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Show suit filed as result of artifact raid Lav At least one law suit has been filed and two complaints registered by third parties as the result of May 8 searches in Utah, Colorado and Arizona for the recovery of Indian artifacts believed illegally removed from public lands. San Juan County Commissioner Calvin Black has filed suit in the U.S. District Court of Utah demanding the return of 23 artifacts taken from his home by federal agents. Bob Moore, BLM assistant director for the state of Colorado, has complained that press coverage of the raids has been Graduates of the Headstart Program in Blanding, administered by the Southeastern Utah Community Action Program. The four year old students completed a pre - school program and are now Marsha Keele photo ready for kindergarten. well-round- TSd ed Sami Juami Record HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH Vol 68 June 4, 1986 25 cents No 17 President Reagan okays three DOE repository sites for study President Reagan has accepted Deaf Smith, Texas; Hanford, Washington; and, Yucca Flats, Nevada as potential sites for the nations first nuclear waste repository, as recommended by the Department of Energy. The announcement was made in a Department of Energy press conference last week. The sites will now undergo extensive testing to determine which of the three will be the best site on which to build a national repository for high- - level nuclear waste. Ben Rusche, DOE director, of prelimisaid on environmental assessments after the open comment period resulted in no change from an earlier decision to nominate the states of Texas, Washington and Nevada. He said the presence of Canyon-land- s National Park in Utah had little effect on the decision to eliminate Davis Canyon as one of the three sites for more nary testing. Governor Norman Bangerter Spanish Valley wants out of San Juan groups on whom they must depend. San Juan Commissioners Karl Tangreen, Spanish Val- said although they understand ley rancher, presented county the sentiments of Spanish commissioners with a petition Valley residents, their area, which shows growth potential, last week asking that approximately 18,000 acres in northern is closer to San Juan County San Juan County be annexed to population centers than are the Grand County. A similar communities in southern San petition has been presented to Juan County. The number of signatures on Grand County commissioners. Tangreen said only 1,500 of the petition make it mandatory the 18,000 acres are controlled the proposal be placed on the by privates interests. He said November general election San Juan County contracts ballot. If the majority of voters in each county approve, Spanwith Grand County for services in Spanish Valley, leaving ish Valley will b:ome part of residents with no voice in the Grand County. Eighteen of 32 Spanish Valley voters want out of San Juan and into Grand County. expressed satisfaction that Utah was not chosen, but said he would insist the state remain alert to stop any effort to select Utah in the event one of the other sites is disqualified. San Juan County officials said they are disappointed and feel the governor and environmentalists did a disservice to the county in their vigorous opposition to even considering Davis Canyon as a test site. DOE announced that copies of the Final environmental assessment will be available at the San Juan County Nuclear Information Office in room 12 at the county courthouse in Monticello. Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Monday through Friday or call extension 28, mornings; or afternoons and even587-223- 587-260- 2 ings. Weather 1, dramatically unfair. He said articles printed by Cortez Newspapers implied the BLM was a driving force in what went on and how the searches and seizures were handled. And, Dr. Steven R. Simms, director of the archaeological technicians program at Weber State College of Ogden, says the recent raids may have the backlash effect of driving the archaeological amateur underground. The interested amateur is really one of the best tools we have but people are nervous right now, Simms said. Attached to Commissioner Blacks lawsuit was a affidavit from Craig M. Endicott, a special agent for the U.S. Forest Service, detailing evidence federal agents have gathered on specific acts of archaeological looting in southeastern Utah and the subsequent marketing of those artifacts. The affidavit indicates that Agent Endicott and San Juan Sheriff Rigby Wright received information that Buddy Black had dug two ceremonial loin cloths from Fishmouth II ruin which he had left, along with other artifacts, at his fathers 12-pag- home. Commissioner Black e told lands were being stored at his home. BLM Assistant Director Moore said his agency has been trying very hard to be neighbors in this community (Cortez). Moore said only one BLM special agent was involved in the sweeps in Colorado, adding that this special agent answers to the U.S. Attorney, not the BLM. We learned about this (the searches) in the same was as everybody else, Moore noted. Montrose-baseBLM District Manager Paul Arrasmith told March Charisse of the Montezuma Valley Journal that the BLM does emphasize the law which protects cultural resources on public lands. Such d emphasis, Arrasmith said, allows the BLM to keep public lands open to other uses. At Weber State College, Dr. Steven Simms said federal officials are after organized vandals who loot for profit, but it has made everyone jumpy. vandals are a relasmall group when comtively pared with those who take objects simply because they are interested in Indian history or see something pretty lying on the ground and pick it up, Simms said. These latter groups feel they may also be open to criminal prosecution, Simms said, and they are severing ties with professional archaeologists. A number of land owners in Utah have discovered Indian sites on their property and have contacted Weber State to help excavate the site. But with the recent raids, these land owners are nervous about anyone investigating those areas, Simms explained. The law enforcement agencies are on the verge of alienating the amateur archaeologist, Simms noted. For-prof- reporters that federal agents did not find the particular artifacts they were seeking and that they are holding his 23 artifacts, which he earlier said came from private land. U.S. Attorney Brent Ward said he believes he can prove that 10 of the items confiscated from the commissioners home were taken illegally. Black declined an offer for return of 13 of the artifacts. Black said the search of his residence was authorized on the basis of false statements of a convicted felon who claimed artifacts stolen from federal it Health fair award . Utahs Health Fair has received the Project Health Award from the Department of Health and Human Services. The award recognizes programs which have exemplary projects for older Americans. The Health Fair is sponsored by the Utah Depart- ment of Health, KUTV-2- , Chevron Oil, and the National Health Screening Council. Health fairs provide free health education and information programs throughout Utah. |