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Show : : Meetings Set For Kanab And Escalante On Proposed : : Federally Funded Changes : On Hole-In-The-Rock Road Z-'S- Two meetings are set to address initial environmental - planning that will utilize Federal Highway Administration fund-; fund-; ing to improve Hole-in-the--z'z Rock Road. The meetings are set for Z-2-Kanab on Thursday, Sept. 12 Z-Z - from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Grand Z-z Staircase-Escalante National Monument (GSENM) Office Z- and in Escalante on Friday, Sept. ; . 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. at the ;- Escalante Community Center. ' The Canyon Country Rural ' -1 Alliance (CCRA) of Kanab sees ' '"' the planning as a potential threat Z-Z- to RS2477 claims to the Hole--"; in-the-Rock Road, and is urging Z- - Kane County Commissioners not to accept a Bureau of Land ; -. Management (BLM)-controlled ; Title 5 permit in lieu of the county's long standing RS2477 rights. The issue has reared its head since early on in the designation desig-nation of the GSENM. The meetings are being held to provide details and to allow for public comment. The CCRA claims that the action could result in either favorable or unfavorable conditions condi-tions regarding the resolution of the long-standing RS2477 Rights-of-Way (ROW) conflict in Kane and Garfield Counties as well as the state of Utah. The organization is encouraging encourag-ing residents of both Garfield and Kane Counties to consider the following issues before attending the meetings to provide pro-vide their input: 1. Kane County should not (See MEETINGS on page 3A) Hole-In-The-Rock Meetings From Front Page accept a BLM controlled FLPMA Title 5 permit in place of county controlled RS 2477 Rights-of-Way recognition and formal acceptance by the BLM. Consideration of a Title 5 permit over the entire length and width of the project area should be considered unacceptable and not in the best interests of Kane or Garfield Counties or county residents. res-idents. 2. Kane County should not jeopardize RS2477 Rights-of-Way SCOPE with excessive Title 5 acceptance regarding improvements in place of the scope inherent with the valid existing right under RS2477. The Sierra Club v. Hodel court decision provides the necessary guidelines for such resolution in holding that scope exceeds the "disturbed area" of the roadway. Planning should minimize Title 5 encumbrances beyond existing exist-ing RS2477 scope. 3. Kane County should not risk spending county tax money until formal recognition of Hole in the Rock RS2477 Rights-of-Way and scope conditions are recognized by the BLM. The CCRA also claims that BLM recognition of RS2477 ROW and scope could help resolve the long-term controversy. controver-sy. The CCRA believes that county acceptance of a Title 5 permit in place of RS2477 recognition would establish harmful precedent by transferring transfer-ring the control and authority of a county road to the federal government; gov-ernment; by constructively abandoning the valid existing right under RS2477; by adding controls, restrictions and conditions condi-tions not possible under RS2477; and by encouraging the future failure of federal agencies and employees to recognize valid existing rights of all types. They claim that the move to improve Hole-in-the-Rock Road with federal funding is really about BLM efforts to further control roads on the monument. Members claim that the issue relates to other rights such as the right to access public lands, the right to use water, the right to graze livestock, the. right to heat with firewood, the right to hunt for meat, the right to access private pri-vate property, in fact, the right to control and keep private property proper-ty surrounded by federal lands. They say it further relates to the ability of a rural county to be a planning partner regarding the management of federal lands within our counties and their ability to achieve stability regarding economic and cultural needs, to be good land stewards and to manage resources for the continued benefit of local communities. com-munities. They say it all relates to the ability to survive as rural Americans. The CCRA is urging urg-ing residents of both counties to attend their local meetings and is providing a detailed report with photos regarding the issue. The report is available by contacting con-tacting CCRA at 435-644-5672 or 435-644-5064. |