comment to June 21. People For the USA have vowed to seek a comment period commensurate with the length of time it took BLM teams to conduct their study. Of immediate concern to the two PFUSA chapters in Escalante and Boulder and a third in Tropic is the new reinventory study presented by the BLM at an open house in Escalante on Apr. 23. Local people are challenging the reinventory, saying that a brief review of the WSA's shows that most do not meet the criteria of wilderness as defined in the Wilderness Wilder-ness Act. They had protested that the reinventory is not accurate, and impacted with a 1983 Ford Van driven by Rex Whitaker, 50, of Huntsville, Utah. Both were wearing seatbelts, including Johnson's son Seth, 26, who had minor injuries and was transported to Garfield Memorial Hospital, along with the others. No citations were issued by investigating officer, Highway Patrol Trooper Gaylen Moore. that sufficient material and detail maps were not available for review in the Escalante BLM office by all of the citizens before the original May 19 deadline for public comment. com-ment. Ranchers familiar with the lands now designated for Wilderness Study have united and organized under People For the USA to document the inaccuracies in the BLM area reinventories. Myron (See SURVEY on page 3-A) I f f , v9' . . 1 f . jJ,Y- - ; 1 I s v, .v.. - . . j I -. - '-. r '-v . - ,v- " v.;V-.:.r. - - i :... ' . V,. . ,. - 'V.-; ' - ' ' - w, L,':--,--"L-.' ' 4 - - , :: "$ Gary Gledhill.Coughkn Construction, St. George, and Tacho Munoz and Albert Rubio, have been SURVEY From Front Page Carter, Escalante, has volunteered to lead the grazing permittees in the Escalante region. He is being assisted by Rick Howell, Rick Crawford, Bartt Carter and many concerned ranchers. The group of ranchers is working work-ing from BLM maps and reports and are documenting maintained roads, fences, gates, tanks, and improvements that are not listed in the government agency's files. Ranchers are photographing blocked access and collecting affidavits from citizens who can attest to the dates that rangeland roads were established estab-lished and road maintenance prior to 1976. Despite the pressures of the season sea-son on ranchers who are in the midst of gathering, branding and working their cattle, they have responded to what they perceive as a death threat to their way of life and their livelihood. According to researcher Bill Cox, Boulder, there are 147 livestock live-stock permittees, 510 water claims, 1,290 mineral claims, and many RS2477 county roadways on the WSA's. Cox says the BLM failed replacing the water line in Escalante, updating the line from a four inch pipe to an eight inch. to include anyone representing those groups on the reinventory study team. Residents from two communities commun-ities had organized chapters of PFUSA in Boulder on Apr. 20 and in Escalante on Apr. 21. The groups are committed to uphold the U.S. Constitution and their rights as citizens by becoming organized and informed about political issues and working to resolve problems through established and legal avenues. ave-nues. More than 100 local residents listened as Sylvia Allen, field director for PFUSA, reminded them that "protecting individual rights is what the United States Constitution is all about." Allen reviewed the cycle of history that continually repeats itself: those in bondage rebel in war to bring freedom which produces abundance that in turn breeds selfishness, causing the citizenry to lapse into apathy that once again opens the way to bondage, completing the cycle. "This nation is not only wealthy because of its natural resources, it is great because of its people." She told them, "People get the government they deserve." She urged the community to establish working relationships with elected officials, wake up patriotism, be willing to work, share ideas, and devote time to promote beneficial change. Attendees at the Escalante PFUSA organizing meeting began with a rousing rendition of the Star Spangled Banner, the Pledge of Allegiance, and prayer to demonstrate demon-strate their unity and their patriotism. patrio-tism. The Escalante chapter elected Rick Crawford president, Myron Carter vice president, Marlene Haws secretary, and Sherry Bacon treasurer. trea-surer. The Boulder group elected Jeanne Harshman president, Larry Ripplinger vice president, and Kay Ripplinger secretary-treasurer. Lowell Low-ell Mecham serves as president in Tropic. All three chapters of PFUSA are seeking volunteers to assist with the collection of rebuttal documentation. documen-tation. Anyone wanting to help can contact Myron Carter in Escalante (826-4608); Karl Roundy in Boulder (335-7369); or Reed LeFevre in Tropic (679-8637) Jeanne Harshman is conducting a citizens' write-in campaign to contact the BLM and elected officials offi-cials requesting a longer extension of the comment deadline and protesting pro-testing the lack of adequate information. informa-tion. She may be reached at 435-335-7348.