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Show Many new faces in local health care community leave to There are many new faces at the San Juan Health Care Services, and particularly at the San Juan Hospital in Monticello, following recent employee changeovers. Dr. Joel Porter is leaving effective August 1 to pursue a private practice in South Ogden, Utah. After an intensive recruiting effort, two Monti-cellCowboys, Indians and Pioneers were remembered at Pioneer Days in Beth King leads a frisky colt in the Pioneer Day parade. See page 4 for Staff photo more photos. o. The San Juan Record HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY, UTAH V0I8I No 44 SINCE 1915 July 30,1997 Largest private conservation Initiative ever undertaken in Utah substantial boost gets Dugout Ranch project for Faced with a the entrance to the Needles Efforts by the Nature Conservancy of Utah to protect the historic Dugout Ranch from development have received a substantial boost from The Kresge Foundation of Troy, Michigan. Foundation officials have announced a $630,000 challenge grant to the Dugout Ranch Conservation Project - an ambitious program to acquire and preserve one of the most significant conservation and ranching properties in the West. The Kresge Foundations $630,000 award is contingent on The Nature Conservancy of Utah raising an additional $2,002,698 by January 1, 1998 for the purchase and management of the Dugout Ranch. No Kresge funds will be made available until all challenge funds are raised. The Kresge Foundations challenge comes in the tenth effort month of a to raise $6,270,000 for The 15-mon- th Dugout Ranch Conservation project. Already, $3,637,302 from more than 640 donors has been committed. With only five months remaining until the acquisition of the Ranch must be completed, the Campaign for the Dugout Ranch is now entering the home stretch". According to Nature Conservancy officials, the news of this generous commitment could not come at a more op- portune time. Virtually overnight, the Kresge Challenge has provided a very real and substantial incentive for additional contribu- tions. The Dugout Ranch is located in San Juan County, northwest of Monticello, at District of Canyonlands Na- tional Park. The property consists of 5,167 deeded acres within the Indian Creek and North Cottonwood Creek drainages. These lands, in turn, provide the base property for 250,000 acres of BLM and Forest Service grazing allotments along the western slope of the Abajo Mountains, in Beef Basin, on the Dark Canyon Plateau and along Indian Creek and its tributaries. From a conservation standpoint, the Dugout Ranch is an outstanding ecological asset which supports black bear, mountain lion, turkey, elk, deer, numerous globally rare plant species, significant undisturbed natural areas and 42 miles of cottonwoodwillow riparian forest along Indian and North Cottonwood Creeks -some of the finest riparian habitat in southern Utah. Its location as a gateway property" is also extremely significant in maintaining the visual integrity of the entrance to the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park. From a ranching standpoint, the Dugout Ranch is well known as one of the most innovative and pro- gressive livestock operations in the state. Owned and operated by descendants of pi- oneer cattleman Charlie Redd (the ranch is currently owned by Dugout Ranch partnership members Roberts, Heidi, Matt and Adam Redd), the Redd familys tradition of stewardship has maintained the Ranch in exemplary range condition deciyears. sion to sell or divide the property, the Redd family has been working cooperatively with The Nature Conservancy fJJtah to assure that responsible stewardship will continue and the Ranch will never be developed. Once the Dugout Ranch is acquired, the Conservancy intends to maintain the property as a working cattle ranch where historic ranching activities will continue. Heidi Redd, General Part- ner of the Dugout Ranch partnership, will retain a lifetime lease on a portion of the property and will run the ranching operation for a minimum of ten years. Despite its status as a non- profit organization, The Nature Conservancy intends to continue to pay property taxes in San Juan County. Kresge Foundation President John E. Marshall, III said, The Kresge Foundation receives requests from around the country, but few projects we have reviewed recently have been as compelling as the Dugout Ranch. We hope our commitment to this effort will encourage others to give. All of us, pulling together, can make a tremendous difference. Heidi Redd said, As we look towards completing the transaction by years end, its high noon at the Dugout Ranch. Only five months remain. We have worked a long time to get as close as we are today, and I know none of us want to have to throw in the towel now. I hope the Kresge Challenge can be met. This is a very special opportunity for all of us who love this place." will begin teaching at Brigham Young Univer- sity. Berrys last day at work will be August 8, which is also the last day for Director of Nursing Margie Moliter. Moliter, the last remaining employee of Lutheran Health Care Services, will be leaving to Torrington, doctors will begin practice in Wyoming on August 8. Phil Acton, w ho has served Monticello in the coming on the health care services weeks. board for approximately two Dr. Nathan Penn, most recently from the state of years, announced his resigMaine, will arrive soon to nation from the board in a begin his private practice. brief letter to the board. San Penn and his wife, who Juan County is actively works as a mental health seeking a replacement in the therapist, have two children. Blanding area for Acton. In addition to the extenIn the past they have worked in many places, including sive employment news at the Africa. In addition to a famJuly 22 meeting of the San ily practice, Penn is a Juan Health Care Services trained obstetrician. Board, the board approved a Dr. be Penn will joined by proposal by Practice ManEduardo Corpus, who should agement Company to run the begin his practice in coming Montezuma Creek and Monument Valley Clinics. The days. Corpus is a surgeon, new management company in addition to a family practitioner. Both Penn and sees tremendous revenue opCorpus are in the process of portunities at the clinics in receiving licensing for the southern San Juan County. Bids for architectural serstate of Utah. who vices will be reviewed in the has spent Judy Berry, several years in Monticello near future for the developas a nurse practitioner, re- ment of plans for a proposed cently announced that she Blanding Medical Center. Blanding City Council names temporary member to fill seat Bill Bayles has been appointed to fill the unexpired term of K. C. Benedict on the Blanding City Council. The council members made the appointment with a unanimous vote at the July 23 meeting of the Blanding City Council. Bayles, a lifetime Blanding resident, is employed by San Juan County. In addition to the temporary appointment, Bayles has filed for the candidacy to fill the unexpired two year term of Benedict. The election will take place mented in coming months. The Council also approved a new process for receiving community input at council meetings. In the future, residents can voice concerns and discuss issues during a three minute comment period, with council members given a chance to respond if necessary at the end of the comment period. Policies regarding time limits and prior notice requirements remain. in November. The two declared candidates for the Blanding may-orposition, Calvin Balch and Lou Mueller, were joined for a brief period of time by Blanding Police Chief Mike Halliday. However, Halliday resigned his candidacy on July 28 because of potential conflicts of interest with his current job. In other business, at the July 23 meeting, the City Council approved an incentive program to encourage local residents to hook up to the natural gas system. The al system, which has been plagued by lower than anticipated use, faces nearly a quarter of a million dollars of debt repayment. The incentive program will be imple Bayles Exploration, led by Randee Bayles, successfully defended their fast pitch soft-ba- ll tournament title at Pioneer Day events.Staff photo |