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Show THE ZEPHYR MARCH 1995 protects the planet or opposition to measures that degrade it. Senate: Dole 0 Majority Leader-Bo- b Nutrition d and Forestry-RicharAgriculture, Lugar Resources-(Fran- k and Natural 0 Murkowski Energy k Hatfield 46 Appropriations-Mar(R-Ks- .): PAGE 17 Independent, complaining about the same BLM guidelines to which the Utah film commission agreed. Given that there has been an increase in film projects under the new guidelines (although no major film projects) it appears the Moab film commission is more concerned with justifying its funding than with any real problem. (R-Ak- ): (R-O- r.) I louse: Speaker of the I louse-Ne- Roberts Agriculture-ra- t Public Land and Appropriations-Bo- b Gingrich (R-Ks- .): Resources-Do-n Livingston (R-Ca- .): 0 4 Young (R-Ak- ): Believe it or Not The Department of the Interior just dropped the fee charged for grazing a cow on BLM land by 19. The fee, which was $1.98 par month, is now $1.61 or about five cents pier day per cow. Ranchers can now also graze 5 sheep for $1.61 par month or a little more than a panny a day. On the other hand, for humans: 0 :4 According to a poll commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation, American voters did not vote to roll back environmental protection in the last election. 41 fed current laws and regulations protecting the environment don't go far enough as opposed to 18 who believe they go too far. By 75 to 15 voters favored strengthening safe drinking laws. 63 to 28 say Congress should charge fair market fees for mining, logging and livestock grazing on public lands. 57 to 32, voters want strong requirements in the Endangered Species Act to be maintained. Kaiparowits Coal An da lex Resources, a Dutch company, long denied the enormous extent to which the company hoped to mine coal from the Kaiparowits Plateau in south central Utah, including proposed wilderness areas. The company was recently caught in the ruse, and submitted a second permit application for a new mine that would up the acreage the company hopas to mine from 10,000 to 25,000 acres (in a subsurface mining oparation). The mine would require numerous piortals and road construction and add heavily to truck traffic across southwestern Utah. The Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining has given the go signal to Andalex at a preliminary stage to the mining process, inadequately considering concerns about paleontological and archeological resources, and wildlife. The BLM is in the process of writing an E1S for the mine, and has acknowledged it must schedule a new round of pmblic hearings given the boost in the size of the mine. The Women League of Voters recently released a 30 page study which raises serious issues about the fiscal as well as human health and safety implications of the Andalex mine. Westwater day trip $3 (approximately 60 times more for humans than cows- - although humans must bring their own food and carry out their waste). Grand Gulch day hiking trip. $5 (approximately 100 times more for humans than h be not graze in Grand Gulch). cows do it should added cows-althoug- Hatch Point Campsite..- .56 pier night (approximately 120 times more for a human sleep over than far a cow, though humans do get a picnic table). Note From Groene: I've moved to lovely Cedar City to open a new SUWA office. Thanks to all of those both inside and outside the agencies who have written the letters, pxassed on internal documents, published this papier, trompied the allotments, run the ads, attended the meetings, spoke out at the hearings, posted the alerts, telephoned the lists, commented on EAs and generally kept southern Utah in one piece over the piast few years. I will miss you. To the spineless bureaucrats who ignore the laws and would allow our wild places to be drilled, bladaj, looted, overgrazed, piaved, and dammed, my parting gift is Ken Rait, who now will be covering southeastern Utah issues for SUWA. Ken will also join me in this column in future Zephyr editions. I am confident readers will find Ken to be nastier to the federal agencies and less kind to household p?ets than myself. Which given recent agency decisions on Canyonlands National Park and the race is probably a good thing for the land, though unfair for Stile's backyard cats. Eoo-Qiallen- Scott Groene is a staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Safe From Helicopters A Little Longer The previous Grand County Commission restricted soenic helicopter flight operations to the airport north of town in response to public concern for safety and welfare. A proposal then came to San Juan County for the location of a helicopter pud in Spanish Valley just over the Grand County line. San Juan County deferred to the Grand County commissioners lor advice, who then considered the issue in January. A large Moab contingent opposed to the pad turned up, and the new county commission went on record opposing the pud. On a less pxisitive note, the crowd was also treated to the new commissioners caving in to developer Randy Day's scheme for construction on the bluffs above Moab. It was clear the commissioners did not understand the extent of the new development, as the proponent kept changing his story. Commissioner Bill I ledden was the lone representative for the public interest on the issue as he triid to piin the developer down on what the project would entail and the burdens which would be placed on dty utilities. Bill noted that Day was acting like an "eeL" New Leadership with New, if Odd, Ideas. Utah Representative Jim 1 lansen celebrated his new role as chair for the U.S. Subcommittee which oversees National Parks by declaring we have too many (he has since reversed himself on this position when it proved unpopular). Hansen then attacked the Endangered Species Act by declaring that there was no need to protect the endangered Colorado River squawfish because it is exactly the same as the squawfish in the Columbia River basin. A January 30 Salt Lake Tribune artide rebutted that every biologist contacted agreed the rivers hold different spiedes. Bill Snapic, legal director at the Defenders of Wildlife added The guy has zero understanding . .. In statement after statement he shows his ignorance. 