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Show What Is Initiative 1 All About? As a concerned citizen, and ' resident of Garfield County, I - am for Initiative 1 as I believe it is a way for us to vote "Yes" on '. upholding our quality of life. I would encourage everyone to find out more about it before election day, and hopefully siip- port it yourselves. Initiative 1 is supported by both candidates for State Governor, the Mayor of - Provo, and many others includ- ing sportsmen and outdoorsmen. .. Utahns for Clean Water, Clean Air and Quality Growth have ) information about Initiative 1 on their website, which is included below. Here are some of the rea- sons why I support it: This is great opportunity for Utah. Initiative 1 will provide the resources we need to ade-. ade-. quately plan and prepare for the projected 1 million people we will add to Utahs population in the next 15 to 20 years. Initiative 1 is an affordable way to protect our quality of life now, and pass Utah's natural assets on to our. children and grandchildren - around $14 per family per year, or the price of a take-out pizza !! All of this will be done through a citizens' commission com-mission with tough fiscal audits and legislative oversight. Initiative 1 is not about wilderness or public lands, its about protecting key private lands with watershed, wildlife and agricultural values - the lands where we live. Initiative 1 is also about much more than just land protection. HEALTH: it will help keep toxic chemicals and pollutants out of our water supply and provide incentives for clean water and clean air; FAMILY FARMS AND RANCHES: it will help with much-needed funding to protect Utah's rural lifestyle ; PLANNING: PLAN-NING: it will provide local governments gov-ernments with planning funds to guide growth wisely; LAND MANAGEMENT: it will help landowners fight noxious weeds, enhance wildlife habitat, improve wetlands and address critical land management needs. Example: Initiative 1 funds could help keep the Sage Grouse off the Endangered Species List - an issue of vital importance to rural Utah. The Quality Growth (See LETTERS on page 3A) Letters To The Editor From Page 2A Commission administering Initiative 1 has adopted a 'no net loss of private lands' policy to guard against the loss of private lands. In recent years, conservation bonds have passed in Nevada ($200 million), Colorado ($170 million) and Arizona ($173 million), mil-lion), while Utah's only state source for this purpose, the LeRay McAllister Fund, has been cut 74 by the Legislature to less than $800,000 today. The Farmland Protection Program (FPP), part of the new Farm Bill, does have the potential to bring $3 to $4 million annually to Utah for conservation easements ease-ments - but this program requires a 1:1 match. Initiative 1 funds will provide this match. Without it, FPP monies will go begging. initiative l's l20th of one percent sales tax increase will cost the average Utah family only $14 per year. The tax increase proposed is temporary. It will terminate after the bonds are paid off in approximately 10 to 1 3 years. If we wait too long to protect our natural heritage, critical lands will be lost to development andor priced out of reach. All Utahns, from every walk of life, benefit from clean water, clean air and the preservation of our natural heritage. Tourists also enjoy and benefit from our natural lands. Through a sales tax increase, tourists will pay their fair share to protect Utah's wildlife and recreation lands. For more information check out the website at www.utahlands2004.org or phone Kate Ferguson at 80 1 -531-7304. Tim Clarke Boulder |