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Show CAC84101 EXP. UTAH II99 PRESS ASSOCIATION MM Serving East Juab County - A Nice Place To Live! Volume 91, No. 48 Wednesday, December 1, 1993 10 pages Single Copy Price 500 Sportsmen want DWR to increase Elk numbers in Juab County By Myraa Trauntvein s Correspondent Fifty-nin- e sportsmen want the Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife Resources to increase the number of elk in Juab County and allow more predator control coyotes and cougars and manage the deer hunt so the deer population will inTimes-New- crease. Bruce C. Giunta, Regional Game Manager, and Benjamin W. Morris, Game Biologist, attended the meeting to take comment on the plant the organization has for the Nebo elk herd but, in addition, the two men heard a great deal about the record number of cougar on the mountain. Those who attended the public hearing were asked to fill out a questionnaire but all interested persons can write to the DWR and comment on the plans for the Nebo elk herd. The letters must be submitted to Giunta and Morris, 1115 Hie National Guard detachment housed in the above building since 1937 may be a victim of defense cutbacks if the North Main state reorganization takes effect. The National Guard bureau has told the state at least one unit must be closed down. Springville, Utah, Street, 84663-105- 5, by December 6th. Giunta introduced the Juab Wildlife Landowner committee to those present. Members of the committee are Ross Garrett, Lynn Bailey, Robert Steele, Tim Hannifin, Dave Worwood, and A1 Robb. "This committee, appointed Lund said he expected mem- by the county commission, has bers of the National Guard in the ability and authority to the area would be given an op- deal with a variety of issues," portunity to transfer to Span- said Giunta. The group will be ish Fork, Mt. Pleasant, or listened to by the Big Game Fillmore. Those who worked Board and the Wildlife Intere would be assigned agency Committee. "Their and asked to relocate. be will influence No one wanted to give up on considerable," he said. the Armory. The decision Giunta said the 1992 session hadn't been made yet, they of the state legislature had Division of agreed, and there may still be rected Wildlife to develop a plan for hope. "We are willing to trade each elk herd in the state. He land and we will offer to give said there were 40 elk units them land to build a new ar- and 70 deer units in the state. "Last year we did half of the mory," said Steele. "We don't want to lose the detachment," elk units," said Giunta. said Steele. Manti has the largest unit and Those who are interested in the Deep Creek area of Juab calling Gen. John Matthews County has the smallest. should call "Utah is unique among the Nephi may lose our National Guard detachment as the purse stringstighten said the company has known, for the past two or three months, that the closure was a possibility. "Right now it is a rumor, but if it does happen, it's a terrible thing, he said. The defense cuts being made nation-wid- e were affecting the decision. One strings. In danger is the building problem with the Nephi which houses Detachment 1 Armory is its age it was built of Company D, 1457 Engineer- in 1937. A new building would ing Battalion (Combat) cost more than $2 million. Its closure would be a blow (Corps). It is a detachment of Mt. Pleasant. for Nephi. In the governor's "There is some action tak- annual reports it has been ing place," said Gen. Tom shown the company adds apBrewer. , The engineering proximately $700,000 revenue groups in the national guard to Nephi's economy each year. for the state are being reorga- The National Guard has exnized, he said. Adjunct Gen. isted in Nephi since the 1800s. John Matthews, adjunct for the "That's over 100 years," said state, has been discussing the Sgt. Lund. possible closure with Mayor' Not only did the engineerRobert Steele and Randy ing company bring money to the community, he said, but it McKnight, city manager. "Unless something also had a tradition of service. said Steele, The guard had helped with changes, clean-up- s, had "chances are the armory will city constructed the gun range, be closed. Gen. Matthews was in and had done many Washington D.C. at press community service projects. "We met with Gen. John time and was not available for comment, said Gen. Tom Matthews three or four days By Myraa Trauntvein s Correspondent Nephi could lose the National Guard Armory, located k in the city, in another served Utah as military finances grow tighter thanks to federal tightening of purseTimes-New- cut-bac- v Brewer. However, as part of ago," said Steele. "The buildand re- ing is old and costs too much to the military organizations taking place repair. It's sad, I hate to see it cut-bac- throughout the nation, the Na- close." He and Randy McKnight, tional Guard would need to be trimmed in the state of Utah. This is just another down-sizin- g measure in the total force reduction. The National Guard Bureau has informed the state that one company must shut-dow"We have been informed that one engineering company will be taken away from us," said