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Show Letters to the editor 1 v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v.v .v.w.w Aft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft ft The Record welcomes letters from its readers on any subject of public interest. The publisher at all times reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any contributions in the interest of brevity andor good taste. April 16, 1979 B landing, Utah To the Editor: During the past seven or eight months, I have visited the Edge of the Cedars Museum four or five times, each time expecting to see new displays or at least more displays. Each time I was very disappointed. It seems to me that the Park Service would be embarrassed for having such a big, beautiful, EMPTY mus- eum. An article in the March 26, 1979, Deseret News, by Cyn- thia Simmons, stated that the BLM could recall any artifacts taken from San Juan Co. by universities or institutions. Why doesnt the Park Service and the BLM cooperate in get- ting a collection recalled from some far off place, and put it here in the Edge of the Cedars Museum? Or why doesnt the Park Service work with UNDC and use the collection originally purchased to display at the museum? If they cant provide some good displays of Anasazi artifacts, Ill bet a few local people would be willing to go find some for them. Jerry Bradford r To the Editor: The recent incident at the Three Mile Nuclear power plant has generated a great deal of publicity, uncertainty, and fear. It has inspired the anti - nuclear, anti - growth, anti - everything people into renewed action. If anyone wants to review virtually the same arguments, editorials, etc., they are using, go to the library and read the debates concerning electricity less than 100 years ago. The major issue was alternating current and high voltage trans- mission. Many experts said it was too dangerous - that mankind could not handle it. Thomas A. Edison himself was said to be one of the foremost experts in spposition. Electricity is dangerous! It kills literally hundreds of thousands of us each year. Electricity injures and maims perhaps millions each year -directly and indirectly! Virtually every automobile, train, airplane, mining and industrial accident can be attributed to the use of electricity as well as many fires and other trag-edy- s. But what of the bene- fits? will eventually History prove the need, necessity, and acceptability of nuclear power and the opponents will be known historically the same as those who have opposed all past progress - including electricity itself! Sincerely, Cal Black To the Editor; anaKSD Qjflte ffigQggftgD Qpftl 03 GB30Q On Saturday, April 15, my family and I and several of my friends and their families were on an Easter outing in Comb We were certainly Wash. thrilled by the BLM and their helicopter visiting us. Knowing that they were on the job protecting us from ourselves and whatever dangers might be lurking over the next hill. Also spying on us and making sure we were obeying all their laws and regulations and not disturbing the environment or making tracks in the sand that would distract from the scenery until the next dust storm. It was also very comforting to know that our tax dollars were being spent so wisely. I would like to challenge the BLM to print in the next issue of The San Juan Record, the cost to the taxpayer of enforcing the regulations on BLM administered land in San Juan County in 1978, then print the number of convictions for the same period of time and the total revenue received from fines from these convictions. I think most of the people in San Juan County would be interested in these figures. I would also like to encourage the people to write letters to the BLM and their congressmen concerning the proposed wilderness areas which takes in most of the land from Comb Wash west to Lake Powell and from south to Point. If area is this Muley classified as a wilderness area it would put a crimp in the economy of the community and cost the taxpayers that much more to pay someone to patrol the area to make sure we dont drive our jeeps or motorcycles on our land. Ive always thought that the main purpose of the government was to help th? people, not hinder them by locking up the land that we need for energy development, recreation and personal business, such as farming and ranching. I, for one, dont like the government bureaucracies telling me where I can go, how, I can get there and what I can do once I get there. It reminds me too much of how the people in communist countries have to live. Lets help keep America free. Sincerely, Bruce D. Johnson U-- 95 Blanding, Utah To the Editor: As spokesperson for the newly formed SlickrockCoun-tr- y Council, I am inclined to comment on the San Juan County Commissions opposition to the NFS recommended Dark Canyon wilderness. Its another fine example of the of wilderness propogation misrepresentation by public officials. As long as wilderness designation continues to be fallaciously presented there will continue to be the fussi- - PIe WATER WISELY. . . 