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Show make It difficult to reach any kind of compromise." .He said 'he often finds working on environmental : issues more frustrating than other Issues because "some environmentalists view the Issues only In black and white terms you're either ' pro-nvlronroent or antl -environment with no middle ground." . "It Is a sad thing in American politics that people Insist on taking such extreme positions whether It be right wing extremists or environmental extrem-lsts,"he extrem-lsts,"he said. "James Watt Is implementing imple-menting responsible environmental envir-onmental policies which will lead to a better balance between be-tween the need to develop our natural resources while protecting the environment. gQElffll Opilit G3. Soft After meeting with Sierra Club members, Senator Jake Gam (R-Utah) reiterated his "complete support" for James Watt and sharply criticized crit-icized the "Irresponsible campaign" environmentalists environmental-ists have mounted against the Interior Secretary. Members of the Utah chapter of the Sierra Club met with Gam to present him with petitions circulated in Utah calling for Watt's resignation. The senator accepted the petitions, but indicated that he "resents the way environmentalists envir-onmentalists have unfairly cornered Watt and distorted his image with behind -the -back tactics." He said he has always had a "high respect" for the Sierra Club and what it rep-resnts, rep-resnts, but has been "highly disappointed by the way it has attempted to smear a very decent, honest man before be-fore he has had an opportunity oppor-tunity to implement the Reagan Administration's policies." Garn said that Watt had only been In office one month when he was beseiged with criticism from "extreme environmentalists. "I consider myself an en vironmentalist too," Garn said. "I am very concerned about clean air, public lands, and other critical environ-! mental issues, but I strongly disapprove of the methods that some so-called environmentalists envir-onmentalists employ to accomplish ac-complish their goals." Garn said he agrees with much of what environmentalists environmental-ists want to accomplish, but "their" extreme positions |