1 lansen also advocates returning public lands to the State of Utah for development. This includes BLM land and possibly National Forests. Hansen stated that Utah could provide better management, ignoring die State of Utah's bleak history with school trust lands it already owns. The Dixie National Forest Cutters The Aquarius ITateau hunkers high above the Escalante canyons in south central Utah. The U.S. Forest Service threatens the area's beauty by selling off the Forest to timber companies. In the latest round, the agency prepared a draft environmental impact statement for a 15,000 plus acre cut of Engleman spruce, fir, and aspen. The Escalante Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest would allow the logging in roadless areas at elevations between 10,000 and 11,030 feet where forest regeneration is uncertain. Expect a fight. sub-alpin- e Critter Killers and the BLM This pust fall the Bureau of Land Management entered an agreement with the Department of Agriculture's Animal and riant Health Inspection Service regarding animal damage control activities on public lands. In less euphemistic terms, this means BLM was trying to shuck off responsibilities for overseeing federal piredator control agents killing bears, cougars and coyotes to make public lands safe for domestic cattle and sheep. The U.S. Rsh and Wildlife Service responded by raising concerns that BLM should not give up decision making authority to An IIS. The U5FWS stated that piredator killing should be part of BLM's management of public lands, and that BLM's should not abrogate its duties to protect public lands, especially given obligations placed by the Endangered Spvdcs Act. Film Rules Arc Here The BLM issued proposed rules for filming on public lands in early February and comments will be accepted until approximately April 10. BLM originally released draft rules In November of 199a These rules include provisions exempting most professional still photographers from needing a permit, a most rational stipulation. They retain the current system of expediting permits for minimum impact film and commercial shots, while allowing public comment on major productions. The proposed rules track current BLM film guidelines which resulted from an agreement readied by the film industry (induding the Utah Film Commission) and environmentalists (induding SUWA). The rules strike a compromise which allows for both environmental protection and a healthy film industry. The proposed rules also raise fines for film maker misconduct, which is badly needed- - City Slicker 11 film makers were hit with a whopping $100 fine for illegally blading a road on public land near Indian Creek. The new fine schedule should provide a greater incentive to follow the rules. The Moab Film commission regularly issues press releases, printed in the Moab Times SUWA ORGANIZING UTAH WILDERNESS ADVOCATES Earlier this month, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance commenced a program to educate and organize wilderness advocates across the state. Following on the heels of a successful door to door campaign along the Wasatch Front, SUWA has shifted its efforts to southern Utah. This organizing effort is to provide public education and awareness, and to organize wilderness advocates for upcoming public hearings on BLM wild lands. As a founding member of the Utah Wilderness Coalition (UWQ, SUWA continues to actively work for passage of HR 1500, America's Red Rock Wilderness Act, the bill pending in Congress to designate qualifying wildlands in the state as wilderness. SUWA, along with the 35 other member organizations of the UWC, is proposing wilderness designation for 5.7 million acres of BLM lands in Utah. On January 7th, Governor Mike Leavitt, together with Utah's congressional delegation, announced a process to solicit public input and put together a bipartisan bill largely designed by local interests. This process will not include having the BLM its lands and will probably result in a minimalistic wilderness proposal while artificially inflating the acreage with far less protective designations. However, it will be a forum for the general public to have an opportunity to speak. To keep the process local each individual county will hold public hearings addressing BLM lands within the county. The counties have been asked to hold at least one hearing from February 5th through April 1st. After receiving public input, each county government will develop a recommendation far wilderness. From April 9th through April 23rd, five regional public meetings will be conducted by the delegation. These meetings are scheduled to be held in rrioeCastle Dale, MoabMonticdlo, Cedar City, Richfield, and Salt Lake Gty. These meetings will be the foundation for a Utah delegation bill which will be introduced in Congress by June 1st Congressional field hearings will commence after the bill is introduced. As expected, die process for public hearings is moving quickly. Grand County has scheduled February 27th at the Gvic Center in Moab at 7:00 pro for its hearing San Juan County has moved even quicker scheduling its hearing February 16th at San Juan I ligh School in Blanding at 7:00 pro. During this process, SUWA will serve as a coordinator for wilderness advocates. Through both letter writing and speaking at hearings, it is SUWA's goal to organize a voice for all qualifying BLM will lands. Groups associated with spxdfic wild lands are forming now. Their purpose is to include qualifying BLM wild lands in each county recommendation. To add your name with others working for inclusion of specific wiki areas contact Dave Pacheco in SUWA's Moab office at 259-544- 0. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance U'l SouihlMtlhrii Sh e! will I Like l'rt I uh Ml US 2413 want io join the Southern I'tah Wilderness Alliance Hon: is nn annual dues payment loi which i he iuiiicil newsletter and periodic action or le tiled bulletins iccene 1 |