Gen. Tom Brewer. All of the companies in the state are being looked at, he said, and n. Nephi is one of them. "I know, for a fact, that a decision has not yet been made, said Brewer. He said there is a board,- made up of the governor, the adjunct general, and construction experts who review armories each year. The review is made by law. The board will meet in December and will discuss the closure of one armory. "We will know better after the meeting what is going to happen, said Gen. Brewer. Sgt. 1st Class Curt Lund , - ) city manager, met with Gen. Matthews and discussed ways the city might help in an attempt to keep the armory open. "We will offer to give them land," said Steele, "where a new armoiy could be built." He said the city was prepared to exchange property with the National Guard and to make the offer attractive. The state used to pay 25 percent to build an armory and the federal government used to pay 75 percent of the costs. "That has changed. The state would now need to pay 100 percent," said Steele. Those in the guard in the Nephi area are hoping letters and calls to the General's office might have an effect on keeping the facility open. Steele said he wasn't certain how long it would take for the armory to actually close. The decision might not be finally made until April and the facility could remain in use until a year from that date. "We should know within two weeks," said Steele. di-t- down "Yearling bull only hunting began in 1992 and resulted in a harvest of 150 yearling said animals, Giunta. The system achieves a herd of the size, age and structure of an unhunted herd. "The Nebo unit is perhaps the most stable elk population in Utah," he said. The bulk of the herds are found on the northern portion which includes Mt. Nebo and Loafer Peak. There are two or three loose groups of elk found west of Interstate 15 and State Road 132. These elk move westward through freeway underpasses to the Dog, Ferner and Sage Valley areas. There are few elk in the East Tintic Mountains. Elk winter range is all along the west side of the unit from the mouth of Spanish Fork Canyon south to Nephi. Elk in Juab Valley offer few public benefits and are a burden on landowners. Much of the elk range borders on privately owned agricultural croplands and depredation by elk occurs at varying times. Elk feed in alfalfa meadows or in stored alfalfa hay in the wintertime. "At the present time there is no written or approved elk management plan for the Nebo elk unit," said Giunta. The plan proposes maintaining the total elk population at the current size 800 to 1,000 total elk. Limiting the elk population on the western portion of the unit to no more than 154 elk, will eliminate or remove the elk population in Juab Valley, Please turn to page 10... 9 jJuV&aSs Officials from Juab Levan Juab and Town, Eureka, County County Ambulance, Nephi owner wanted a piece brought toss the new official the dirt the at at of the Juab ceremony City sight breaking ground in which would call for the upPublic of south County Safety building NephL dating of roads and the addition of services. "A bridge which is part of the county road system would have to be updated and would have be too expensive," said Mayor Ground breaking at Public Safety Guilding site Tuesday members two other Dubinsky. annexation requests recently. Council member Martin One person wanted to annex Poulsen told those present the 13 acres which council town had received a petition to By Myrna Trauntvein members feared would allow annex property owned by Tom Times-New- s Correspondent construction of 26 homes. The Aagard and Terry ChrisOfficials of Juab County council decided the town tensen into the city limits and joined mayors of each of the would not be ready to supply recommended the annexacommunities in the county at new services for that many tion. a breaking ceremony homes at present "This is mostly a house- - forground the new public safety Another potential property Please turn to page 2... building which will be Council vest has ranged from 143 to 219 per year. full-tim- By Myraa Trauntvein Times-New- s Correspondent Levan Town Council met in a special meeting on Monday and agreed to annex a piece of property into Levan city lim- turned he Bull harvest, a good indicator of long term population, has been relatively stable. Since 1980, annual bull har- e The and part-tim- e members of the guard would not lose their jobs, said Gen. Brewer. "They will all be given an opportunity to transfer," he said. Levan Tovn Council meets in special meeting to annex property into city limits its. full-tim- western states in that it is the only state which found it necessary to establish a government body devoted solely to elk control the Board of Big Game Control," said Giunta. I constructed in NephL Randy Freston, county adThe Juab County Commis- ministrator; Connie Dubinsioners and members of the sky, Levan mayor; Don Juab Building Authority Treloar, manned Eureka mayor; golden shovels at the Robert Steele, Nephi mayor; ceremony for the new $1.9 Joseph Bernini, county com- million facility on Tuesday Please turn to page 3... at 10 a.m. |