OCR Text |
Show THE ZEPHYRMARCH 1990 PAGE 30 feedback the readers respond To Jim and the readers of The Canvon Country Zephyr: In the November Issue of this paper a reader wrote to Jim, the Editor, asking What the hell are the Book Cliffs? him a question: think we know. We are Beverly Shaw, President of the Book Cliffs Homesteads Cooperative, and myself, the treasurer, who together have completed our project of setting up roads, water and power on land bought from the railroad at Thompson, an Amtrak, stop, that Is located at the opening of two canyons onto the high desert. Where on a walk of three miles Into the canyon one will see that people lived In the Book Cliffs, sheltered by the canyons and where water flowed. On winter days they boiled berries and painted colored pictures on the walls. scattered all over the ground on these claims, but the BLM bureaucrats show their maps as not being valuable mineral land. What Is astounding, some of them, the very earliest show spiritual forms of the But back to the Cliffs: this Immense range of mountains that abruptly end with high cliffs on the desert at Thompson have a southern exposure that the sun can easily find and on Its sandstone and shale face brighten up in a warm orange glow with shadows on Its Irregular cliffs. I One appreciates the size of the Book Cliffs riding the morning train to Thompson. After going over the Wasatch Mountains and through the towns of Helper and Wellington, the train heads for the Book Cliffs In the distance and follows along them going south until the train crosses the Green River In the town of Green River. Then the train heads east following the Book Cliffs to Thompson, where for reasons of water for the early trains, Thompson has been put right next to the Book Cliffs whore water was piped from the canyon a few miles away. Beverly Shaw and I feel that the Book Cliffs are over looked by many tourists that come to this area. They are coming here to see other things. Nobody knows the Book Cliffs because there Is nothing around them but desert and Into the Book Cliffs Is like going Into a wilderness. There are not many trails and the country Is rugged. In winter, much of It Is covered on the tops with snow. So what are the Book Cliffs? Cliffs that one sees from the desert that go for miles and behind the higher ridges, mesas and peaks with a scattering of juniper trees and pines. Formed by the edges of a sea by sand brought to It by streams, It Is all stuck together by sedimentary rock and for centuries wind and water erosion has taken the shape that has sheltered man and animals. Fifty years ago coal mines operated In Thompson and Sego Canyons, but not any more. Sheep herders still come back to these canyons and winter their sheep. Hunters are there during hunting season. Now In December, a few people go up the canyon with a permit to cut a Christmas tree. Since It Is so dry the county road Is excellent to drive on. The Indian pictures glow In the low sun of the winter afternoon. So the Book Cliffs exist and about the only way to get Into them to see what they behold Is to come to Thompson, get directions at the Silver Grill, and drive up the canyons and marvel at the difference of the desert face of the Cliffs and to see them from the Inside, their heart Herbert Steiner Beverly Shaw Jane S. Jones, As a "baby-boommyself, I think Its time to tell my fellow 30 and 40 year olds to come down from their spiritual experience of solitude on the High Mountain of Wilderness and realize that they are being duped by environmental advocacy one thing: power. Power means money to finance research are after who groups that proves what they want to prove, money for "educational" purposes to develop more supporters, and land acquisition. er" "The problem Is not that enforcers may not be true' altruists; It Is that even the most altruistic enforcers will seek to maximize private rewards, not public benefits." Im quoting from a recent Wall Street Journal article (September 18, 1989) entitled "Congresss Environmental Buccaneers. In It, Michale S. Greave, laws firm In executive director of the Center for Individual Rights, a public-inter- est reason one D.(X, why highly professional advocacy groups explains Washington, mass-produ- ce suits against private Industry for alleged violations of the Clean Water Act: they're making a financial killing. More than half of all such actions come from five environmental groups. To encourage citizen suits, Congress has Instructed the courts to compensate environmental plaintiffs for attorney fees "when appropriate." What actually happens Is, when threatened with an expensive trial, the alleged violator settles urt for a smaller sum. Mr. Greave explains that It Is easy to violate the Clean Water Act; If applied as written, mixing a scotch and water without Is a violation. The defendant pays an environmental group Its lawyer fees, and "credit" programs are financed In lieu of a portion of the flnee. According to Mr. Graves: "'Credit payments to environmental groups (although not normally the group bringing the action) may amount to more than $400,000." out-of-co- Less you say that you don't care what happens to those big city polluters dumping sewage Into the ocean, remember that between 1978 and 1984, not one of the recorded actions (162) was against a municipal entity. Small, private corporations are the ones who are attacked. eye-openi- ng article. This highly profitable method of "fund raising" means environmental groups can afford to concentrate on their job. When federal agencies ask for comments on their proposals for our public land, the environmentalists