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Show PAGE 12 THE ZEPHYRNOVEMBER 89 wilderness breaking down myths & the search for common ground by jim stiles There Is a place In southern Utah where the sweep of ones eyes across the horizon reveals a remarkable overview and at the same time an Intimate perspective of our great canyon country. To the north, Elephant Butte at Arches stands by Itself on a sea of red rock. Beyond it, the blue haze of the Book Cliffs shimmering In the sun. Due west from the forested ridge, the Needles of Canyonlands National Park poke holes In the sky and across the unseen river, I can spot the Land of ML Standing Rocks, the Orange Cliffs and In the distance, the Henry Mountains Ellen, Pennell, Hillers. Farther south, the upwarp of the Waterpocket Fold, and the Kaiparowits Plateau point a rocky finger at Navajo Mountain which is barely visible from my lookout point Its all there thousands of square miles of great sculptured canyons, eerie and pinacles spires, forested plateaus and craggy mountain peaks. It Is all part of Great the Wilderness of Southern Utah. the lands well-bei- ng. But I . dont believe they represent a majority of Americans who favor wilderness. groups before they can What has to be understood by we that Is dont have to utilize the like myself, understand people It exists Is Its greatest wilderness to appreciate Its value. The very fact that areas of I wilderness Alaska, but It doesnt the see never contribution. great may matter. They need to be there. N In the early I have a friend named Doug Treadway, who now lives In Colorado. 70s, Treadway was a seasonal ranger In foe Maze District of Canyonlands National Park. Doug knew foe Maze better than any man or woman alive. He walked every side-canyclimbed every crack, knew every nook and cranny In that sllckrock Jungle. But in 1976, his knees started to give out and when, one morning he decided to hike foe thirty miles from foe Dolls House to foe Hans Flat Ranger Station In one day (I never said Treadway was a genius), foe knees were shot Several operations helped ease foe pain, but his long hiking days were over. antl-wlldem- pro-wilder- ess ness . on, . There Is foaf word Wilderness. Someone once said that foe word Itself is it Is like a red flag, that generates passionate debate among Today those who both favor and oppose IL The concept of Wilderness no longer creates symphonies of sound. It has been politicized, bureaucratized, and vulgarized. For word. How can anything so lovely generate such some, It has become a four-lett- er ugly rhetoric, sometimes from both sides of foe aisle? Uke so many other battles, it is to a great extent the result of mutual Ignorance and fear. We dont understand each other. like music. support wilderness; I always have. As long as I can remember, foe Idea of setting aside parcels of land and just leaving them alone has appealed to me. It has always seemed like a savings account saving foe most beautiful land a of wilderness that remaining just three centuries ago stretched from coast to coast My motivation has nothing to do with "locking it up" for my own personal pleasure and private use.' I suppose there Is a group of people who do have that attitude. I call them recreationists -- - those who enjoy foe out of doors and foe physical challenge, but lack an environmental ethic or a sense of responsibility for I But did this lead Doug to a change of heart on foe subject of paved roads? Did he now want a monorail In Horse Canyon? Absolutely not He had his great days in the Maze, and it would never occur to him to pave It over, Just to give him another look. He still wants that same experience to exist for others who come later? Does that sound like a selfish act? The concept of wilderness is most troubling to many, because it is a radical departure from the traditional American ethic of work and utility We have been' taught to believe that everything has a utilitarian function and that If It cant be lUHJi DAVE city council A diverse background for a diverse community President - Canyonlands Wildlife Federation Director - Utah Wildlife Federation Past President - Chamber of Commerce (2 years) Chairman, Blue Ribbon Committee Past Chairman, Winter Activities Association Active participant in all economic activities; attending numerous seminars and conferences Organized and helped sponsor Winter Festival and Endurance Ride I ve spent the last two years, working for Moab's economy, because I believe in Moab's future. VOTE BIERSCHIED for continued leadership with a future for the future on November 7 j i |