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Show News 13 CORE hears BLM talk about Andalex, wilderness proposal SOUTHERN UTAH NEWS MONDAY MAY 20, 1991 Special from CORE Ranchers, miners, recre- ationists, and loggers feeling threatenedby environmentalist tactics formed a group in the southemUtah area. This group, CORE, a Coalition of Respon- sible Environmentalists, held a meeting May 9 at Zions Bank in Kanab. Asked to speak was Mike Noel, BLM team resource leader for the Andalex coal project He spoke about the progress being made in developing the large coal reserves near Big Water, Utah. Andalex has control of 47,000 acres but has acquired the surface. Theres only 600 feet ofoverburden."Meaningits only 600 feet from the surface. Many coal companieshave to digas far down as 2,500 feet. The coal is low sulfur and hai a high BTU content Its very high quality, he said. Thejobsproducedbvthemine will also be high quality, said They'll be in the range of $30,000 to $40,000 ayear. There will also be approximately 200 jobs available and a of tax money amount sizeable generated by this project. Noel responded to the ques- of resistance to the mine from the city of Hurricane. City officials are concerned about the truck traffic anticipated down Main Street. Andalex is talking to officials from Hurricane about the possibility of creating a new route around the city for the many double tandem trucks going through on their way to he said. Andalex hopes to work something out with the This includes 218,608 acres to be set aside in Kane County, accounting for 8.3 percent of the county; 289,411 acres to be set aside in Garfield, accounting for 8.9 percent of that county; and e in 65,858 acres of Dont go head to head with them because you will lose." Smith explained that grazing will still be allowed in a wilder- ness designation but that most ranchers will not be allowed to use any form of motorized ve- to facilitate their business, hide which Washington County, 4.2 of equals percent the county. Historically there have been ex- Smith also talked about the ceptions made for elderly other proposals. One, by Con- - ranches. CORE members protested gressman Jim Hansen, is close to one of the BLM s alternatives, that this could force many ranch- Its for a 1.5 million acre desig- - ers out of work. They cant af-nation. This is the alternative," ford the time or money needed said Smith, that the BLM felt to revert to 18th century ranch- would supply wilderness and ing methods. Smith indicated have the least amount of impact that this would be a decision each rancher would have to make himself. Can he run at a profit or not? said Smith. It is widely thought that when a rancher who holds permits on Wilderness At The Edge," put a wilderness area dies, his per- together by a group calling itself mits are not renewed so they the Utah Wilderness Coalition," can be transferred to his chil- was held up, by Smith, for the dren.Thiswouldresultinashut- audience to see. He said the downofthefamilybusiness.This group included the Grand Can- - is not necessarily true. There yon Trust, the Sierra Club, the are some cases of permits being National Wilderness Society, renewed, butthe chances are far and many others. This group less once wilderness has been wasadvocating5.7 million acres designated. Theres probably a which included almost all of the 50-5- 0 chance of the permits be-WSAs, more BLM land, state ing renewed in a wilderness trust lands, and even some pri- - area, said Smith, after the meet-Noe- l. vate land. ing. The possibility of being Jim Ruch, from the Grand forced to give up the family ranch g Canyon Trust, had been in the forbackpackershas many area at a range workshop warn- - ers worried, Wilderness designations can ing local ranchers not to fight the environmental groups over hurt wildlife, said CORE vice wilderness. If they think you president Jeannie Hunt. Wild-tio- n are fighting them, said Ruch, life that depends on the water they will fight even harder! catchment systems installed by set-asid- the ranchers and the Utah Divi- - sion of Wildlife Resources will flounder since those systems will be too expensive to maintain," said Hunt. The ranching indus- try estimates that up to 70 per- cent of the water developed by Smith told the group that the process of designating wilder- ness is very political. The big question is the congressional action," he said. Congress can basically end up doing what they want to." ranchers is used by wildlife, Without the water, wildlife will diminish and so will the hunting . opportunities. Smith admitted that it will be Of! TOrGSt TOBQS very difficult to maintain the An informal public meeting to systems but once again, ranch- - discuss recently announced pro- ers will have to ask themselves posals by the North Kaibab Meetinq set talking about their spiritual experience in wilderness, said CORE member and rancher Mack Esplin. Has anyone taken into account our spiritual expe- - ments from thepubiic are needed rience working the land? he in order to develop management asked. We came here and made alternatives. a way of life. We built this land For additional information up and now they want to crowd regarding this meeting, contact us off. Brian Avery at 643-739- 5. ranch-truckin- 5, city. Noel explained the public scoping process. The BLM is contracting out to an independent company to do the Envi- ronmental Impact Statement (EIS) because they lack the resources to do it locally. Once a company is picked, the public will be invited into the process through a series of public meetings. The BLM will also accept and respond to written statements. BLM officials expect the EIS to take over 18 months." Also speaking at the meeting was Verlin Smith, Kanab BLM resource area manager. He gave a presentation to CORE mem- bers about the BLM wilderness proposal of 1 .9 million acres and how it compares to Jim Hansens 1.5 million acre proposal and the Grand Canyon Trusts 5.7 million acre proposal. The BLM originally included 3.2 million acres of Utah in Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs). After careful study, the agency developed six main proposed alternatives. The one the agency is advocating is 1 .9 million acres. Canyon Photo will be taking quality pictures of each graduate in his or her gown the night of graduation. A class picture will also be taken that night. Proofs of these pictures will be available for you to pick from the afternoon after your school's graduation exercises. Pictures will be taken at FREDONIA HIGH KANAB HIGH VALLEY HIGH CANYON PHOTO 40 E. Center Kanab 644-208- 2 |