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Show 7 THE ZEPHYR/JUNE-JULY 2004 The Dodge Ridge Corporation has been granted a one-year special use permit by the Stanislaus National Forest to create a "pay-for-use" groomed ski trail system in an area historically used by backcountry wilderness skiers. This is being touted as an evaluation program designed to "stimulate public comment.” Ken & Jane Sleight's PACK CREEK One of the last remaining old growth bottomlands in Central Alabama (Cooter’’s Pond) was recently clear-cut the day Army Corp of Engineers signed a 50 year lease agreement with a private golf club. ACE will receive $1 per year in this deal. The USES is currently negotiating a land swap, which would privatize 265 acres of public land at the base of Grand Targhee ski slope in Western Wyoming. Three years ago the USFS ruled against a similar swap saying "it would not be in the public interest." : A While they may continue to pay lip service to the idea of biodiversity...these agencies are quickly transforming themselves into profit-driven | Country Inn & Guest Ranch PACK CREEK RANCH would like to thank the ~ POWERS-THAT-BE entrepreneurs. — h for one of the Because the following example is so very special, I have chosen to quote it verbatim from its BLM source. Please read it slowly, for in this one short paragraph, you will see evidence of virtually all of the ten basic tenants: "Deputy Assistant Secretary Slvia Baca is accepting an award on our behalf from the American Recreation Coalition for the brochure commemorating the Black Hills Back Country Byway here in the Safford District (AZ). Decreased funds and staffing have just made us more innovative, more creative and aggressive. Our good ideas a successful track record with partners has been rewarded with numerous grants: The Arizona State Park Off-Highway Vehicle Fund has been used for improvements here at Hot Wells and along the Black Hills Back Country Byway and the Empire-Cienega Resource Conservation Area...... Thank you for your help and support in putting “recreation” in BLM’s vocabulary." loveliest : SPRINGS h we 5 ave ever scen. ea ee If what you’’ve already read hasn’t quite turned your stomach, here’’s one final example and a glimpse into the future. Consider a future in which America’’s National Parks serve as “anchor attractions” for an enormous host of nearby commercial development. This is a vision of the grandest of all possible shopping malls. This is the truly Ia crééme de la créeme, Le Grand Mal. Quoting from Las Vegas Review Journal, "There’s no disagreement that Grand Canyon National Park has big problems...... [New Jersey developer] DePaolo’”s answer is a $500 million development including 3,650 hotel rooms, 250 campsites and 425,000:square feet of retail space — roughly the equivalent of seven large department stores. It also would include employee housing and a park-and—ride center...... “The proposed location of this 3 Se A on publicly ee forest land just south of the park. DePaolo has recently purchased private lands elsewhere in Arizona and is currently discussing a land swap of these lands for the Grand Canyon Portal. These examples are only the tip of the iceberg for the future of public lands recreation. If you don’t want to be "malled to death" during future visits to our public lands, you might consider showing some serious indignation for what’’s going on. Please join us in opposing, Ee Stee! ; : We are open for lodging and limited trails rides. The lodge ae available for meetings, weddings and group activities. We will be serving occasional dinners by request. Please call if you would like to be notified when dinners are available. and killing, the dreadful Recreation Superbill Legislation now being drafted by Senator Frank Murkowski and the American Recreation Coalition. PO BOX 1270 MOAB, 435.259.5505 UT 84532 The author, Scott Silver, is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Wild Wilderness. Located in Bend, Oregon, Wild Wilderness has fought in support of ‘undeveloped recreation’ since 1991. www.packcreekranch.com Readers can learn much more about this subject by visiting the Wild Wilderness website at -http:/howw.wildwilderness.org or phone us at (541) 385-5261 EDITOR'S NOTE: Since Scott Silver first wrote this early warning, a couple of years ago, most of his greatest fears have been realized. Everyone has a stake in this and needs to get involved. Otherwise, the very meaning of public lands will be lost to future generations...JS a fe ee EMAIL With unheard of humility, My YOUR FEEDBACK T0 THE Send your comments to: we accept this award... \ ——_atth, wt ae ae i ; £5 a ZEPHYR eezephyr@frontiernet.net or moabzephyr@yahoo.com | E. PRINTS WINNER OF nn We wie cutiom (| THE2004 EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY i AWA é big people and the little. .OK:..We take that real big cabinet full of RD BEST RURAL insures TECHNOLOGY | all into your FIRM computer. (25 OR LESS 121 £. 1008. #108 EMPLOYEES) Moab, UT 84532 435.259.4384 800.635.5280 PAGEI3 | |