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Show PAGE 17 THE ZEPHYRMAY 1995 The Governor and delegation will have held five regional hearings at the end of April to review the counties' proposal, by the time this is printed. As a third step, the delegation will introduce a wilderness bill on June 1, based on the county recomendations. Bets are the delegation will add some acreage to the counties' proposal to make it a little more reasonable and end up somewhere between 15 and 2 million acres. That brings the casualty rate for Utah wilderness down to around 4 million acres lost. Two factors are driving the Governor and the Delegation. First, there are 3.2 milion acres of BLM land now protected as Wilderness Study Areas. Second, the remaining 25 million acres of 1 IR 1500 lands are a battlefield, where developers have learned that any land grab will start a fight. The Congressional delegation's goal is to get as much of the 57 million acres declared open for development as possible. To do so, it has promised any bill will include "hard release" language for all wildlands not designated as wilderness. Until now, wilderness bills have included "soft" release language which leaves lands unprotected temporarily. For example, the 1984 Utah Forest Wilderness bill left areas open until the next round of Forest plans were written, expected to occur by 1994 (in fact, the Forest Service is stalling the rewrite of their existing and out of date plans). Under "hard release" these lands would be permanently left open for development. "Hard release" is a death sentence for wilderness, with no appeal and no reprieve. The loss of any of the 57 million acres calls for a scrap. Accepting less than 12 million acres, the amount that is now protected as Wilderness Study Areas, would be akin to stabbing the Colorado Plateau in the back. There is no roan to negotiate the delegation's bad bill into something a little bit better. As Beavis and Butthead (and Stiles) would say, you can't polish a turd. No doubt, for public relations purposes the delegation will find an "environmental" group to negotiate and then sign off on the bill. How about the "Utah Wilderness Education Project.? Members of UWEP include the Utah Cattleman's Association, the Farm Bureau, the Utah Petroleum Association, Utah Mining Association, and the Blue Ribbon Coaltion (funded by dirt bike manufacturers). Or the "Camittce of Responsible Environmentalists," a Kanab group aligned with People of the West, a wise use group funded by extractive industries? There should be no confusion though- The real environmentalists will be clawing to kill the delegation's bill. The last time around, the Manti La Sal's proposed Verdure Creek Watershed Treatment was successfully appealed by concerned individuals with the help of SUWA. The 1500 acre project would be located in the Montezuma Creek drainage of the Abajo Mountains. Using a combination of sane of the aforementioned monster mowers, the Forest Service is trying to make a go of it one more time. Once again, SUWA has submitted comments questioning the rationale, potential impacts and economics of this proposal. Defiling the Virgin g The Washington County Water Conservancy District, in their quest to supply ever more water for the population in and around St George, has released a draft management plan for the Virgin River which outlines their plans for two new dams, pipeline diversions, and other schemes which appear to be the creation of a civil engineer in heat Under the guise of protecting endangered fish and riparian values, the Conservancy District proposes a new dam in the Ash Creek drainage and one in Sand Hollow southwest of Hurricane. At the same time, the Conservancy District is still considering the feasibility of their even more grandiose plans for the pipeline from Lake PowelL never-endin- ever-growi- Ken Rait is the Issues Coordinator for S.U.WA. Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance U'l Yes! uill I r S.Hih liontm. Villi.. ike C:r I uh M.M warn in jinn ihe Soul Item I lull Wilderness Alliance. Here is im annual dues pawnciu tor whiJi I he iuartcils ness 'letter and bulletins periodic arise aciion-riei.ie- I J - What the People not getting extractive industry PAC $ are up to. While the Utah delegation makes plans for war on Utah wilderness, New York Representative Maurice Hinchcy fired the first shot by introducing HR 1500 into the US House of Representatives. The bill would protect 5.7 million acres of Utah BLM wilderness. All of the major environmental organizations, national and statewide, have joined as the Utah Wilderness Coalition to support HR 1500. Scott Groene is a staff attorney with the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance. Chainsaws in Arch Canyon Following the lead of the Dixie National Forest, the Manti La Sal is getting excited about The a of sale Forest Service has sent out on own. timber their salvage embarking program for notices four different timber units (three in the Abajos and one in the salvage cutting scoping La Sals). Relying on the same silly rationale as the Dixie National Forest, the Manti La Sal is worried about the bugs getting to the trees before the chainsaws. One of the proposed cutting units is within the Forest Service part of the Arch Canyon roadless area. SUWA has submitted extensive scoping comments, requesting consideration of cumulative impacts, potential impacts to the Mexican spotted owl, and other issues. DOA Escalante Utah Governor Mike Leavitt's plan to turn the Escalante Canyons into a taxpayer subsidized Disneyland is dead. Previously termed the proposal, Leavitt's plan involved a series of concentric rings around the Escalante canyons each allowing for varying levels of development. The outside ring would have included a jetport, golf course, and other tourist magnet developments. Given the Governor's interest in immediately resolving the wilderness debate, this particular plan fa the prostitution of the Escalante canyons has fallen by the wayside. Eco-Rcgio- n- Eco-Regio- n Mad Max Goes to the Manti La Sal Coming soon to a pinyon - juniper forest near you... Rollerchopping involves using a Urge drum with furizontal tUJes pulled by a crawler tractor to knock down and chop the vegetation into pieces approximately IS inches in length. Chaining involves using a heavy metal chain pulled between two crawler tractors to pull trees over. The hydromower is comprised of three-to-fodouble jointed cutting blades under a protective hood. This assembly is mounted on a rubber tired skidder. The skidder has a tilting cab allowing the unit to be operated The mower unit can be raised, lowered, or tilted to cut on slopes up to vegetation as required. ur International Center tor Healing Arts Corner Locust Lane & 4th East BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES Biofeedback training and behavioral counseling for stress management Migraine & tension headaches Hypertension...Pain control AnxietyPanlc attacks Depression. ..Seep Distubance AddictionsCsmoking. toad, alcohol) TMJJaw Genching Bio feedback teaches technicjuos that access the natural healing chemicals the body by balancing the nenous system. Individuals are Py produced empowered py their own minaDOdy connection. Annette Kearl. hlA. Behavioral Counselor. Certified Bicfeedbacic & Music therapist Call tor reformation & appointment schedule. 25 W345 45. BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND... Friday, May 12 at 5PM ONE SHOTS MOAB ART CELEBRATION Anyone and everyone is invited to come as you are CATERED BY MONDO CAFE bring an instrument you have one. Last year's drumming, strumming, singing, dancing and humming was more than memorable. if SEE YOU THERE! man B |