| Show HOW LARGE si- si SHOULD UINTA WILDERNESS BE There There's no q question es on that Congress ought to designate the High Uinta Mountains a region of off supreme beauty and great natural value values as h a Wilderness sa Area Here Hel is a reg region on that thai contains what is not only the highest mountain range in Utah but also the most mOiSt prominent west east range In the nation S Some me people live within airplane miles of the proposed Wilderness Wilderness Wilder Wilder- ness neU Area which contains more than 1000 species of plants some of which are found only there More than lakes are scattered throughout the area At the same time the timber there is so hard to get at it would be difficult to harvest and geologists report little or no prospects for commercial mineral development Unless this area is granted wilderness status by 1974 it will revert from a primitive area back to ordinary forest land and no noone noone noone one wants that to happen Primitive areas are are being dropped as a designation in favor of the increased protection more end and permanent perman ent status that goes with being designated by Congress as a Wilderness area The only question then is how big the proposed High Wilderness Area should be If Ir the Forest Service had Its way nearly acres in Ashley and Wasatch national forests would be set aside as wilderness That's the recommendation the service made on the basis of field studies with the Department of Agriculture and following public hearings But the eastern acres referred toa to toas toas a as as Unit D B includes water neede needed for the Central Utah Project That's why why- Senator Frank Moss recently introduced a bill hill that would designate the High Wilderness Area but omit Unit D until th the needs heeds of the Central Utah Project can can be pinned down The Forest Service takes exception to this Approach on the grounds that the law Jaw already permits the President to authorize construction of reservoirs or water conservation facilities within a Wilderness Area if lithe Uthe the public Interest requires it But still remember how v an exe exec order promised that extension of Dinosaur Dinosaur Dino Dino- National Monument w would in no way inhibit inhibit in in- hibit construction of Echo Park Dam but the dam was still blocked by conservationists In resolving the dispute need to know how many reservoirs are really needed in the area how big they would have to be and how much road-building road and other excavation excavation excavation ex ex- would have to be done that would gouge the landscape For more than two years now the US U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has been making a study that will help answer those very ques ques- At the latest the study Is due to be completed by the end of the year but this week the bureau Indicated the findings might be available as soon as lIS earl early autumn Since weve we've all waited this long on the High Uinta Wilderness Area a few more months shouldn't matter With all aU the facts available it may very well be possible to harmonize water and wilderness In hi Unit D instead of having them compete for prefer prefer- ence Me Meanwhile the Bureau of Reclamation should expedite its study so that the wilderness wilder wilder- ness nesa proposal ness proposal In one form or another can cango cango cango go forward as so soon as possible |
