Show 74 percent of Utah Seventy-four Seventy percent of the land area of the State of Utah is owned by the federal federal federal fed fed- eral government This fact which most of us are aware of is nevertheless astonishing astonishing astonishing aston aston- when put down in black and white This fact has brought attempts to create state parks in outlying Utah areas almost to a standstill as present laws make it almose impossible for the federal government to turn over a large amount of Df land to a state Better than half the federal land is under the supervision of the Bureau of Land Management which has no funds or authority to develop recreational or park facilities facUlties Sites in this area have been seriously considered as state parks but which fall fail under the land federal-land label are Dead Horse Point Goblin Valley Grand Gulch and Utah's Monument Monument Monument ment Valley and Fisher Towers Officials of the state park commission have been trying to work out a plan where- where by the state can tak take j over and develop these areas In line Une with this Rep H. H A. A Dixon has said that he is Ja pushing a bill bUl which will wUl allow the federal government to release these areas to our state com com- mission Under present the state park commission is handicapped by lack of funds as well as lack of land Jand but in its second year the activities of the agency have pointed out that substantial appropriations appropriations for development of scenic and recreational Utah spots would undoubtedly undoubted undoubted- ly be made by the legislature In the meantime many areas that should be under supervision of some agency agency agency agen agen- cy for protection as well as development arc are being hurt by people who have no consideration for history geology or beauty If steps are arc not taken immediately lately many will lose their value as state park sites should band together to aidin aid aidin aidin in the proposal that Would allow the federal federal federal fed fed- eral government to turn over certain lands to authorized state agencies for development development de de- development de- de and protection |