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Show On Environment Rural Economics Natural Resource Managers Hold April 9-10 Summit In Boulder BOULDER Congressman Jim Hansen (Rcp-UT) was the Sunday evening speaker at the two-day two-day annual meeting of the National Resource Manager's Summit meeting meet-ing held in Boulder at the Boulder Mountain Lodge wilh 22 of the state's highest department and division divi-sion heads and their federal agency counterparts. Hansen updated everyone ev-eryone with an overview of recent changes on the Washington, D. C. ' scene, according lo Dottie Brock-bank, Brock-bank, legislative public affairs administrator, who was present for the summit. Many local folk in Boulder and Escalante were seeing the summit as another case of government officials offi-cials meeting together to discuss significant issues wilhout bothering to notify the public of their meeting. meet-ing. Still others were seeing it as a weekend outing at the taxpayers' expense. Justification, however, lor the two-day event was fonhcoming from Utah State Department of Natural Resources Deputy Director Howard Rigtrup who explained that the group regularly meets monthly at a brief breakfast meeting in Salt Lake Cily to coordinate the activities activi-ties of their various agencies and recognized a need to get to know one another and promote belter inter-agency communications. That need, he said, led to a commitment to an annual retreat-type meeting alternately al-ternately sponsored by the federal and state agencies involved. Last year's meeting, he said, was at Zion National Park, this year's at Boulder. According to Brockbank the beautiful Boulder Mountain Lodge was selected for this year's meeting because of its location in an area that has been significant in recent wilderness, grazing and environmental environ-mental issues which all the agencies have been addressing. Brockbank acknowledged that the mccling was not publicized nor were there any members of the press invited. "It was a working meeting," Brockbank Brock-bank said, "but no decisions were made and no votes were taken, just talking." Slate Natural Resources Director Ted Stewart kicked off the Sunday evening social at 7 p.m. followed by Rep. Hansen. The Congressman had stopped off after his appearance at the dedication of the Tuacahn amphiiheatcr near Zion and left the following morning with Rigtrup for Salt Lake City. Rigtrup, who transported trans-ported the Congressman, and returned re-turned to Salt Lake City on Monday 1IIUI 311U dUUUl 1111 UlipuUil- cized meeting, "There are too many people that thrive on conspiracy theories." He said the meet "was not closed, but not publicized." Garfield County Commissioner Louise Liston was also a Sunday evening guest but did not stay for Monday's agenda because of the regular Garfield County commission commis-sion meeting in Panguitch. Representative Tom Hatch (R-Dist. 73) was on hand for Monday's agenda which included addressing the Escalanie Eco-Region as a "case study highlighting the strength and the weaknesses of multi-agency and community resource planning for infra-structure and management on a large-scale project." Stewart and Brooke Williams of the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget together moderated discussion. discus-sion. Brockbank said that the group agreed that any future project might be better served by bringing in local input in the very early stages of planning using a county-commission appointed committee. She said the Eco-Rcgion Concept had been tabled, but committee members who had been appointed by area . mayors to serve on the Advisory Committee for the proposed Escalante Esca-lante Eco-Region said they are wondering if the eco-region concept is still alive. They said on Tuesday that they were told that they had been earlier formally relieved of any current role because the Eco-Region Eco-Region Concept had been tabled. They are confused about its appearance appear-ance on the Summit Meeting agenda. "If the Eco-Region is be ing addressed in any way, we expect ex-pect participation;" said Advisory Committee member Joel Greer, "the committee was formed by mayors and citizens at the Governor's own request." When Greer asked about attending the Summit he said he was told that the meeting was strictly an internal meeting and that "the public is not invited." Rep. Hatch, a former long-time Garfield County commissioner, along with Utah Forest Products owner Stephen Steed, Escalante and Mark Austin, who owns Boulder Mountain Lodge, addressed "Historic "His-toric Versus Contemporary Economics Econ-omics of Rural Utah. Hatch outlined his family's four generations genera-tions of ranching, Steed a long family history in the lumber industry, indus-try, and Austin addressed balanced tourism.' Jim Carter, director of the state's Division of Oil, Gas and Mining, , spoke about the status of Andalcx (See Natural Resources Managers Hold Boulder Meeting on Page 5A) Resources Managers In Boulder From Page 1 permitting. While no one was at he meeting representing Andalex, the company's spokesman Dave Shaver said on Tuesday he feels comfortable comfort-able with the permitting status and has confidence in working with the state's people. Monday afternoon brought a tour of the Burr Trail, the Notom Road and old mines, and Capitol Reef National Park. Hosts for the tour were Chuck Lunly, park superintendent; super-intendent; Lee Allison, Utah Geologic Geo-logic survey; and Carter. Larry Davis, superintendent at Anasazi Indian Village State Park, hosted a lour of the park during the mornine for snouscs and cuesls. Everyone returned to the lodge for dinner and entertainment. Other state and federal personnel attending the summit were Marty Ott, state director of the National Park Service; Lee Case, district chief of the U.. S. Geological Survey; Charles Calhoun, regional . director of the Bureau of Reclamation; Reed Harris, field supervisor of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife; Matt Millcnbach, state director of the Bureau of Land Management; Bob Valentine, director direc-tor of Wildlife Resources; Jeff Burks, director of the Office of Energy and Resource Planning; Bob Morgan, state engineer; Bob Swinford, public affairs officer for the U.S. Forest Service, Wasatch-Cache; Wasatch-Cache; Larry Anderson, director of Water Resources; and Courtland Nelson, director of the Division of Parks and Recreation. Also, Scott Hirschi, director of Utah's School and Trust Lands; Lee Allison, director of Utah Geological Geol-ogical Survey; Brooks Carter, biologist, biol-ogist, Corps of Engineers; Skip Nelson, Soil Conservation Service; Art Dufault, Division of Sovereign Lands and Forestry; and Liz Porter, administrative assistant to Ted Stewart. Rigtrup acknowledged that the taxpayer would be paying for the top level management confab when he said that each agency may ultimately ulti-mately pick up the tab for its representative repre-sentative but that the state accepts the initial responsibility to meet the costs of the two-day summit. He said that spouses paid their own way. |