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Show Opposes 'Compromise1 The four Republicans in Utah's congressional delegation and the governor recently issued a press release re-lease asking that "the type of unity" which resulted in their 1984 forest wilderness bill be repeated for Utah's upcoming canyon and desert wilderness bill. The 1984 bill protected pro-tected only 750,000 acres of Utah's 8 million acres of National Forest land. Even the relatively anti-wildcrness anti-wildcrness Forest Service had recommended rec-ommended 780,000 acres and further fur-ther study for another 140,00. Not only were many serving areas ar-eas left out of the 1984 bill, but the areas designated were disastrously compromised by the Utah delegation's "unity." The boundary of the Box-Death Hollow Wilderness Wilder-ness in the Escalante Canyons was gerrymandered for carbon dioxide exploration. Critical recreation and wildlife lands on the east slope of Mt. Naomi and the north slope of the High Unitas were left open to oil exploration. Off-road vehicle corridors that the Forest Service recommended against were drawn through Mt. Nebo and Dark Canyon. Deserct Peak and Pine ! Valley Mountain-were left hall- 1 protected for no reason at all. Now Utah's Republican members mem-bers of Congress and the governor want us to use this lowest common denominator approach again for southern Utah's canyons and western west-ern Utah's desert mountain ranges. What is needed, through, is a less rushed process that responds more to the long term local and national quality of life and less to shortsighted short-sighted local economic interests. These lands are public lands belonging be-longing to all Americans and most of them arc biologically and aesthetically aes-thetically integral with five national parks. Millions of people from across the country enjoy these lands every year and care deeply about what happens to them. All Americans rightfully should have a strong voice in determining the future fu-ture of these lands. But Utahns have special responsibility for protecting Utah's canyons and deserts and we must continue to speak out. Particularly in southern Utah there is national treasure of spectacular spec-tacular dimensions. Between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands national parks there is a tcn-million-acre area that has only one corridor of pavement cutting across it, no powerlines, and less than 1,000 residents. A 4.5-million-acre national na-tional monument was proposed for this region by the Department of the Interior in the 1930s. Today it l. ils to us to protect what is left iir. r the inundation of Glen Canyon I y Lake Powell. Utah conservationists join Con grcssman Wayne Owens in the foui to five year prx;ess to win puliation pulia-tion loi 5.1 mill ion acres of the canyon country and the desert mountains less than 10 percent of the state and less than one quarter of Utah's 22 million acres of canyon and desert public lands. Surely this in not too much to ask in a state as richly blessed as Utah. Sincerely, Rodney Greeno Public Lands Specialist Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance Salt Lake City (801) 532-5959 |