6 with Hastings, the irrigation THE SAN JUAN RECORD, Thursday, April 26, 1979 - Page 13 lade of rhetoric argument that drawn out because of its grazis present today. Conservation ing use. For the most part the boundaries are recogwilderness groups seek mainly a valid nition of wilderness as drawn on the edge of or inland use. Common fears such side the canyon proper where as lock up stem from a mismining and grazing are natwilderwhat of understanding urally prohibited due to inness actually does or does not adequate terrain and vegetallow. ation factors. In their letter to Secretary The fear of possible Class I of Agriculture Bob Bergland, (the cleanest) Air designatthe commission, referring to ion prohibiting industrial deUtah's National southeast velopment in the surrounding Recreand Monuments area is hypothetical. All new Parks, that ation areas, maintained units (as of August 7, 1977) there are already several of the wilderness system will hundred thousand acres of be managed as Class II unless re -- designated by the governor single use (wilderness) areas and San Juan in or Congress. surrounding counties. By their very tourist While much of Dark Canyon oriented nature these areas has remained untouched beare not wilderness as they alcause of its physical characlow for a wide variety of motteristics, management under The uses. recreational orized the Wilderness Act would promust used use be term single vide added protection for both the wilderness resource and carefully, for is not mining a the existing private and valid 'single use where it takes and a In sense, mining place? rights. The test for manageas the ment is based on whether the 'lock up land, grazing watershed uses other (hunting, management activity or facprotection, wildlife manageility is necessary to protect ment, etc.) are compromised public safety or preserve wiltheir derness values. presence. by The commission states that Slickrock Country Council there is no need to 'lock wholeheartedly agrees with the up1 from multiple use more acres of land... The Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act of which formally es1960, tablished multiple use as a guiding principle for the public lands, supports our view when it states the establishment and maintenance of areas of wilderness are consistent with the purposes and provisions of this act. Wilderness desig- nation with its allowance for present mining and grazing rights may well be the epitome of modern multiple use philosophy. Of major local concern is the effect wilderness designation for Dark Canuon would have on the uranium industry. Contrary to the commissions charge that wilderness would ' seriously curtail or preclude the mining of uranium in the area stands the fact that there are no (zero) acres claimed for mineral rights within the proposed wilderness boundaries. Furthermore, the Dept, of Energy indicates that there are no producing or even proven minerals in the area. The 4, USGS Open File Report, Utah Hardrock Mineral Potential, shows Dark Canyon as having low potential of all hardrock minerals. Regarding possible reduced discovery and production of oil, gas, and other energy resources the commission has once again generalized the issue. While many arguments against wilderness may carry an element of truth they tend to lack the site - specific information essential in deter78-91- mining the magnitude of the argument. The Wilderness Act in Sect. 4. (d)(2) states that nothing in this act shall prevent within national forest wilderness areas any activity, including prospecting, for the purpose with your new 1979 OLDSMOBILE or bu:ck Redds infor- mation about mineral or other resources, if such activity is carried on in a manner compatible with the preservation of Buy It CHEVROLET of gathering Conserves Water Saves on Labor Costs Less HASTINGS Irrigation Equipment Available from: the wilderness environment. The discovery issue does not exist because there is nothing to discover except the areas intrinsic beauty and thereby ones own. One of the reasons that most of the areas that conservationists are looking at are roadless today is that their resource values have proven marginal. In such cases wilderness designation acts as a savings acount - resources are held in trust by members of the present in hopeful MONTICELLO Corner 35 and E Roads, Route 1, Box 242A Palisade, Colorado 81526 (303) 464-560- 8 op- timism for the future of our children. The reported grazing conflict is nonexistent. The area of greatest concern is Dry Mesa which was intentionally environcommission that mental values and resources can best be protected and managed with continued multiple use practices, of which wilderness is an integral part. Forest Service public comment figures show overwhelming support for Dark Canyon Wilderness. 80 per cent of the people responding with personal letters favored wilderness while only 20 per cent opposed. It would not be so necessary and scarce a commodity if the majority of the people were inore responsible for themselves and displayed more care for others. With 3 per cent of our nations lands already paved it seems sadly ironic to note that only .84 per cent is set aside as wilderness, with no more than 3 per cent able to qualify. We often only measure the value of an area in terms of economics. The wealth to be for heart and soul gained in Dark Canyon is mirrored by the reflection of vibrantly flaming cliffs, tangerine caught by evenings retreating light, in the numerous pools and pockets of clear water that lie in the cool mauve shadows of the canyon. There is not a sound except ones own disturbance. Slickrock Country Council unanimously endorses a Dark Canyon wilderness and desires that it should stand as a symbol of faith and compassion that Utahns feel toward their fellow man. Bruce Hucko. Fund cutback The Bureau of Land management said this week that it will cut back 330 positions in its Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) program in Utah next month because Congress has not appropriated sufficient funds for the pro- gram. The YACC program in BLMs Salt Lake District will be eliminated, and drastic cuts will be made in Moab, Richfield, and Cedar City districts, according to Paul L. Howard, BLMfcdirector for Utah. The program will be cut from 40 staff and 400 enrollees to 10 staff and 100 enrollees. The remaining personnel will be distributed throughout the three districts. The YACC program provides employment for individuals between the ages of 16 and 23 for no longer than one year. |