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Show PAGE 14 THE ZEPHYRJUNE 89 oweir easy by john sensenbrenner Everyone says that the small towns of Southeast Utah should be developed so that people can use them as a destination from which to venture out Into the canyons. Suppose we develop a few roads to facilitate such excursions for our hoped-f- or guests? Enter Wilderness advocates: What a wonderful Idea, Wilderness. Its too bad that the early pioneers didnt foresee what a difficult problem wed have now In wrestling with the few remaining sections of open land. But they ddnL Ideas were different then and Its easy to Imagine how they thought that the apparently Hmltless wilderness would never be exhausted. Then bit by bit over 200 years the land was "tamed and we now find ourselves dealing with the problem of preserving some of the little thats left. At this point we have protected large expanses of land as Wilderness for ourselves and future generations. Suppose traffic Is now reduced In those areas and consequently Increased In the remaining unrestricted multiple-u- se areas. Suppose we Improve the access roads leading to all areas, Including Wilderness areas, so that we, and the future generations were protecting them for, can get to them easily not all of us want to prove our hearts are pure by taking the most difficult route to get there. Then were accused of causing damage to the Wilderness areas, endangering the wilderness qualities by Improving roads near but external to the protected areas. For many years there was a fight to get Wilderness through Congress and on the map. But the tables are now turned. Since there Is now so much land for purposes protected land, we are trying to salvage some multi-u- se other than a "wilderness experience. There are very few who oppose having any Wilderness at all, but most of us are Wilderness proponents. . Were glad so much has been protected. If someone favors even the smallest amount of Wilderness he Is a Wilderness proponent Theres almost no one Ive met who doesnt harbor some concern for the state of the environment Its frequently a matter of degree, Ive noticed, directly related to one's Income and the amount of ones Idle time. There Is Dttle or no concern with large environmental Issues when one Is In main street broiler 606 so. main 259-590- 8 espresso, pasta salads lunch specials gourmet burgers vegie sandwiches moabs most eclectic selection of music jim morrison, glenn miller, with carl rappe th trenches struggling for the means to make the next rent payment, or when faced with the prospect of freezing; we would hardly expect a person to worry about the environmental effects of burning a few rubber fires. Remember labor unions? How they emerged at a time when abuses were real and restored dignity to workers, assured fair compensations for their efforts. Then, when these problems had been corrected, the unions became an to contrive "abuses Industry of Itself, an Industry that had to continue And they pushed so hard that that needed their attention. So they pushed. In many cases, the railroads for example, they crippled the goose that laid the golden Jobs and the beneficiaries of their attentions ended up' out of work altogether. So it would seem that those most Interested In the condition of the environment are either those most comfortable and with the least worry about fundamental security, or those who, like union officials, are on the payroll of Wilderness organizations, collecting a livelihood from the profession of furthering the Wilderness movement, like a tick on a dog, siphoning off Just enough for a fat living but not enough to weaken the dog. Having accomplished much In reserving Wilderness, the movement, not wanting to disband, must continue to Identify problems. Unfortunately, many of these comfortable Individuals have appointed themselves expert spokespersons for those who they condescendingly regard as the unenlightened masses, who as such should have no voice In the proceedings. . I think this attitude of superiority Is the primary element that puts me solidly In the cap of those who support only a small amount of Wilderness. I know that It Is Illogical to say that my opposition to large masses of Wilderness Is a reaction not to the' proposal Itself but to the attitude of Wilderness "types who turn me off with their aggressive, better-than-th- ou presentation (which Im sure they feel Is the only way to cut Into stubborn Nevertheless, I associate Wilderness with them, and I dont opposition). Dke their pitch or their methods. These same people are doing much to muddy the waters around Moab, deliberately confusing us by complicating what should be a simple matter, contriving "problems Just for the sake of making problems, claiming that "Wilderness qualities are endangered by developing the areas outside the Seems like almost everything endangers Wilderness Wilderness areas. qualities. We see schemes of selfish preservationists to Impose buffer zones around the lands that were set aside to themselves be protected buffers. And there's the Integral vista concept, the most absurd proposal of them ad, a A What next? sneaky measure that would extend protection to Infinity. Then of buffer zone around the Integral vista? course Integral vista would apply to the new buffer zone. The Wilderness Issue Is running by Itself on the high track, while on a lower and slower track the destiny of Moab Is stuttering along, never clear whether the engine Is leading or the caboose. We are cunningly engineered Into believing that all of the Canyonlands Is Wilderness, and made to feel guilty about thoughts of road building. On the one hand there are those who would like to keep Moab as remotepristlne as. possible opposing every possible development. In the area about the town that might be effected to enhance the Canyonlands and . , ; . |