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Show By Scott Groene & Ken Rait Killing Natives to Move In Exotics: A Reprise. Sal National Forest is again trying to kill Larkspur, a native perrenial The Manti-L- a wikiflower, in order to protect cows grazing cm and making a mess of the Forest The showy flowers, purple with a distinct spur pointing backwards, are toxic to cows. Under the Forest Service's preferred alternative, larkspur located within 240 acres in the La Sal Mountains would be sprayed with an herbicide. Questions about this highly questionable project can be directed to Heather Musdow at the Comments should be postmarked by May 15 and sent to Moab Forest Service office, Forest Supervisor, Manti-L- a Sal National Forest, 599 West Price River Iive, Price, Utah, 84501 259-715- 5. Southern Utah No Longer in the Bulls Eye- - Thanks to Your Help. On March 21, 1995, Lieutenant General Malcom ONeill deleted southeastern Utah from further consideration for the US. Army's Theater Missile Defense proposal. The Army had proposed firing missiles from Green River, Utah, to White Sands Missile range in New Mexico, dropping booster rockets on SE Utah in the process. Four drop zones were considered: to the north and east of the Island District of Canyonlands National Park, to the east of the Needles and over Cedar Mesa. Public opposition to using southeastern Utah as a bombing range was fierce. Speakers at public meetings in Moab and Monti cello were overwhelmingly against the project. Former Utah Representative Karen Shepherd who managed to secure a one year moratorium against missiles. BLM Moab District Manager Kate Kitchell and a Forest Service representative spoke against the project at the Monti cello hearing. The Navajo Tribe opposed the Green River launches. And of course many of Moab residents helped flood the Army with letters and phone calls. The substantial opposition was noted in the Lieutenant General O'Neill's decision. The military now intends to use Fort Windgate in New Mexico to fire missiles to White Sands. New Mexico's woes stem in part because the responsible Forest Service brass declared it would be fine to use the Gbola National Forest as a drop zone. Another Roadless Area No Longer Roadless. A BLM road crew bladed a new road approximately one mile into die Conger in western Utah, during Mountain Wilderness Study Area, located in the basin and range country work the and the equipment March. The BLM admits it was a mistake (a sheepherder requested will reclaim the road. operator obliged) and says it Stiles Says the Chaining Has Stopped? Hah! Last Zephyr Editor Stiles treated readers to photos of the Amasa Back chaining outside Moab, and accurately stated that the BLM had since stopped chaining in southeastern Utah. Utah. Unfortunately the moratorium does not extend to southwestern the proposed Doc's Pass around wildfire a Last July approximately 2000 acres was burned in took advantage of the Resource Area border. The Dixie wilderness area on the situation to chain on an "emergency" basis 1000 acres of the bum (chaining Involves dragging a heavy chain between two bulldozers to rip trees out of the ground). Because it was an "emergency," the BLM dispensed with notice to the public- SUWA learned of the mess only when The area. in the lines "emergency" decision was made on a member was checking boundary December. August 17. The work did not begin until Blackened juniper skeletons stand in the unchained areas. In the chained areas, the trunks are splintered, ripped from the earth and strewn across the land. For decades the chained areas will remain unnatural and ugly places, long after the unchained areas have been renewed. These areas are wilderness no more. Some fifty archeological sites were found during clearances for the chaining. Those eligible for the National Historic Register were avoided, the remainder were chained. The BLM reseeded the area primarily with plant spedes and estimates the project will increase the number of AUM's for cows from 78 to 390. Utah-Ncva- non-nati- Of Course We Had No Opinion Governor Leavitt has proposed taking a statewide poll to determine Utahns' opinion on wilderness. A recent experiment, reported in the Washington Post, found that when Americans were asked whether they supported the repeal of the '1975 Public Affairs Act' that 24 said yes and 19 said no. There is no such thing as the 1975 Public Affairs Act, but still 43 of the respondents had an opinion. When the question was changed to add that "President Clinton said that the Public Affairs Act should be repealed' 53 percent of the respondents had an a opinion act. about the non-existe- The The Interior Board of Land Appeals will have ruled on the appeal filed against the race by the time this is printed. The race is scheduled to run from April 25 to May Eco-Circu- s. e' 6. It is no secret that the Colorado Plateau, and the Moab area especially, is at times and places overrun with recreational users. The major rivers and now the National Parks arc divied up to the public by permits. Difficult questions are raised with allocation of the diminishing wildlands. However, it should have been simple for the BLM to turn away from remote areas. The race could have been held anywhere, and serves merely as a promotional tool for certain products. Race promoters say sponsors indude Shoes, MTV, Jansport, ESPN, GT shoes and Jansport Bicycles, Timex, NBC and Mitsubishi. Look for packs. Hi-Te- Hi-Te- e" if was the thrill of a lifetime, and the culmination of all Ken Rail's childhood hopes and dreams...the opportunity to annoy almost the entire Congressional delegation AND Coivmor Leavitt at the same time. "Eco-Challeng-e" Editor's note: As we prepared to go to press, the I BLA appeal The race will proceed. to stop the EcoChallenge race was rejected. Burr Trailization slowed on Buckhom Wash Road. Several years ago SUWA challenged Emery County's efforts to widen and improve the Buckhom Wash road, which bisects the north half of the San Rafael Swell. The county wants to upgrade the existing two wheel drive road into a high speed thoroughfare, as it has already started to do on the stretch down to the San Rafael River Bridge, from the north. The bigger the road, the more traffic will be attracted (including trailers of motorcydes and ATVs) and the greater the disruption to wildlife. The Interior Board of Land Appeals just issued a decision which had the effect of undoing BLM's determination that the county had a right to expand the road. Dixie National Forest and Supervisor Hugh Thompson. Last month I griped that the Dixie National Forest was pushing another tax payer subsidized timber sale, known as the Jacob Swale "vegetation management project" which would require the GUIDED TRIPS RENTALS The Utah Congressional Delegation Declares War on Wilderness. The Utah Senators and Representatives have acquiesced to Utah Governor Mike Leavitt's three stop plan to determine the fate of Utah Wilderness. First, the Governor allowed southern Utah county commissioners to wilderness to map out a wilderness traditionally opposed proposal. It was like leaving responsible for a leavemessage, paying Earl Shumway to watch over an Anazazi bowl, hoping the Dixie National Forest would save the last old growth forest or putting Bruce Babbitt in charge of grazing reform. condusions a" predicted. They recomended that 994,414 acres of the 7,IhfLG)Unty 5,700,0)0 acres of Utah wilderness be protected and the other 83 be dammed. The four most southeastern Utah counties. Garfield, Kane, San Juan and Wayne, recomended flushing 2,882,797 acres o ,1 63,760 acres of wilderness: 91 of the wild country would go unprotected. These counties recomended zero wilderness for places like the Dirty Devil Grand Gulch, White Canyon, Parunaweap Canyon and Muddy Creek The Salt Lake Tribune editorialized that the counties' recomendations confirmed environmentalists ears that the interests. process had been stacked in favor of The Tnb called called the recomendation a 'most extreme position." SALES (Dagger Canoes & Kayaks) - no-trac- e ss INSTRUCTION & OUTFITTING "Hey Bruce . Did you know there's a canoe on the roof of your shed?" . 1 STOP BY AT POISON SPIDER BIXES 497 N. MAIN 259-77- 22 |