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Show BluPAfounm THE SAN JUAN RECORD Wednesday, September 4, 2002 - Page 6 435167,812653 Thanks for ambulance donation Dear Editor, thought it would be nice to publicly thank BOB (Business Owners of Bluff) members for their donation. Thanks! I The San Juan Record welcomes letters from our readers. Letters to the Editor must be: No more than 350 words Signed Include the author's address and phone number The San Juan Record reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity and to eliminate libelous or tasteless material. Dear BOB Members, Thank you very much for your recent donation of $200 to the Bluff Volunteer Ambulance. We put it to good use. We have always wanted to put shelves in our garage bay so that we could keep our supplies and gear up off the floor. We now have that. Dave Inscore did the work and it looks great! This gift was made during EMT Appreciation Month. Sincerely, Kathy Carson, Director Bluff Volunteer Ambulance On behalf of all of my EMTs: Tsonja, Kristy, Dave and Reed September 4-- 10 S&piemit&i 4-- 0 Call for shows and times Gallon iltoutd, and timed. Closed1Sundayj&Jvlonda Monday: Family night Determine never to be Need support for box top project Dear Editor: This letter is to ask for the support of the community in collecting Box 1bps For Education logos for Monticello Elementary. Our school gets 10 cents for each box top we collect. Last year we collected enough to pay for a majority of the Accelerated Reader program for the children. It is a simple process. Please clip the Box 1bps for Education logo from the following products: Betty Crocker, Yoplait, General Mills, Old El Paso, Progresso, Green Giant, Gold Medal, Pillsbury and Totinos. Students can bring the box tops to the Monticello Elementary School office or their classroom and for parents or grandparents a collection box has been placed at Blue Mountain Foods (near the checkout stands). Thanks for your support! Monticello Elementary School PTA 'The San Juan "Tfaorb HOMETOWN NEWSPAPER FOR SAN JUAN COUNTY. UTAH SINCE 1915 AN AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER Publisher - Editor BILL BOYLE Office Manager TERRY CRAMER - Ad Design Office Assistant PAT RICHARDSON Paste-u- p Proofreader DAWN BOYLE Writers NELL DALTON MAXINE DEETER MARY LOU HOGGARD LEO PLATERO GARY TORRES TERRI WINDER News Writers ANNA THAYN PHIL MUELLER PHONE & FAX 435-587-22- 77 435-587-33- 77 consequences of drought Long-ter- m Dear Editor: With temperatures blasting thermometers into triple digit range and no measurable precipitation in sight, it is hard to imagine we have an iceberg to contend with. It sits there shimmering in all its hidden glory smack dab in the middle of this desert we call Utah. Not since the early 50s has the state endured as long lasting period of time without measurable precipitation as it is now experiencing. Many changes work together to intensify the effects of the current dry period, effects that will most likely be felt for many years to come. Utah Agriculture Commissioner Cary Peterson remains optimistic: Drought is nothing new to us. We will share what resources we have, rethink how we do business, and like those who have worked the land g before us, look to tomorrow for rains. Reloading may not be enough as the long-terproblems extend beyond agrarian needs. Environmental infighting has prevented the thinning of forests through logging and prescribed burns. Throw in development and you have a problem for the forests. Trees already stressed by unchecked growth are now drying out due to lack of water. The trees are no longer able to maintain their natural defenses against pests and become vulnerable to infestation. Grasses and shrubs used to graze are virtually nonexistent due to drought. What forage and browse the animals can find is mostly last years growth and is nothing more than fuel for potential fires. Ranchers are selling off their livestock in an effort to head off starvation. The wild animals that roam freely in the mountains and plains will be headed into a winter for what lies ahead. We have all heard the water woes, but these still waters also run much deeper. Already hydroelectric power generation in these states has been cut in half due to the low flows. Thirsty municipalities are seeing their wells dry up and are trying to tap into conservation pools necessary for the survival of fish. Land and wildlife managers are working tirelessly in an effort to limit the damage. Special hunts have been ordered to help thin the elk and deer herds. The daily limit on fish has been increased. Restrictions have been placed on the use of fire and fireworks. These efforts are the best bandage we can offer at this time. But what does the future hold for the state? Can we allow the potential fire fuels to grow unchecked, leading to larger and more devastating fires, or can we manage the vegetation to achieve a more harmonious situation? Can we allow the wildland urban interface to continue its rapid growth without suffering the costs of additional fire suppression? Can we adequately meet the water needs for not only human consumption but also for wildlife and livestock? Utah is mostly a desert; planning and conservation efforts must not be mounted just in times of crisis, but all the time. A few lifestyle changes and with proper management of our natural resources, we can weather this storm and many others that may follow, allowing smooth sailing around hidden obstacles. crop-savin- IL m sanjuan .net sjrnews multi-facete- d SUBSCRIPTION RATES San Juan County Outside County - USA APO or FPO address Newsstand Sr. Citizen Sr. Out of County To $18 $26 $26 50c $17.50 $25.50 have a sample copy sent to a fnend, send us his or her address. Write to PO Box 879, Monticello, UT 84535. Copyright, The San Juan I Recordd, 2002. AH rights! reserved. Reproduction, I reuse or transmittal of all I herein matter isl prohibited without prior written permission by the publisher. ISSN 0894-327- 3 Published weakly at 49 South Main, MonMado.Ulah. Periodical pottage paid at MonhceDo, Utah (ISSN0894-32734535 Postmaster: Send all addresa ). changes to P.O. Boa 871, Monticello, Sanjuan Utah 84535. The Record is a member ol the Utah Press Association and - National Newspaper Association. Sincerely, Joel Frandsen, Utah State Forester idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much may be done if we are always doing. Thomas Jefferson $3 per person 435-5871- 027 1 696 E.CentrallMonticello |