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Show The San Juan River continues to rise and should be at its highest level in many years . Alvin Reiner photo. HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY. UTAH Vol. 62, No. 10 15 Commission opposes area wilderness tag Designation of theDarkCan-yon-Woodensh- oe area as wilderness would encourage increased use and abuse by backpackers and ' would adversely impact the environment and increase the burden of local taxpayers, members of the San Juan County Commission said in a recent letter to Bob Bergland, Secretary of Agriculture. The letter said that members of the commission undesiganimously oppose nation of the area as wilderness. Here is the text of the letter: Mr. Bob Bergland Secretary of Agriculture Washington, D.C. Dear Mr. Bergland: The San Juan County Commission unanimously oppose designation of the Dark area(Manti-LaS- al NF. 04436) as wilder- ness for the following reasons: 1. There are already several hundred thousand acres of single use (wilderness) areas in San Juan County and surrounding Counties consisting of Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef and Bryce Canyon National Parks, along with Natural Bridges, Hovenweep and Rainbow Bridge National Monuments. In addition, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area of over res, one million accontrary to law, is vir- tually administered as a single use area. There is no need to lock up from multiple use more acres, of land that is similar if not a carbon copy of land already preserved. 2. Designation of Dark Canyon as wilderness would seriously curtail, if not preclude, the mining of uranium, an imenergy resource. portant and development carmining is presently being ried on within or immediately adjacent to virtually the entire perimeter of the proposed Drilling, cents Representative Gunn McKay said this week that Congressional hearings into radiation in southern Utah and Nevada will be held in April. McKay said the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the- House Commerce Committee will hold a hearing in Salt Lake City on Monday, April 23, and in Las Vegas, Nevada, the following day, - Tuesday, April 24. area. 3. Grazing would be seriously hampered with the possible destruction of operations being be looking at the health problems as they relate hunting which have and are enjoyed by other than backpackers would be terminated. 5. Hunting and proper management of wildlife would be diminished. 6. There would be reduced chances of discovery and production of oil, gas, and other energy and natural resources. 7. Search and rescue operations would be hampered and lives endangered. 8. There would be possible (Please turn to Page 4) To vote on sale of power system Radiation hearings set The Utah Congressman said the Utah and Nevada hearings are part of the full - scale investigation launched by Congress on February 27. even a greater impact than the .specified Loss of AUM's. 4. Recreational activities March 29, 1979 a copy . We 11 to radiation over southern Utah from the Nevada open - air nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, McKay said. In Nevada, we'll be dealing with the testing programs currently underway at the Nevada test site as weU as the open - air testing of the past. WeU probe how these programs have and are affecting the health and safety of people. Our goal is to get at any information, as fully and completely as possible, about health effects so that all citizens are protected in future legislation that may result from the evidence Following a public meeting at which city officials told those attending that the city's electrical system had reached a point where it has to be the Monticello city changed, council last week voted unanimously to call for a special election on a proposition authorizing the council to sell the system. Several people attended the public meeting on Wednesday night of last week in the courthouse. county Mayor Keith Redd told the crowd that the city was not trying to down shove anything your throats but that the council had been considering for more than a year the advisability of selling the municipal electrical system. The city has been purchasing power from Utah Power and Light Company under a contract which expired March 20 of this year. Mayor Redd said the contract would have to be renewed for another 10 years if the city wanted to continue purchasing power from UP&L. The mayor added that the system in the past had been a good source of revenue for the city but that the situation has changed in the past few 10-y- ear . years. Rates have been raised, Redd and Mayor said, charges to the city have been raised considerably so that the profit is not the same story. The cost of maintenance for the system also is considerably more and will continue to rise. Bruce Adams, council member in charge of the study of the electrical system situation, told those attending a major the meeting that decision has to be made in the immediate future. If we are going to change our system, Councilman Adams said, we will have to do it at this time. There will have to be an election, to give the council permission to take action, as we cannot sell the system without your permission. answer to a question, Councilman Adams said the council had talked to three prospective purchasers of the system: Intermountain Power Project, Utah Power and Light, and Empire Electric Association, Inc. He also said the city has an extension on service from UP&L until a decision is reached as to disposal of the system. In reply to another question, the councilman said that if the system is sold, the city would no longer have to do the bill- (P lease turn to Page 4) In i t i i i i i I |