are there to give "public comment." The rest of the public sector doesn't get In on the debate. so-cal- led didn't even know there vyj a debate, until BLM told me I couldn't work my new gold placer claims because they're In a Wilderness Study Area. Theres gold I Moab, Utah Dear Jim: seems to me that you are on a quest to find common ground between people such as yourself (environmentalist) and people like me (miner). You have It the courage to tilt at that windmill so I'll make a run at It myself. Some obvious common ground exists. We love the beauty of the earth, clean air, freedom, and comfortable living environment Common ground turns to quicksand as to our opinions on how to achieve the above. Environmentalists demand that we sacrifice freedom and comfortable living environment for the beauty of the earth and for clean air. You completely Ignore other alternatives such as technology and development which would not require such sacrifices. You would deny us the possibility of having our cake and eating It too. Philosophically, I feel that the destiny of the human species is either Its extinction or Its survival. If extinction Is our destiny then we can sit back and forget about development and technology as Is done In places like Yellowstone Park and we can watch magnificent treasures periodically burn down and self destruct In the name of the environment. This Is a perverse method of preservation. We may as well kick back and watch It all go down the drain. On the other hand survival Is our destiny then we can develop resources and technology, enhance beauty, cleanup the air and water, and Increase safety, access, and freedom. We can eliminate a lot of resource destruction with advantages for all simply by developing. If It seems to me that your way leads to restrictions, conflicts, and extinction and that my way leads to freedom, harmony, and survival. Is there a compromise? Joe Stocks Dear Jim: After reading Steve Felshmans letter In the last edition of The Zephvr. I felt an urge to rifle off a quick response. If his assumption of Moabites Is correct In that local residents are only desirous for outsiders to spend their dough then leave, I'm greatly encouraged for the salvation of Moabs future. Should Mr. Felshman decide to retire elsewhere, Moab's loss will be Moab's gain. Or so It seems to me Too many outsiders have already visited quaint meccas tucked away In remote corners of red rock country. These sojourners have discovered they like the Colorado Plateau, then end up calling It home. In the process, local traditions are either lost or assimilated Into nothingness. Vaporized Into memories, old values are now being shortchanged for all the alluring entrapments that "yuppy-dolong-stand- ing m" has to offer. Will this become Moabs fate? Will It evolve Into the Aspen or Boulder of the desert? A case point concerns the mountain bike craze. During my last visit to I was aghast at the Influx of mountain bikers. Granted, these recreatlonlsts generate some Income for local merchants, but I seriously wonder how rooted this "mountain bike community" Is In terms of providing a tangible economic basis for Southeastern Utah. Has any consideration been given to the overall Impact unrestricted mountain bike traffic can have on the fragile high desert soils and plant communities? It would seem the effects can be no greater than those wrought by motorized recreational vehicles or mineral exploration. At least economic base. mining, If properly conducted, can contribute to a Personally, Ifs hard for me to envision Moab ever falling prey to the yuppy syndrome where obnoxious monied transplants or the Infamously rich may treat locals like common dog food. Imagine your constituency bartering away Its maverick sense of Independence for the gloss of BMWs, tinseled jogging suits, and the repetitive sameness so Inherent In the mind set of today's high-te- ch world! No, I keep reminding myself, It could never happenll Qulen sabe? Maybe I'm Just another outsider shooting from the hip. After all, eighteen years ago seems like only yesterday when I ventured to Moab for the first time. A young Kentucky transplant of Idealism, but empty with answers. Or so It seems to me In Moab In the fall, Dear Mr. Stiles: Its an on There Is still a Jgj of primitive backcountry In this part of the state. If there Is like, say, during the uranium mining boom days of less than there used to be 10 and 20 years ago who's to blame? The miners, cattlemen, oil and gas drillers, timber producers? Of course not Its' the tourists who are crawling all over the place. So if environmentalists want to quiet down the backcountry, they should prohibit tourists and let the rest of us go about making our living. The land Is as beautiful now as It ever was. Maybe public land users haven't been so monstrously offensive as environmentalists would like everyone to believe. I unconscious. That Is, the finest art that has been lost One can see how far art has changed since then on these canyon walls with much more familiar shapes of snakes, the animals they hunted, and designs. It well-groun- ded Doug Treadway, Alamosa, Colorado Dear Editor: Just want you to know that not everyone shares Steve Felshman's assessment of your cartoon ads (Zephvr Feedback, Jan. 90). I haven't heard of a single person here In Stanton, Kentucky who thinks your cartoon ads are "pathetic". In fact, your cartoon ads have elevated Willie Flocko to the status of "cult hero". I As an unbiased and objective reader of your fine magazine, the good work!" Jeff Stiles, Stanton, Kentucky P. S. Mom and Dad send their regards. I say, "Keep up |