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Show ARIZONA STRIP COMMISSION FINISHES WORK Will Make Report to Governors Gov-ernors on Government's Proposed Withdrawal of . Land for Park Purposes W. W. Seegmiller and Thomas Maddock, members of the commission com-mission appointed by the Utah and Arizona governors to study range -conditions on the Arizona strip, with particular reference to the proposed withdrawal of 2,000,000 acres of land, ostensibly osten-sibly for park purposes, have completed their work and will prepare reports to their respective respec-tive govenrors on their findings. The two commissioners met at the Lee's Ferry bridge ten days ago and spent a week in the Kanab district, studying conditions con-ditions and meeting with stockmen. stock-men. Sunday they came to St. George and on Monday, in company com-pany with Wallace B. Mathis, visited the Paraschaunt country. Two million acres of land have been temporarily withdrawn by the park service, ostensibly for the purpose of creating a huge vacation land when the Boulder dam is completed and water is backed for a hundred miles up the river. Part of this lies in Nevada and Utah, but about four-fifths four-fifths is contained in the Arizona Ari-zona strip. It embraces the best grazing land in this part of the country and is largely controlled by southern Utah stockgrow-ers. stockgrow-ers. The withdrawal, which needi congressional sanction to. bo made permanent, takes in a strip about twenty-five miles in width north of the Colorado river. This, according to the cattlemen, is the best part of the strip range, During periods of drouth it is necessary to move livestock from the desert region to the higher country along the river. If the mountainous country coun-try is closed to grazing they say it will mean the end of the industry in this section. The eastern boundary of the (Continued on page 2) COMMISSIONERS (Continued from page I) withdrawal extends to the western west-ern boundary of the Grand Canyon Can-yon national park, thus forming a huge park area through intc Nevada. The northern boundary passes Pigeon springs and extends ex-tends over Grassy mountain. It will take in everything from about three miles north of Para-scaunt Para-scaunt south to the river. The stockmen feel that their rights are being encroached upon, up-on, that having pioneered and developed the country they are entitled to some consideration by the government. They feel that park areas of such magnitude magni-tude are beyond reason, and in this case would force many southern sou-thern Utah and northern Arizona cattlemen out of business. They are taking steps to protest vigorously vig-orously to congressmen and senators, sen-ators, asking that the measure be not passed by congress-. Both commissioners are well acquainted with the situation, Mr. Seegmliler having operated as a stockman in this section for many years. Mr. Maddock is a former state engineer of Arizona and secretary of the Arizona Colorado river commission. Both are sympathetic with the stockmen stock-men and understand their problems prob-lems and it is felt that the investigation in-vestigation will result in good to the ranchers. |