Show University Journalist Regards Moab Residents I As Being Guardedly Enthusiastic About Park Ed Note In October the Senior journalism class clatt I of the te University of Utah spent three days In the Moab area researching the establishment of Canyon lands national park Tho The following article written shortly after the visit here I Is the result of one writers writer's research effort while in In I Moab By Randall Larson Moab doorstep to the nas nations nation's na lions tion's newest national park fabulous and the city most likely to play I host to park visitors and to i prosper from tourism generated generated gener gener- In ln the area Is keeping keepin Its enthusiasm for the new park well welt under control There was no dancing In Moab's streets Sept 12 when President Johnson signed the hill bill which set aside the acres which lies Ues west and south of the city and which centers on the confluence of the Green and Colorado ri rivers ri- ri vers What Is like Uke and what Is Moab's response to the new park These are the questions our task force of student journalists sought to answer as we moved Into the area for a first hand three-day three look What Can Can- Is like Uke will wm be the i subject for another story This report Is on Moab The secrets of Itself will never be revealed by any three day junket of journalists The fantastic frenzy henzy of canyons coves mesas mesas me sas domes arches tiered cliffs cUffs and river gorges will still have untouched unexplored unexplored un un- explored and unobserved beauties beauties' be be- autie for another hundred years but Moab citizens kept no secrets They responded I willingly to questions about their city and the new park parle Moab residents It seems seem I had been fighting for park status for the area for three years ears or more yet when It came somewhat unexpectedly unexpectedly edly during the rush of the recent session of the Congress they received the news with emotional re reo The reason Moab and Grand county residents hoped for a special status for their park a national park parle with witha a n provision for multiple use Ie I.e. continued development of 01 the areas area's grazing hunting and und mineral resources When the Congress decreed that would be a apure apure apure pure park with no mining no grazing and no hunting the disappointment was not hidden Of course the conflict between between between be be- tween the conservation group people who plump for purity purity purity pur ity In their parks and the business and owning land-owning Interests interests In in- who resist the Idea of locking up valuable resources ces Is as old as the National Park Service Itself But the controversy requires requires requires re re- re- re quires a little understanding and can best be explained in terms of Moab's three three- so- so I I called booms M l Moab's o 0 a b s first economic boom like Uke that of most of Utah came with cattle and livestock It was the bread and butter and any threat to grazing rights is traditionally traditionally tradition tradition- ally seen as a threat to the regions region's economy Moab's second boom came in the early when It became the hub of the nations nation's nations nation's nations nation's na na- na- na tion's uranium prospecting and refining industry Although Al AI though the market marlet for uranIum uranium uranium uran uran- ium limited to the U. U S. S government Is tapering off and Moab has lost population lation In the last five years the lush years are ate well re and hopes are still high that uranium may yet become and remain the areas area's areas area's areas area's ar ar- ea's most Important industry Thus the natives are reluctant reluctant reluctant tant to see a quarter of a million mil lion Hon acres of potential uranIum uranium uranium uran uran- ium country closed to the prospectors prospector's geiger gelger counter The third reason for Moab's cool reception of the national nation nation- al park lies In what is being being being be be- ing referred to as the city's next boom The Texas Gulf Sulphur Company Is developing developing develop develop- ing a huge potash mining industry in industry industry in- in some 20 miles down the Colorado river from Moab Moat i Already the industry has employed employed em em- plo plo-ed persons and the possibilities for shipping vast of the mineral to a n I starved fertilizer nation Is ls a n I yeasty Idea to Moab townspeople towns towns- people In any case the development development development de de- de- de by Texas Gulf underlines un un- the possibilities inthe in ln inthe the area for lor new mining opportunities op and suggests a danger In locking up Inthe in inthe inthe the new park some valuable minerals William McCormick president dent of Moab National Ban Bank Bankas Ie as well as of ranching and mining operations in Southeastern Southeastern Southeastern South South- eastern Utah is not excited about the park In our Interview interview Inter inter- view about the park parle and Moab's economy he was in inclined In to shift the subject The people of 01 Moab are In Infine infine infine fine shape economically Jt It has been the mining industry that has put them there Mr McCormic believes too that the economic future of Moab lies in uranium rather than in the development of If the park Glen M. M Carlson manager of the Moab First Security Bank Is reluctant to place reliance on any anyone one source of Income We have a diversified diversified diver diver- economy here Aside from the already lucrative tourist trade Carlson Carison pointed to cattle uranium potash and sadly to the remnant of what was once a prosperous fruit Industry Moab's mild mUd winters winters win win- tors and moderate year year- round temperatures provide an Ideal climate for fur peaches pears dates and other fruits The fruit acreage he ex- ex planed was crowded out by housing developments during during dur dur- ing the uranium boom Of 01 course not all withold their enthusiasm for forthe forthe forthe the new park Mayor Norman Norm Norm- an G. G Boyd a Texas Democrat Demo crat who came to Moab during during dur dur- ing the uranium boom shared shared shared shar shar- ed in the good fortunes of ot the period and stayed on as the towns town's barber is exuberant about the park and the tourism tourIsm tourism tour tour- ism he seems certain It will spawn Neither is Sam Sears un unhappy up- up happy about the park Sears Is owner of Moab's Desert Inn Motel and does not look backward at the city's traditional traditional tra tra- economy Im gambling gambling gam gam- bling bung on future tourism Business Business Bu Bu- siness this year has been 15 per cent above a year ago end and the new park parle is bound to make Moab a tourist cen cen- I ter So with all the promise that national park has for Utah for the West and for the nation Moab residents are only mildly mildly mildly mild mild- ly Impressed The park Is being being be be- ing greeted here with questionable questionable questionable ques ques- favor |