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Show Comments from our readers . . . Dear Sam, I was somewhat confused by a statement in your editorial of tw o weeks ago' I am speaking of a phone call you mentioned from Mr. Zeke Scher. author of "The Great Canyonlanis Double Cross," which appeared appear-ed recently in the Denver Post's Empire Magazine. Specifically, you stated (according (ac-cording to Mr. Scher) that response to the article had been "negative in tone . . . and that it was too bad the silent majority remains so much so." To which you replied, "ain't it the truth." Please. Would someome tell me who this "silent majority" is? Where are they and how many? More importantly, if this "silent majority" is indeed silent and refuses to speak, how does anyone really know what they are thinking? Isn't it a trifle arrogant for Mr. Scher, or you, or me or anyone to assume they speak for this alleged ocean of silent citizens? citi-zens? The kind of logic being applied here seems to be not only irrational but disturbing as well. Several weeks ago the U. S. Forest Service conducted public pub-lic workshops in conjunction with proposed designation of roadless areas in LaSal National Nat-ional Forest. Of the 200 plus persons who attended, a 4:1 majority expressed disapproval disapprov-al of any wilderness designation. designa-tion. Whether this is representative repre-sentative of all citizens concerned con-cerned with the future utilization utiliza-tion of Forest Service lands remains to be seen. To me, the 4:1 ratio did seem to represent rep-resent local sentiment on the issue. But applying the "silent majority" theory, maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps the real majority stayed home. Is there an army of pro-wilderness closet supporters out there some place? 5 " Taking it a step further, and applying this logic consistently, consistent-ly, shouldn't we declare the loser of every election the winner, since the vast "silent majority" that supported him didn't vote? Unknown to us all, George McGovern received receiv-ed one of the greatest mandates in history. Of course, this is ridiculous. Until a means is found to assure lOOTo participation from its citizens, we have no choice but to listen to the voice of the peoplethose w illing to speak up and speak out. Sighs & whispers don't count. Sincerely, Jim Stiles Moab Sam, Keep up the Canyonlands fight. We'll help all we can. Rosemary and Matt Ryan Dear Sam: If you and all our other friends in Moab think you have troubles with the Federal bureaucracies, just read the article I am enclosing. Since this article came out, they have "withdrawn" the only real playground that existed in the Amargosa Valley. It was a sand dune, and some "genius" "gen-ius" (?) female zoologist from Berkeley found a new ant and a new flea in it. Now all the desert trails have been wiped out so there is no access to it, even by backpacker kooks. The Park Service can probably hire four more underprivileged to guard the ants and the fleas. They also want to declare the "Funeral Mountains" (range on east side of Death Vallcv) a primitive areaand believe me it is primitive all right. I don't know of anyone who has been in that range for 40 years. But, like the Book Cliffs area, they will declare it a primitive area. Then all the long haired backpackers will flcvk in and absolutely ruin it. However, at the same time they can each attach more employees to their staff and get upgraded further to another higher level of incf-ficncy. incf-ficncy. I believe that the people of Monh arc beginning to rcnlic that thry are linked in a jail created by the Government. I'vrn the banks of the Colorado Kivrr arc vrrboten i since -they are succeeding in declaring it all a part of the "wild and scenic rivers" and have extended it up the Dolores. You have to get permission from a bunch of lazy do-nothing Federal pensioners pen-sioners and be constantly supervised by them to do anything. The next round of directives will prevent you from doing anything on your own fee property without permission from them. This is not just happening in Moab. Sam. It is happening all over the western states. I see it everywhere. There are so many Federals involved that the local people do not have the time to get together with their neighbor, organize and field a competent counterattack. counterat-tack. The reason these areas are primitive is because no one except the local people knew they were there. Now the government is advertising them, and the areas are being taken over by foreigners and ruined by them and the exponential growth of Federal employees who like nothing better than to have a lifetime paid vacation in our western states. So much for that, Sam. Give them hell like your dad would do. There are still more of us than there are of them, but the balance of power is rapidly changing. Sincerely. E. J. Mayhew Golden, Colo. Dear Editor: I'm writing this letter as an informal complaint concerning two telephone conversations on September 13, 1977 with a BLM employee in Moab, Utah. The call concerned use of pond w atcr in the Arts Pasture Area N.W. of Moab, Utah. It was related to my office by this BLM employee that several complaints had been registered register-ed involving use of this water for exploration drilling purposes pur-poses in the area. This individual claimed to have been in contact with other exploration companies in the area and to have received their cooperation in discontinuing use of said waters. The alternative suggested was to use water from the Colorado River near Moab. More specific information was requested by me as to exactly which ponds were being "damaged" and by which companies. It was then related to me that In particular the Dry Fork of Bull Canyon was the one pond in the area of our contractors operations being "adversely affected." This pond was until then unknown to me or the contractor and also untouched. We had been obtaining drilling water from the spring fed pond in Sevenmile Canyon which is a completely different situation from the run off charged pond in Bull Canyon. When I related this fact, the individual claimed that he didn't want to argue, just get cooperation and then proceeded proceed-ed to lay out his argument, "that everyone else was cooperating, why couldn't we?" I rebutted by stating that an agreement between the drilling contractor and I would have to be reached concerning the added costs of the additional 40 miles involved in hauling water from the Colorado Colo-rado River. I was then attacked in a sarcastic tone with the question, "Well, don't you have any more control over your people than that?" this remark was totally uncalled for and changed the whole conversation con-versation into a confrontation. In the first place the individual was only in a position to request cooperation and should have been courteous cour-teous instead of demanding. Secondly, he should have gotten his facts straight before harassing other people and thirdly, he should be educated as to the economics involved with and the importance of a minerals exploration program. I have had first hand experience with the problems of a cattleman on arid range, having been raised in this area and worked on several ranches, ran-ches, I feel that this experience exper-ience would not allow me to knowingly jeopardize any stockman's water supply and if approached in a civilized manner, with the facts. I would be more than willing to cooperate. Sincerely, David Smuin |